MS in Project Management

Offered both on the Charles River Campus and online, Metropolitan College’s Master of Science (MS) in Project Management degree program provides comprehensive preparation for managing projects in different contexts. While learning the tools and techniques used to monitor and track project costs and schedules, students develop the ability to manage project resources and communications, and successfully complete a project.

Students seeking a broad range of professional responsibilities will benefit from this detailed examination of a project’s rationale and connection to the organization’s mission, including its conception, planning, budgeting, resource allocation, implementation, and handover to the steady state. The MS in Project Management is beneficial to a wide array of students: those working on complex projects for global companies; those designing IT infrastructures; those working in biotechnology companies; and those completing consulting contracts.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the MS in Project Management will demonstrate competencies in three areas mandated for accreditation by the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC):

• Technical: Construct a project plan and demonstrate knowledge of key subsidiary plans such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, communications, resources, and procurement; and demonstrate proficiency in developing an agile or plan-based project management life cycle for projects relevant to their professional domain.
• Leadership: Demonstrate advanced knowledge of project delivery principles—such as value, stewardship, team, stakeholders, risk management, communications, and leadership. Students will build and enhance team capability after assessing personal strengths and weaknesses and develop skills to manage a team and lead others.
• Strategic: Demonstrate knowledge of strategic planning, portfolio and program management, project analytics, and governance applicable to large projects and programs. Apply key drivers for project success—such as value delivery systems, change management, complexity management, investing in actively engaged sponsors, and social responsibility and ethics.

Laboratory Preparation

Boston University Metropolitan College prepares accepted project management students with two signature laboratories: Project Management Essentials (PM 100) and Program & Portfolio Management (PM 200). These self-paced laboratories provide students an unparalleled opportunity to master the tools and techniques of project management practice. The tutorials have been designed by highly experienced staff and are intended to enhance project management classroom learning.

Upon graduation, we provide students with an overview of Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification and Scrum Master Certification, and mentor them as they complete the application forms for candidacy and prepare to earn credentials.

Degree Requirements

MS in Project Management

All students must satisfy the degree core courses. Students with PMI® certifications can earn up to 45 PDUs per course to meet the requirements of maintaining their credentials.

A total of 10 courses (40 credits) is required, as follows:

Core Courses (four courses/16 credits)

• MET AD 642 Project Management
• MET AD 643 Project Communications and Leadership
• MET AD 715 Quantitative and Qualitative Decision-Making
• MET AD 807 Principles and Best Practices in Project, Program, and Portfolio Management

Required Courses (four courses/16 credits)

With the advice of the department coordinator, students who are not choosing a concentration will select four courses from the following list. Other graduate-level courses may be selected upon approval of the department coordinator.

Choose four courses (16 credits) from below:

• MET AD 571 Business Analytics Foundations
• MET AD 632 Financial Concepts
• MET AD 644 Project Risk and Cost Management
• MET AD 646 Portfolio and Program Management
• MET AD 647 Project and Program Governance
• MET AD 649 Agile Project Management
• MET AD 680 Global Supply Chain
• MET AD 782 Project Value Strategies

Elective Courses (two courses/8 credits)

Select two additional Administrative Sciences graduate-level courses (8 credits) with advisor’s approval. Graduate-level courses may also be selected from other Metropolitan College departments or other Boston University schools and colleges, with an advisor’s approval.

Concentration in Program & Project Portfolio Management

The MS in Project Management concentration in Program & Project Portfolio Management provides students with an expanded enterprise view and focus on collection of programs and portfolios. Students will evaluate the critical success factors that align with strategic goals of the organization and describe best practices for managing such a portfolio. Students will learn to construct a program management plan that takes advantage of best practices for the creation and management of programs and coordination of resources, schedule, finance, and risk at the enterprise level. Students also acquire in-depth practical knowledge of enterprise tools used in organizations to plan and manage a portfolio of programs and projects, and learn how to leverage project analytics data to make well-informed decisions.

Learning Outcomes

In addition to the primary learning outcomes for the MS in Project Management, students completing the concentration in Program & Project Portfolio Management will be able to:

• Evaluate critical success factors for projects and programs across industries, use these factors to create project portfolios that align with strategic goals of the organization, and describe best practices for managing such a portfolio.
• Construct a program management plan that describes best practices for the creation and management of programs; how to plan and coordinate resources, procurement, schedule, finance, and risk; and manage change.
• Acquire in-depth practical knowledge of sophisticated, powerful, and highly integrated enterprise tools used in organizations to plan and manage a portfolio of programs and projects, and learn how to leverage project analytics data to make well-informed decisions.

Concentration Requirements

In addition to the MS in Project Management Core Courses (16 credits), students pursuing a concentration in Program & Project Portfolio Management must also take the following concentration requirements:

(four courses/16 credits)

• MET AD 644 Project Risk and Cost Management
• MET AD 646 Portfolio and Program Management
• MET AD 649 Agile Project Management
• MET AD 782 Project Value Strategies

Elective Courses (two courses/8 credits)

Select two additional Administrative Sciences graduate-level courses (8 credits) with advisor’s approval. Graduate-level courses may also be selected from other Metropolitan College departments or other Boston University schools and colleges, with an advisor’s approval.

Good Standing

No grade lower than B– may be applied toward degree, certificate, or diploma requirements. Students earning below a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) will be placed on academic probation status. Students on academic probation must make satisfactory progress toward achieving a minimum of 3.0 by the following semester, and must be in a position to graduate with a 3.0 or better within the remaining program courses. While grades of B or B– are considered passing, these grades will not assist in raising an unsatisfactory GPA to a satisfactory level. Therefore, students must obtain a minimum grade of B+ during a probation period.

Students who, in the determination of the department and based on past student performance, are not in a position to raise their GPA to the necessary level to graduate within the remaining courses will be dismissed from the program. Students who have not removed themselves from academic probation status after one semester for full-time status or three courses for part-time status will be dismissed from the program.

Second Master’s Degree Option

In appreciation of the converging needs of management and technology, the departments of Actuarial Science, Administrative Sciences, and Computer Science collaborate to offer a unique opportunity to students currently enrolled in their degree programs as well as alumni of those programs. Learn more.