The part-time Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science degree completion program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) is designed specifically for domestic transfer students with at least six or more completed courses at a regionally accredited college or university. The bachelor’s in Computer Science prepares students for rewarding, cutting-edge careers in software engineering, system administration and management, and research and development in industrial and governmental laboratories. Graduates also use their undergraduate computer science background (and analytical skills) to prepare for careers in medicine, law, education, physical and life sciences, and social sciences.
Program at a Glance
- On Campus
- Part-Time*
- 128 Credits
- 24–36 Months**
*Please note that Metropolitan College does not issue visas to international students for full-time on-campus study in undergraduate programs (degree or non-degree).
**Program duration depends on volume of approved transfer credits. To learn more about transfer credit eligibility, please contact an Admissions Advisor.
Flexible, Part-Time Degree Completion—at Boston University
Boston University’s Metropolitan College offers a wide range of bachelor’s degree completion programs in convenient, part-time evening formats—ideal for busy professionals who seek to earn a Boston University degree without turning their personal lives upside down or putting their careers on hold. Along with self-paced programs in a variety of majors on campus, MET also offers the Online Undergraduate Degree Completion Program, leading to a bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies.
A Foundation for Success in Computer Science
Metropolitan College’s BS in Computer Science degree will equip you with:
- Advanced knowledge of programming languages (C++ or Java), database management or computer networks, operating systems, computer architecture, as well as web languages and software engineering.
- Proficiency in programming and web development.
- Competence sufficient to work on small and large programming projects.
- An understanding and ability to apply the values and principles of professional ethics.
- The ability to apply the principles of information security and assurance in a variety of contexts.
- Demonstrated skills in effective communication, teamwork, and leadership.
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Computer Science Career Outlook
Top computer science careers in data science, software development, and other popular areas of IT.
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Why Complete Your Computer Science Bachelor’s at BU?
- Engaged Faculty: In BU MET’s Computer Science bachelor’s program, an exceptional student-to-instructor ratio ensures close interaction with highly qualified faculty who draw from active research and substantial professional achievements in areas such as web programming, databases, security and privacy, and data science.
- Extensive Network: Study principles of computer science alongside peers with professional experience, learn from faculty who have valuable contacts in computer science and information technology, and benefit from a global alumni community with strong connections.
- Student Support: Benefit from access to personalized professional academic advice from the team of academic counselors in MET Enrollment & Student Success.
- Valuable Resources: Make use of Boston University’s extensive resources, including the Center for Career Development, Educational Resource Center, Fitness & Recreation Center, IT Help Centers, Mugar Memorial Library, Center for Antiracist Research, Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, George Sherman Union, Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering, and many others.
- Flexible Schedule: Complete your degree part-time, at the pace that works for you, evenings on campus.
- Affordability: Students taking 12 credits or fewer enjoy substantial savings compared to full-time study.
- Financial Assistance: Undergraduate students at BU MET are eligible for a range of financial aid and community-minded scholarship opportunities designed to support those investing in their education part-time who still need to navigate full-time responsibilities.
A variety of undergraduate certificate programs provide the opportunity for focused study in a specific subject. Certificates can work into select degree programs at MET, offer breadth to current studies, or build professional skills and knowledge.
Bachelor’s in Computer Science Curriculum
Candidates for the bachelor’s degree at Metropolitan College are required to complete a minimum of 32 courses (128 credits), including Hub requirements, major requirements, related courses, and electives.
Hub Requirements
All BU undergraduate students, including transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience.BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities. Students majoring in Computer Science will, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.
Major and Related Courses
(Fifteen courses/60 credits)
Required Courses
Seven courses (28 credits) from the list below.
