Take a MetroBridge Course
MetroBridge matches real-world projects for municipalities and community organizations into classes at Boston University, addressing pressing urban challenges and creating experiential learning opportunities for students. If you love real-world learning and cities, check out the below course offerings!
Courses featuring MetroBridge projects are posted here as soon as they are confirmed, so check back often.
Spring 2023 MetroBridge Courses
Courses/projects are subject to change.
CAS PO 519 Inequality and American Politics — Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
Faculty: Shauna Shames
Day/Time: M 6:30 pm-9:15 pm
Project: Students will seek to understand community and stakeholder perspectives on creating new multi-family housing in select MBTA communities to assist the MAPC’s development of a communications toolkit for local governments pursuing necessary zoning changes.
Course Description: This course examines the role of income inequality in shaping American politics and policy. Combining research from history, political science, economics, and public policy scholars, we will consider a range of important topics, including inequality in public voice, money and politics, and attitudes towards redistribution. We will apply this knowledge as part of a final paper project in metropolitan Boston. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy. (4 credits)
View course description on the BU Bulletin
CAS PO 524 Local Policy Analysis Lab — Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
Faculty: David Glick
Day/Time: W 2:30 pm-5:15 pm
Project: Students will spend the first half of the semester developing a method for evaluating select MBTA bus stop amenities and assessing bus stop equity across Boston. They will spend the second half of the semester carrying out their research plans to inform the BPDA’s work to improve livability in underserved neighborhoods.
Course Description: Experiential learning by doing research for local governments. In this class students will learn about local government and policy research and apply what they learn to help local government partners solve real problems through serious policy research. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration. (4 credits)
View course description on the BU Bulletin
QST SI 250 C1/D1 Ideas to Impact — Massport Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
Faculty: Patrick Abouchalache
Day/Time Th 2:00pm-3:15pm
Project: Students will select projects and generate ideas to reduce single, low-occupancy trips to and improve customer experience at the Logan Airport
Course Description: This course is required for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor. The goal of this course is to expose students to the conceptual frameworks that guide ideation and innovation. Thus it will include all five learning principles the guide design of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor. The course analyzes the conditions that foster innovation as well as the process by which ideas progress from conception to implementation and execution, and the creation of either economic or social impact. Students will be exposed to theories on the conditions that affect the generation and development of creativity and innovation within individuals, teams, cities, and regions. To foster experiential learning, the whole class will be structured around the process of innovation with a “live case” that focuses on creating social innovations for the City of Boston. When people think about great social challenges, they often look afar to distant countries. Yet, many social problems lie right around the corner from students’ daily lives. Students will develop a toolkit comprised of brainstorming, design thinking, human centered design, prototyping, storyboarding and field research. Students will conduct original field research within the City of Boston and identify a challenge or problem to address which they will focus on for the duration of the course, culminating in final presentations. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation. (4 credits)
View course description on the BU Bulletin
QST SI 250 C1/D1 Ideas to Impact — City of Cambridge
Faculty: Patrick Abouchalache
Day/Time Th 3:30pm-4:45pm
Project: Students will select projects and generate ideas to reduce single-use bags and food waste in small businesses in Cambridge.
Course Description: This course is required for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor. The goal of this course is to expose students to the conceptual frameworks that guide ideation and innovation. Thus it will include all five learning principles the guide design of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor. The course analyzes the conditions that foster innovation as well as the process by which ideas progress from conception to implementation and execution, and the creation of either economic or social impact. Students will be exposed to theories on the conditions that affect the generation and development of creativity and innovation within individuals, teams, cities, and regions. To foster experiential learning, the whole class will be structured around the process of innovation with a “live case” that focuses on creating social innovations for the City of Boston. When people think about great social challenges, they often look afar to distant countries. Yet, many social problems lie right around the corner from students’ daily lives. Students will develop a toolkit comprised of brainstorming, design thinking, human centered design, prototyping, storyboarding and field research. Students will conduct original field research within the City of Boston and identify a challenge or problem to address which they will focus on for the duration of the course, culminating in final presentations. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation. (4 credits)
View course description on the BU Bulletin
SSW MP 788 Introduction to Community Based Participatory Research: Positionality, Ethics, and Power — Boston Housing Authority (BHA)
Faculty: Linda Sprague Martinez
Day/Time:Th 6:30pm-8:15pm
Project: Students will evaluate a cash assistance pilot program carried out by the BHA to benefit families in public housing. The evaluation will help BHA understand the effects of the pilot and inform potential future projects.
Course Description: This course examines strategies for building community research partnerships in Community Engaged Research (CEnR) as an approach for advancing interdisciplinary collaborative efforts to achieve racial equity. The course familiarizes students with: (1) History of CenR and Participatory Action Research, (2) Positionality and Racial Justice, (3) Principles of Participatory Action Research approaches and CEnR spectrum of participation, (4) CEnR partnership development and implementation, (5) translating research to community action, (6) Ethical considerations, and (7) Partnership evaluation. (3 credits)
View course description on the BU Bulletin
MET UA 805 Urban Studies Capstone — City of Malden
Faculty: Emily Innes and
David Valecillos
Day/Time M 6:00pm-8:45pm
Project: The course is partnering with Malden City Councilor Stephen Winslow to assist in the creation of a neighborhood plan for Maplewood Square. Students will collect field research in Malden and make recommendations to the City and community.
Course Description: The capstone course integrates the principles and applications of the major area of study of City Planning, Urban Affairs and Public Policy. During the course of the semester, students are required to work in groups to complete a comprehensive project which serves as an evaluative tool for student achievement for the major learning goals of the Programs. The course is primarily student driven, and is aimed to foster interdisciplinary partnerships and help cultivate industry alliances and cooperation. Recognizing the unique and diverse characteristics of the Boston urban environment, the capstone projects will be drawn from a range of topical issues that are currently ongoing in the greater Boston metropolitan area. The project-based course emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of city planning and urban affairs and provides students the direct opportunity to gain experience with real-world projects and stakeholders. (4 credits)
View course description on the BU Bulletin
Previous MetroBridge Courses
Please note, courses below may or may not be MetroBridge courses in the future. Please consult the listings above for the most up-to-date course information.
Anthropology
Art
City Planning & Urban Affairs
- MET UA 509 – Public Finance and Urban Infrastructure
- 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
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
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
