MS in Project Management

Learn to Manage Projects—From the Simple to the Complex. Available on campus and online, the Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) degree program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) is a unique opportunity to combine a broad and industry-rooted knowledge of business and management principles with a mastery of successful project-based strategies and practices, preparing you for a range of career paths in a variety of industries.

A recent Project Management Institute study (Make Reality Global Survey 2020–2021) cited project management as one of the top-five areas business leaders would like to prioritize. Yet, a talent shortage persists. According to the PMI 2021 Talent Gap Report, the global economy will need 25 million new project professionals by 2030, filling about 2.3 million job openings per year. To counteract this shortage, we need to ensure that the project management workforce has the skills necessary to navigate a rapidly evolving profession.

As reflected in the seventh edition of the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), the global standards of project management are changing radically across industry, including a shift from processes toward principles and best practices for carrying out projects successfully. That means less emphasis on predictive plan-based methodology and more focus on leadership and agile methodologies that can result in faster delivery time and higher success due to collaboration and the ability to respond to market trends.

To meet these changing needs—including corresponding adjustments to professional certification exams—the Project Management master’s provides a strong foundational core in project management technical knowledge, leadership principles, and awareness of the context of projects in the business environment. Along with developing the technical expertise to manage projects in accordance with professional standards, you will be able to demonstrate ethical and culturally aware stakeholder engagement, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Additionally, the program will ensure that you possess the strategic awareness to make informed decisions and deliver a sustained competitive advantage.

The MS in Project Management curriculum enables you to choose required courses and electives that match your personal academic and career interests. You also have the option of pursuing a more specialized approach by selecting an optional degree concentration:

With its detailed and tool-based examination of a project’s conception, planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and implementation, BU MET’s Project Management program is beneficial to those with a broad range of professional responsibilities—from working on complex projects for global companies to designing IT infrastructure to completing consulting contracts. The group-oriented approach we take is closely aligned with how real-world projects are successfully completed.

Advance Your Career with a Master’s in Project Management

• Increasingly, all work is becoming project work. BU MET’s MS in Project Management will prepare you to manage complex projects, facilitate communication between the project team and clients, and balance competing demands among scope, time, cost, and quality—providing the tools to achieve success at the highest levels of management. Coursework covers mega-projects, project and program portfolios, agile principles, project and program governance, project planning and control, project management life cycle, methodologies of effective leadership and motivation, cost and risk management, management of project quality and procurement, earned value analysis, and communication.
• Importantly, our program recognizes that to achieve project success, leadership competencies—at the strategic level—are, increasingly, the largest single differentiator. Along with teaching the mechanics for managing a project technically, we provide you with the capability to inspire, influence, negotiate, and communicate with appropriate authority.
• Supplementary lecture modules and pedagogical laboratories in the areas of project, program, and portfolio management provide an unparalleled opportunity to master the tools and techniques of project management practice. Completion of the MSPM ensures that you have the knowledge to succeed on the Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Certified Associate in Project Management Certification (CAPM™) exams offered by the Project Management Institute, as well as tests leading to the Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) designation.

What Is My Career Outlook as a Graduate of This Program?

Common job titles include:

• Project Manager
• Program/Portfolio Manager
• Scrum Master
• PMO/Program Director
• Project Team Leader
• Product Owner

Employers seek expertise in:

• PM methodologies & software
• Team-building & leadership
• Decision making under uncertainty
• Agile mindset
• Sustainability-oriented, long-term thinking
• Communications, facilitation & presentation skills