BU Virtual extends Boston University’s academic excellence to learners around the world. In close collaboration with faculty across BU’s schools and colleges, we design and deliver flexible online programs that carry the depth, rigor, and intellectual energy of a leading research university.
Through BU Virtual, students engage with world-class scholarship, diverse perspectives, and learning experiences that connect theory with practice—preparing them to advance their careers and contribute meaningfully to their fields and communities.
Explore BU’s growing portfolio of online programs in high-demand fields, developed in collaboration with top tier faculty and researchers at Boston University.
BU Virtual offers a coordinated suite of interdisciplinary AI online graduate programs designed to prepare professionals for leadership in the rapidly evolving world of AI. Unlike a “one size fits all” approach, our interdisciplinary ecosystem builds on Boston University’s strengths across business, computing, engineering, technology, and education to provide broad perspectives that enhance real-world relevance and impact.
Building on BU Virtual’s commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary excellence, we are excited to introduce a new suite of online graduate degrees launching in 2026, focused on workforce transformation in artificial intelligence.
These programs will equip learners with cutting-edge technical skills, ethical frameworks, and strategic insights needed to lead in AI-driven industries. Developed through close collaboration across BU’s renowned faculty, this next generation of online degrees will prepare professionals to shape the future of work, technology, and society.
The work we are doing today will shape the future of global online education tomorrow. We believe that our work at BU Virtual, which is done in collaboration with our award-winning schools and colleges, brings a new level of innovation, reach, and access to learners around the globe and reinforces our commitment to inclusion at scale. —Wendy Colby, VP and Associate Provost
Wherever you are in your life or career, BU Virtual helps you develop the knowledge and capabilities needed to navigate a complex and evolving professional landscape.
Our online programs combine BU’s academic rigor with practical, applied learning—equipping you to think critically, lead effectively, and adapt with confidence. As part of Boston University’s global community, you gain access to distinguished faculty, a powerful alumni network, and the enduring advantages of a BU education.
BU Virtual is redefining online graduate education by delivering rigorous, career-focused programs to a broad and diverse audience. Our flagship degrees, including the Online MBA, Online Master of Public Health, and Online Master’s in Data Science, combine academic excellence, innovative teaching, and flexible formats to meet the needs of today’s working professionals. Grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration and ongoing innovation, these programs empower learners to advance their careers while engaging with a vibrant global community.
BU Virtual meets learners where they are, with flexible online programs designed for working professionals and students at different stages of their academic and career journeys. Whether you want to build new skills, deepen your expertise, or prepare for new opportunities, BU offers online degree and certificate programs that support your goals.
In partnership with faculty across Boston University’s schools and colleges, BU Virtual expands access to the University’s research, teaching, and innovation. Explore online programs that connect you to BU’s academic excellence, real-world relevance, and global community.
For a student logging into a live session in one of Boston University's online graduate programs, the experience can look deceptively simple: a faculty member appears on screen, classmates join from around the world, and the class begins. What students don't see is everything happening around that moment. Behind each live online class is a […]
From finance and technology to healthcare and retail, organizations are navigating a new era shaped by artificial intelligence. As AI continues to influence how businesses operate and make decisions, professionals across industries are seeking the knowledge and tools to help their organizations adapt. This fall, more than 200 professionals will begin Boston University's new online […]
If you are asking, “Should I get an MPH after college or work first?” focus on what each path will help you accomplish. An MPH after college can provide early professional direction and core public health skills. Working first can give you practical context and a clearer understanding of where you want to contribute. The […]
Artificial intelligence is prompting organizations to rethink how work gets done. Significant experimentation is already underway across industries, changing how software is developed, how research and analysis are conducted, and how organizations make decisions and deliver value. The larger leadership challenge is not simply adopting new tools. It is understanding how work, workflows, and business […]
Not long ago, education followed a fairly predictable path: earn a degree, begin a career, and rely on experience to advance over the next several decades. While professionals have always continued learning on the job, formal education was often viewed as something completed early in life. Today, that model is changing. Advances in artificial intelligence, […]
Data science matters more in the age of AI, not less. Every AI system rests on choices made long before anyone types a prompt: what data was collected, how it was prepared, what the model learned from it, and whether anyone can tell if the result holds. Those are data science questions, and AI has […]
When prospective students evaluate a graduate program, they often begin with the curriculum, faculty, flexibility, and cost. Those are critically important considerations. But for working professionals, another element shapes the experience: the people you learn alongside. Across Boston University's online AI graduate programs, students learn in cohorts designed to bring together experienced professionals from different […]
Software engineering has been called a young discipline for almost fifty years. The version now forming around artificial intelligence is younger still, so new, says Mohamad Kassab, that "many of the terms have not been coined yet." Kassab is Program Director of Boston University's online Master of Science in Software Engineering for Artificial Intelligence (OMSE). […]