Boston University Metropolitan College

What Boston University Metropolitan College does

Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) is one of the 17 schools and colleges that comprise Boston University, a private, non-profit research university founded in 1869 and domiciled in Boston, Massachusetts under the legal entity "Trustees of Boston University." MET functions as BU's continuing-education and professional studies division, delivering graduate degrees, professional certificates, and continuing-education courses to working professionals and adult learners through flexible scheduling. Its primary customer segment is horizontal — individual working adults seeking career advancement, professional development, and credentialed credentials — addressed through online/distance learning programs with global reach and on-campus evening and weekend classes for the Boston regional market.

The college's core technology consists of standard higher-education digital-learning infrastructure rather than proprietary systems: Zoom for synchronous class sessions, BU MyMedia (built on Kaltura) for instructional video storage, Blackboard Learn for learning management, and Turnitin for assessment and academic-integrity workflows. The product portfolio described in the source data is limited — no MET-specific modules, named programs, or proprietary platforms are documented — though the Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development (co-founded with Robert Nederlander, Jr.) is identifiable as a niche program offering.

MET's revenue model is not disclosed in the available source data. The college operates as a non-revenue-disclosing unit within a larger non-profit institution, with no published tuition pricing or enrollment revenue figures available. Go-to-market relies entirely on the parent university's infrastructure: the main bu.edu/met website for top-of-funnel program information and direct email ([email protected]) for mid-funnel inquiries, supplemented by BU-wide multi-channel social media presence. Distribution channels are self-serve online learning for global consumers and direct on-campus enrollment for regional students, with no MET-specific partnerships, certifications, or independent marketing apparatus identified.

Name

Boston University Metropolitan College

Legal name

Trustees of Boston University

Website

https://bu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) is BU's continuing-education division, delivering graduate degrees, professional certificates, and flexible online and evening programs to working professionals and adult learners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Professional Continuing Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Professional education
• Online graduate degrees
• Continuing education
• Professional certificates
• Adult learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) delivers graduate degree programs, professional certificates, and continuing education courses through flexible online and evening formats. The college is one of 17 schools and colleges comprising Boston University and operates under the legal entity Trustees of Boston University. Programming is structured for working professionals and adult learners seeking accelerated, part-time pathways to BU credentials.

Product overview

Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) is a college within Boston University offering online and professional degree programs for working adults. The provided source data does not contain MET-specific product documentation; it covers general Boston University institutional content. No specific products, modules, or named offerings for MET are described in the available sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Metropolitan College: One of Boston University's 17 schools and colleges, offering degree and certificate programs for working professionals.
• BU Hub

Products and services

• Graduate Degree Programs Master's and doctoral degree programs delivered through online and evening formats for working professionals and adult learners seeking BU credentials.
• Professional Certificate Programs Industry-aligned certificate programs including the Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development co-founded by Robert Nederlander, Jr., designed for working professionals seeking targeted BU credentials.
• Continuing Education Courses Non-degree continuing education offerings for professionals seeking skill refreshers, recertification, or targeted topic mastery.
• Online Learning Programs Fully online versions of MET degree and certificate programs delivered through BU's learning platform to support remote, asynchronous study.
• On-Campus Evening and Weekend Programs In-person evening and weekend classes at the Boston University campus designed for working adults who require a physical classroom schedule.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large-scale online education platform partnering with universities to deliver certificates, degrees, and courses globally. A broader incumbent in the same continuing-education space, with vastly larger scale and lower price points than BU MET.
• edX (2U): Online learning platform offering university-branded degrees, certificates, and courses to global working professionals. A broad incumbent competing with BU MET for online adult learners, particularly in graduate certificate categories.

Direct peers

• Columbia University School of Professional Studies: Columbia's graduate school dedicated to professional master's degrees, certificates, and executive education for working professionals in NYC and online. Directly mirrors BU MET's graduate-degree-plus-certificate positioning at an R1 private university.
• Stanford Continuing Studies: Stanford's continuing education unit offering graduate-level certificates, professional programs, and online courses to working adults. Direct peer in mission and delivery model, though anchored by a different brand profile.
• Harvard Extension School: Harvard's continuing education and professional studies division, offering graduate degrees, certificates, and online programs to working adults. Closest comparable in mission, delivery model (online + on-campus evening), and segment focus to BU MET.
• Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies: Georgetown's continuing education arm providing graduate degrees, professional certificates, and online programs for adult learners. Directly comparable in mission, structure (sub-unit of a private R1), and learner segment.
• Northeastern University College of Professional Studies: Northeastern's college for graduate degrees, certificates, and lifelong learning, with a strong focus on working professionals and Boston-area adult learners. Direct geographic and structural peer to BU MET.
• NYU School of Professional Studies: NYU's school delivering graduate degrees, certificates, and continuing education programs to working professionals across in-person and online modalities. Operates with the same parent-university leverage and adult-learner focus as BU MET.
• University of Pennsylvania College of Liberal and Professional Studies: Penn's college for adult and professional learners, offering graduate degrees, certificates, and online programs within an Ivy League parent institution. Same adult-learner, evening/online, sub-brand-of-research-university model as BU MET.

Regional players

• UMass Boston College of Advancing and Professional Studies: UMass Boston's continuing education and professional studies arm offering degrees and certificates to Boston-area adult learners. A regional peer sharing the same metro geography and adult-learner segment, though anchored by a public rather than private university.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BU_Tweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuNjAAXrEmQyxLAanISnZUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BostonUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boston-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/bostonu
• TikToktiktok.com/@bostonu?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boston University Metropolitan College