Either:
MET CS 231 Programming with C++
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS201) or instructor's consent - Covers the elements of object-oriented programming and the C++ language. Data types, control structures, functions, library functions, classes, inheritance, and multiple inheritance. Use of constructors, destructors, function and operator overloading, reference parameters and default values, friend functions, input and output streams, templates, and exceptions. Laboratory course. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Hadavi |
CAS B20 |
M |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET CS 341 Data Structures with C++
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS231) or instructor's consent - Covers data structures, using the C++ language. Topics include data abstraction, encapsulation, the use of recursion, creation and manipulation of various data structures; bags, lists, queues, tables, trees, heaps and graphs, and searching and sorting algorithms. Laboratory course. Prereq: MET CS231 or instructor's consent. [ 4 cr. ]
MET CS 232 Programming with Java
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS201) or instructor's consent - This course covers the elements of object-oriented programming and the Java Programming Language. Primitive data types, control structures, methods, classes, arrays and strings, inheritance and polymorphism, interfaces, creating user interfaces, applets, exceptions and streams. Laboratory course. Pre-req: METCS201 or instructor's consent. For undergraduate students: This course may not be taken in conjunction with METCS520. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Tizio |
MUG 205 |
T |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET CS 342 Data Structures with Java
Fall ‘24
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS232) consent from instructor. - This course covers data structures using the Java Programming Language. Topics include data abstraction, encapsulation, information hiding, and the use of recursion, creation and manipulation of various data structures: lists, queues, tables, trees, heaps, and graphs, and searching and sorting algorithms. Laboratory course. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Creativity/Innovation, Critical Thinking. Prerequisite: MET CS232 or instructor's consent. [ 4 cr. ]
BU Hub Learn More - Creativity/Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning II
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Diwania |
CAS 222 |
M |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
Plus:
MET CS 248 Discrete Mathematics
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: high school algebra. - Fundamentals of logic (the laws of logic, rules of inferences, quantifiers, proofs of theorems), Fundamental principles of counting (permutations, combinations), set theory, relations and functions, graphs, trees and sorting. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Shahossini |
COM 217 |
R |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET CS 422 Advanced Programming Concepts
HUB
Comprehensive coverage of object-oriented programming with cooperating classes. Implementation of polymorphism with inheritance and interfaces and in Java library containers. Programming with exceptions, stream input/output and graphical AWT and Swing components. Threads, sockets, datagrams and database connectivity are also covered in this course. Laboratory course. Prerequisite: MET CS 341 or MET CS 342. Or instructor's consent. For undergraduates only. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Creativity/Innovation, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
BU Hub Learn More - Creativity/Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning II
MET CS 472 Computer Architecture
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS231 OR METCS232) or instructor's consent - Computer organization with emphasis on processors, memory, and input/output. Includes pipelining, ALUs, caches, virtual memory, parallelism, measuring performance, and basic operating systems concepts. Discussion of assembly language instruction sets and programming as well as internal representation of instructions. Prereq: MET CS 231 or MET CS 232; or instructor's consent [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Hendrickson |
CAS 204A |
W |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET CS 575 Operating Systems
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS472) and (CS 231 or CS 232) or instructor's consent - Overview of operating system characteristics, design objectives, and structures. Topics include concurrent processes, coordination of asynchronous events, file systems, resource sharing, memory management, security, scheduling and deadlock problems. Prereq: MET CS472, and MET CS231 or MET CS232, or instructor's consent. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Nourai |
CAS 222 |
T |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
| A2 |
IND |
Nourai |
CAS 222 |
R |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
And one of the following:
MET CS 535 Computer Networks
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS575) ; Undergraduate Corequisites: Undergraduate students can not take any combination of courses from th e list: CS 425, CS 535, CS 625. Only one of these courses can be coun ted toward their requirements. - This course provides a robust understanding of networking. It teaches the fundamentals of networking systems, their architecture, function and operation and how those fundamentals are reflected in current network technologies. Students will learn the principles that underlie all networks and the application of those principles (or not) to current network protocols and systems. The course explains how layers of different scope are combined to create a network. There will be a basic introduction to Physical Media, the functions that make up protocols, such as error detection, delimiting, lost and duplicate detection; and the synchronization required for the feedback mechanisms: flow and retransmission control, etc. Students will be introduced to how these functions are used in current protocols, such as Ethernet, WiFi, VLANs, TCP/IP, wireless communication, routing, congestion management, QoS, network management, security, and the common network applications as well as some past applications with unique design solutions. Prereq: MET CS 575 and MET CS 201 or MET CS 231 or MET CS 232. Or instructor's consent. Restrictions: This course may not be taken in conjunction with MET CS 625 or MET CS 425 (undergraduate). Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Day |
KCB 104 |
T |
12:30 pm – 3:15 pm |
| O2 |
IND |
Day |
|
ARR |
12:00 am – 12:00 am |
MET CS 579 Database Management
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS231 OR METCS232) or consent of instructor. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: Restrictions: This course may not be taken in conjunction with CS 669 or CS 469 (undergraduate). Only one of these courses can be counted to wards degree requirements. - This course provides a theoretical yet modern presentation of database topics ranging from Data and Object Modeling, relational algebra and normalization to advanced topics such as how to develop Web-based database applications. Other topics covered - relational data model, SQL and manipulating relational data; applications programming for relational databases; physical characteristics of databases; achieving performance and reliability with database systems; object- oriented database systems. Prereq: MET CS 231 or MET CS 232; or instructor's consent. Restrictions: This course may not be taken in conjunction with MET CS 469 (undergraduate) or MET CS 669. Refer to your Department for further details. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Lee |
BRB 122 |
T |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
| A3 |
IND |
Lee |
CGS 323 |
M |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
Students without prior programming experience must also complete MET CS 201 Introduction to Programming (4 credits) and four additional computer science courses (16 credits) at the 301 to 599 level, selected with the advice and approval of an advisor.
