David Cotter

As Associate Vice President for Graduate Enrollment Management and Career Services, David Cotter leads efforts to ensure that Boston University’s graduate and professional programs are innovative, relevant, and successful in recruiting, retaining, and graduating excellent students. He also oversees the university’s Center for Career Development (CCD), which serves all undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, and alumni. David works to ensure that the CCD coordinates with career development units throughout schools and colleges to support the career goals of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across the university.

Much of David’s work is done in partnership with BU’s schools and colleges. He works closely with deans, directors, chairs, and faculty members across the University on such topics as new program creation, realignment of existing programs, holistic and inclusive admission practices, enrollment and financial aid analysis, yield forecasting, marketing and recruitment, student services, and budgeting and finance. He also oversees long-range graduate enrollment planning to meet demographic, disciplinary, workplace, and global change.

David has dedicated most of his career to understanding the ever-evolving nature of graduate and professional education.  Prior to his arrival to the Office of the Provost in 2016, he established and developed the Office of Graduate Affairs in BU’s College of Communication (COM). There, he was responsible for all aspects of COM’s graduate programs, including recruitment, admission, financial aid, student success, and program innovation.

Before coming to BU, David served as Associate Dean in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Brandeis University and as Assistant Director of Graduate Admission at Emerson College. He holds a BA in Communication and an MA in Higher Education Administration from Boston College.