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 Boston University classes, 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 course offerings may change due to various factors. However, several courses collaborate with us every semester they are offered; these are referred to as Core MetroBridge courses.

Fall 2026 MetroBridge Courses

We anticipate the following courses to include MetroBridge projects during the fall 2026 semester. We expect this list to change, and courses will likely be added (and in rare instances may be removed).

Check back for a preliminary list by early August. In the interim, we recommend checking out our list of Core MetroBridge Courses below. Please note, we expect additional courses to feature MetroBridge this fall and spring beyond what is listed below.  

Core MetroBridge Courses

MetroBridge partners with faculty teaching several courses throughout BU. Our core courses are those that typically incorporate MetroBridge projects every semester in which the course is offered. While this is not a comprehensive list, we provide it as a resource for students who wish to incorporate MetroBridge courses into their planning.

Please note:

  • Courses may not be offered every year or every semester.
  • This list does not include all courses that frequently partner with MetroBridge. Every semester we partner with courses outside of our core list.
  • 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 (including those on this list).

List of Core MetroBridge Courses:

  • CAS HI 528 – Engineering Boston (Betty Anderson)
  • CAS EE 512 – Urban Climate (Dan Li)
  • CAS EE 524 – Environmental Justice (Anne Short Gianotti)
  • CAS PO 517 – Urban Politics and Policy (Katherine Einstein)
  • CAS PO 519 – Inequality and American Politics (Katherine Einstein)
  • CAS PO 524 – Local Policy Analysis Lab (David Glick)
  • CAS SO 490/890 – Global Health: Politics, Institutions, and Ideology
  • MET UA 505 – Urban Management (Rob DiAdamo)
  • MET UA 589 – Research and Evaluation (Yeşim Sungu-Eryilmaz)
  • MET UA 756/757 – Capstone (Anne Haynes)
  • WED AP 635 – Public Policy and Research (Ariel Tichnor-Wagner)

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
  • CAS AN 372/772 – Psychological Anthropology

Art

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

City Planning & Urban Affairs

  • MET UA 505 – Urban Management
  • MET UA 509 – Public Finance and Urban Infrastructure
  • MET UA 510 – Selected Topics in Urban Affairs
  • MET UA 703 – Urban Research Methods
  • MET UA 589 – Research and Evaluation
  • MET UA 756/757 – Capstone

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
  • CAS EC 367 – Economics of the Public Sector

Education & Human Development

  • WED AP 635 – Public Policy and Research

Engineering

  • ENG ME 460/461 – Senior Deisgn

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
  • CAS HI 528 – Engineering Boston

Kilachand Honors College

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

Law

  • LAD JD 786 – Legislative Policy and Drafting Clinic

Management/Strategy & Innovation

  • QST BA 223: Business Modeling with Spreadsheets
  • 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 517 – Urban Politics and Policy
  • 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 244 – Urban Sociology
  • CAS SO 280 – Global Urban Studies
  • CAS SO 483/883 – Gentrification Studies
  • CAS SO 490/890 – Global Health: Politics, Institutions, and Ideology
  • CAS SO 702 – Sociological Research Methods