Related Courses
(Three courses/12 credits)
MET MA 123 Calculus I
Fall ‘24
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METMA118) or equivalent. - Students may receive credit for either MET MA 121 or MA 123 or CAS MA 121 or MA 123, but not both. Limits; derivatives; differentiation of algebraic functions. Applications to maxima, minima, and convexity of functions. The definite integral; the fundamental theorem of integral calculus; applications of integration. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Moore |
SHA 210 |
T |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
| EX |
IND |
Moore |
SHA 210 |
T |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET MA 124 Calculus II
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Prereq: MET MA 121 or MA 123 or CAS MA 121 or MA 123. - Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: MA 122, MA 124, MA 127, or MA 129. Logarithmic, exponential, and trigonometric functions. Sequences and series; Taylor's series with the remainder. Methods of integration. Calculus I and II together constitute an introduction to calculus of a function of a single real variable. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
BU Hub Learn More - Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning II
- Scientific Inquiry II
And one mathematics course selected from the following:
CAS MA 226 Differential Equations
Fall ‘24
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA225 OR CASMA230) - First-order linear and separable equations. Second-order equations and first-order systems. Linear equations and linearization. Numerical and qualitative analysis. Laplace transforms. Applications and modeling of real phenomena throughout. (Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS MA 231.) Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
LEC |
Avery |
CAS 224 |
TR |
9:30 am – 10:45 am |
| A2 |
DIS |
Avery |
PSY B35 |
T |
11:15 am – 12:05 pm |
| A3 |
DIS |
Avery |
PSY B43 |
T |
3:35 pm – 4:25 pm |
| A4 |
DIS |
Avery |
PRB 146 |
W |
9:05 am – 9:55 am |
| A5 |
DIS |
Avery |
PRB 146 |
W |
10:10 am – 11:00 am |
| A6 |
DIS |
Avery |
PRB 146 |
W |
1:25 pm – 2:15 pm |
| B1 |
LEC |
Chang |
CAS B12 |
MWF |
9:05 am – 9:55 am |
| B2 |
DIS |
Chang |
CAS B27 |
W |
10:10 am – 11:00 am |
| B3 |
DIS |
Chang |
CAS B27 |
W |
11:15 am – 12:05 pm |
| B4 |
DIS |
Chang |
PHO 202 |
W |
1:25 pm – 2:15 pm |
| B5 |
DIS |
Chang |
PSY B49 |
W |
3:35 pm – 4:25 pm |
CAS MA 242 Linear Algebra
Fall ‘24
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites CASMA 121 or CASMA 123 or CASMA 129 or consent of instructor. - Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS MA 442 or ENG EK 103. Matrix algebra, solution of linear systems, determinants, Gaussian elimination, fundamental theory, row-echelon form. Vector spaces, bases, norms. Computer methods. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, canonical decomposition. Applications. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning II. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
LEC |
Salins |
BRB 121 |
TR |
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm |
| A2 |
DIS |
Salins |
PHO 202 |
R |
11:15 am – 12:05 pm |
| B1 |
LEC |
Fried |
BRB 121 |
MWF |
9:05 am – 9:55 am |
| B2 |
DIS |
Fried |
BRB 121 |
W |
2:30 pm – 3:20 pm |
| C1 |
LEC |
Weinstein |
CAS 224 |
TR |
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm |
| C2 |
DIS |
Weinstein |
CAS 325 |
M |
8:00 am – 8:50 am |
| C3 |
DIS |
Weinstein |
CAS 325 |
M |
9:05 am – 9:55 am |
| C4 |
DIS |
Weinstein |
CAS 320 |
M |
10:10 am – 11:00 am |
| C5 |
DIS |
Weinstein |
CAS 227 |
M |
3:35 pm – 4:25 pm |
| C6 |
DIS |
Weinstein |
CAS 229 |
M |
4:40 pm – 5:30 pm |
MET MA 213 Basic Statistics and Probability
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METMA118) or equivalent. - Elementary treatment of probability densities, means, variances, correlation, independence, the binomial distribution, and the central limit theorem. Stresses understanding and theoretical manipulation of statistical concepts. Note: Credit will be given for only one of the following courses: MET MA 113 or MA 213. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
MET MA 214 Applied Statistics
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METMA213) or consent of instructor. - Inference about proportions, goodness of fit, student's t-distribution, and tests for normality. Two-sample comparisons, regression and correlation, tests for linearity and outliers, residual analysis, contingency tables, and analysis of variance. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]
MET MA 225 Multivariate Calculus
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METMA124 OR CASMA124 OR CASMA127 OR CASMA129 OR CASMA136) - Vectors, lines, and planes. Multiple integration and cylindrical and spherical coordinates. Partial derivatives, directional derivatives, scalar and vector fields, the gradient, potentials, multivariate Taylor series, approximation, and multivariate minimization. [ 4 cr. ]
Electives
(Nine courses/36 credits) Usually five courses (20 credits), but possibly more depending on transfer credits. Choose from disciplines other than computer science.
