Online Graduate Certificate in Advanced Information Technology

At a Glance

Completion Time

Months

Credits Required

Tuition

$14,850

Part-Time*

*Based on 2026–2027 Boston University tuition and fees.

Stay Ahead with Skills in Emerging Information Technologies

Designed for students who wish to increase their understanding of information technology and business informatics, the online Graduate Certificate in Advanced Information Technology builds upon topics covered in the Graduate Certificate in Information Technology program, also available online. The four-course curriculum explores how to develop web applications based on databases, expanding the understanding of databases to include all database technologies common in business. Students learn how to define, design, and manage IT projects, while developing a solid grasp of increasingly important areas of network and system security.

The Advanced Information Technology Graduate Certificate is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.

Curriculum

The online Graduate Certificate in Advanced Information Technology consists of four required courses (16 units).

Certificate Courses

(Four courses/16 units)

MET CS 595 Cybersecurity Fundamentals

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Prerequisite: METCS535 or METCS625 or instructor's consent. In this course, you will be introduced to fundamental concepts and principles of cybersecurity and how to apply them in developing security mechanisms and policies. Explore topics such as basic risk assessment and management, legal and ethical issues, cyber attack defense methods and tools, security principles, models, and components. You will also learn about different crypto protocols, techniques, and tools, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms, hashing, public key infrastructure, and how they can be used. You will learn to identify security threats and techniques to defend hardware, operating systems, networks, and applications in modern computing environments. Hands-on labs using current tools will also be completed as part of the required coursework.

Section A1, FALL 2026 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Arena	Independent	W	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	CGS 515

Section E1, FALL 2026 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Arena	Independent	W	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	CGS 515

Section O1, FALL 2026 Sep 1st to Oct 19th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Pak	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET CS 601 Frontend Web Development

4 credits.

Prerequisite: MET WD 100 - Learn essential front-end development skills, starting with foundational JavaScript techniques, such as DOM manipulation and event handling, and advancing to interactive web technologies like HTML's Drag and Drop, Canvas, and SVG. You will be exposed to asynchronous operations, including AJAX, the Fetch API, and Web Workers, and learn to craft responsive designs using Flexbox, CSS Grid, and advanced CSS selectors. A comprehensive exploration of TypeScript and its main feature, static typing, and capabilities will also be covered. The course concludes with a comprehensive dive into ReactJS, covering its core architectural concepts, component-based structure, and state management techniques.

Section A1, FALL 2026 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Sheehan	Independent	R	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	MCS B33

Section O2, FALL 2026 Oct 27th to Dec 14th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Hur	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET CS 632 Information Technology Project and Product Management

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Teamwork/Collaboration

A comprehensive overview of the principles, processes, and practices of software project management, grounded in the latest standards from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Gain hands-on experience in planning, organizing, scheduling, and controlling software projects, with a strong emphasis on both predictive and adaptive methodologies. In particular, the course explores agile project management with a focus on the Scrum framework. You will develop practical competencies in business analysis, defining requirements, leading and managing distributed teams, facilitating project communications, handling change management, and assessing risk and cost estimation. A key component of the course involves the design and development of AI-powered applications, equipping students with AI literacy and demonstrating how AI can enhance software project management practices. This course qualifies you to pursue CAPM and PMP credential. Also, this course fulfills the educational requirements necessary to pursue the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® and Project Management Professional (PMP)® certifications offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration.

Section O1, FALL 2026 Sep 1st to Oct 19th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Kanabar	Independent	ARR	12:00:00 AM–12:00:00 AM

MET CS 779 Advanced Database Management

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Prerequisites: METCS579 or METCS669 or consent of the instructor - Investigate advanced aspects of database management including normalization and denormalization, query optimization, distributed databases, data warehousing, and big data. There is extensive coverage and hands on work with SQL, and database instance tuning. Modern database architectures, including relational, key value, object relational, and document store models, as well as various approaches to scale out, integrate, and implement database systems through replication and cloud-based instances, are covered. You will learn about unstructured "big data" architectures and databases, gain hands-on experience with Spark and MongoDB, and complete a term project exploring an advanced database technology of your choice.

Section A1, FALL 2026 Sep 2nd to Dec 10th
Instructor	Type	Days	Times	Location
Polnar	Independent	R	06:00:00 PM–08:45:00 PM	CAS 324

Dates & Deadlines

View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.

How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education

A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.

Benefit from a 24:1 average student-to-instructor ratio.
Computer science courses ensure you get the attention you need, while introducing case studies and real-world projects that emphasize technical and theoretical knowledge—combining in-depth, practical experience with the critical skills needed to remain on the forefront of the information technology field. In addition, BU’s Center for Reliable Information Systems and Cyber Security (RISCS) offers opportunities to collaborate and participate in research on system reliability and information security.
Work closely with highly qualified faculty and seasoned industry leaders in a wide range of technology fields who are committed to teaching the latest technologies within the framework of ideas, concepts, and methods that drive innovation.
BU MET’s Department of Computer Science was established in 1979 and is the longest-running computer science department at BU. Over the course of its existence, the department has played an important role in the emergence of IT at the University and throughout the region.

Rankings & Accreditations

U.S. News & World Report - Best Online Programs - Grad Information Technology - 2026

#12, Best Online Master’s in Computer Information Technology Programs

MET’s computer science & IT graduate certificates share curriculum with MET’s online master’s degrees in computer information technology, which are ranked #12 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Graduate with Advanced Information Technology Expertise

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Information Technology will be able to demonstrate:

Advanced knowledge in the field of information technology, with strengths both in the theory and practice of information technology.
Proficiency in technical skills used in modern enterprise information systems, as well as comprehensive skills in the analysis of requirements, design, architecture, and implementation of computer application systems.
Competence sufficient for effective management of information systems projects.

Information Security Analysts
29% increase in jobs through 2034
$124,910 median annual pay in 2024

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Advance Your Career

BU MET’s Advanced Information Technology Graduate Certificate prepares you for a wealth of different roles such as IT systems administrator, network administrator, cybersecurity analyst, information security analyst, cloud engineer, web developer, database administrator, software developer, database developer/engineer, DevOps engineer, IT project manager, penetration tester (ethical hacker), and cloud security specialist.

Computer Science Faculty

Guanglan Zhang

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Coordinator, Health Informatics Programs

Chair, Computer Science

Shengzhi Zhang

Associate Professor

Associate Chair, Computer Science

Coordinator, Web Application Development

Farshid Alizadeh Shabdiz

Professor of the Practice, Computer Science

View All Faculty

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Online Advanced Information Technology Graduate Certificate

At a Glance

Stay Ahead with Skills in Emerging Information Technologies