Are you interested in cities or urban issues, or do you want hands-on, applied, experiential learning opportunities? If so, check out our MetroBridge course listings below!

MetroBridge embeds real-world research projects for cities, towns, and community organizations into classes at Boston University, addressing pressing urban challenges and creating experiential learning opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to gain applied skills through impactful, project-based research. Questions? Wondering about classes in future semesters not listed below? Please email MetroBridge Program Manager David Gross at davgross@bu.edu.

Below is a list of our planned courses for current and upcoming semesters, our core MetroBridge courses that regularly feature projects, and a selection of past courses that incorporated MetroBridge projects in the past. Don’t see classes from your school/college or academic department? We’re constantly working with faculty across the university on new collaborations! Please feel free to refer MetroBridge to interested faculty members or email MetroBridge Program Manager David Gross at davgross@bu.edu to provide leads, recommendations, and further information.

Each year, MetroBridge courses are subject to change due to various factors. However, several courses collaborate with us every semester they are offered, referred to as Core MetroBridge courses.

Fall 2025 MetroBridge Courses

This section will be updated during the first week of classes with additional information about each project.

The following courses have MetroBridge projects for the fall 2025 semester. They are listed with their project partner. Courses, partners, and projects are always subject to change.

  • CAS EC 367: Economics of the Public Sector (Bahar Erbas) — MBTA Advisory Board
  • CAS EE 512: Urban Climate (Dan Li) — City of Boston Office of Climate Resilience
  • CAS PO 519: Inequality and American Politics (Katherine Einstein) — City of Boston Planning Advisory Council and Housing Innovation Lab
  • CAS PO 524: Local Policy Analysis Lab (David Glick) — City of Boston Office of Nightlife Economy
  • CAS SO 280: Global Urban Studies (Loretta Lees) — Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE)
  • CAS SO 483/883: Gentrification Studies (Shannon Whittaker) — West End Museum
  • CAS SO 490/890: Seminar: Global Health: Politics, Institutions, and Ideology (Joseph Harris) — Partners in Health
  • ENG ME 460: Senior Design 1 — Select Projects. More information coming soon. 
  • MET UA 589: Research and Evaluation (Yeşim Sungu-Eryilmaz) — Town of Easton
  • MET UA 756: Capstone (Anne Haynes) — City of Boston Transportation Department
  • QST BA 223 (Sections A1, B1, C1): Business Modeling with Spreadsheets (Megan Macgarvie) — Town of Brookline Department of Public Works Transportation Division
  • WEDAP 635: Public Policy and Research (Ariel Tichnor-Wagner) — Chelsea School Committee (Members Jonny Gomez-Pereira and Dr. Sarah Neville)

Core MetroBridge Courses

We are in the process of developing a list of BU courses that typically incorporate MetroBridge courses every semester in which the course is offered. Please check back in the coming months.

N.B. This list is provided as a resource for students to incorporate MetroBridge courses into their planning. We work with BU faculty and our city and community partners to keep this list as up-to-date as possible; however, it is subject to change, and we cannot guarantee MetroBridge projects in a given course.

Select Previous MetroBridge Courses

Check Out 2024–2025 MetroBridge Projects

Click here to view a selection of recently completed MetroBridge projects. Look below for courses that have featured MetroBridge projects in prior years.

Please note that the courses below are a selection of past MetroBridge courses. These courses may or may not be MetroBridge courses in the future. Please consult the listings above for the most up-to-date course information. 

Anthropology

  • CAS AN 220 – Urban Anthropology

Art

  • CFA AR 369 – Art, Community, and Social Engagement

City Planning & Urban Affairs

  • MET UA 509 – Public Finance and Urban Infrastructure
  • MET UA 510 – Selected Topics in Urban Affairs
  • MET UA 703 – Urban Research Methods

Communication

  • COM EM 757 – User-Producers 2.0: Developing Interactivity
  • COM EM 777 – Masters Collaboratory Project

Computer Science

  • CAS CS 501 – Computer Science Practicum
  • CAS CS 504 – Data Mechanics

Criminal Justice

  • MET CJ 640 – Management & Accountability Analytics

Cross-College Challenge

  • HUB XC410 B1 – Spark! Data Science for Good. Topics in Civic Tech: Housing

Earth & Environment

  • CAS EE 512 – Urban Climate
  • CAS EE 538 – Research for Environmental Agencies 2

Economics

  • CAS EC 328 – Urban and Regional Economics

Education & Human Development

  • SED AP 635 – Public Policy for Researchers

Health/Social Welfare

  • SAR HS 348 – Global Mental Health
  • SAR HS 349 – Cultural Humility, Racial Justice, and Health
  • SSW WP 705 – Mental Health and Social Policy
  • SPH PM 755 – Health Care Delivery Systems
  • SPH HB 800 – Obesity in Society

History

  • CAS HI 190 – History of Boston

Kilachand Honors College

  • KHC HC 302 – Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Challenges
  • KHC HC 401 – Epistemologies and the Process of Inquiry

Management/Strategy & Innovation

  • QST SI 250 – Ideas to Impact
  • QST MG 737 – Action Learning Capstone

Political Science

  • CAS PO 307 – Public Opinion in American Politics
  • CAS PO 313 – The Politics and Policy of HBO’s The Wire
  • CAS PO 519 – Inequality and American Politics
  • CAS PO 524 – Local Policy Analysis Lab
  • GRS PO 705 – Special Topics in American Politics

Psychology

  • CAS PS 326 – Experimental Psychology: Social
  • CAS PS 560 – Cross-Cultural Psychology

Romance Studies

  • CAS LP 307 – Portuguese for Business and Professional Life
  • CAS LS 309 – Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers

Sociology

  • CAS SO 490 – Politics of Global Health
  • CAS SO 702 – Sociological Research Methods