Computer Science Minor
Students must earn a minimum grade of C in courses taken toward a minor. Two courses (8 credits) may be applied toward both a major and minor specialization.
Either:
MET CS 231 Programming with C++
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS201) or instructor's consent - Covers the elements of object-oriented programming and the C++ language. Data types, control structures, functions, library functions, classes, inheritance, and multiple inheritance. Use of constructors, destructors, function and operator overloading, reference parameters and default values, friend functions, input and output streams, templates, and exceptions. Laboratory course. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Hadavi |
CAS B20 |
M |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET CS 341 Data Structures with C++
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS231) or instructor's consent - Covers data structures, using the C++ language. Topics include data abstraction, encapsulation, the use of recursion, creation and manipulation of various data structures; bags, lists, queues, tables, trees, heaps and graphs, and searching and sorting algorithms. Laboratory course. Prereq: MET CS231 or instructor's consent. [ 4 cr. ]
MET CS 232 Programming with Java
Fall ‘24
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS201) or instructor's consent - This course covers the elements of object-oriented programming and the Java Programming Language. Primitive data types, control structures, methods, classes, arrays and strings, inheritance and polymorphism, interfaces, creating user interfaces, applets, exceptions and streams. Laboratory course. Pre-req: METCS201 or instructor's consent. For undergraduate students: This course may not be taken in conjunction with METCS520. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Tizio |
MUG 205 |
T |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
MET CS 342 Data Structures with Java
Fall ‘24
HUB
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS232) consent from instructor. - This course covers data structures using the Java Programming Language. Topics include data abstraction, encapsulation, information hiding, and the use of recursion, creation and manipulation of various data structures: lists, queues, tables, trees, heaps, and graphs, and searching and sorting algorithms. Laboratory course. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Creativity/Innovation, Critical Thinking. Prerequisite: MET CS232 or instructor's consent. [ 4 cr. ]
BU Hub Learn More - Creativity/Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning II
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Diwania |
CAS 222 |
M |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
Plus four computer science courses (16 credits) at the 301 to 500 level selected with the advice and approval of an academic counselor.
Students without prior programming experience must also complete:
MET CS 201 Introduction to Programming
Fall ‘24
Introduction to problem-solving methods and algorithm development. Includes procedural and data abstractions, program design, debugging, testing, and documentation. Covers data types, control structures, functions, parameter passing, library functions, and arrays. Laboratory exercises in Python. Laboratory course. [ 4 cr. ]
| Section |
Type |
Instructor |
Location |
Days |
Times |
| A1 |
IND |
Keklak |
CAS B06B |
W |
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm |
View all Computer Science undergraduate courses.
Computer Science Faculty
Tuition & Financial Assistance
Competitive Tuition
Our part-time rates are substantially lower than those of the traditional, full-time residential programs yet provide access to the same high-quality BU education.
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Comprehensive Financial Assistance
Our services include
scholarships, graduate loans, and payment plans.
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How Much Does This Program Cost?
BU MET’s bachelor’s degree completion programs allow students to quickly complete their degree at an affordable part-time tuition rate, enrolling in two to three courses (8–12 credits) each semester. Eligible graduates from any public Massachusetts community college receive a 50 percent tuition reduction.
Total program cost is dependent on the quantity of transferrable credits and number of courses taken each semester. For a cost estimate based on your academic background, please connect with an admissions advisor.
This chart shows the variable costs dependent on the volume of incoming transfer credit:
Incoming
Transfer Credits** |
68–80
(17–20 courses) |
36–64
(9–16 courses) |
24–32
(6–8 courses) |
Remaining BU Credits
for Degree Completion |
48–60
(12–15 courses) |
64–92
(16–23 courses) |
96–104
(24–26 courses) |
| Time to Degree |
4–7 semesters
(16–28 months)*** |
6–11 semesters
(24–44 months)*** |
8–13 semesters
(32–62 months)*** |
| Tuition per Credit* |
$550 |
$550 |
$550 |
| Fees per Semester* |
$60 |
$60 |
$60 |
| Total Degree Cost* |
$26,640–
$33,420 |
$35,620–
$51,260 |
$53,280–
$57,980 |
*Based on 2024–2025 Boston University tuition & fee rates. Some courses may require a $200 undergraduate lab fee (for non-computer science courses).
**To determine your transferrable undergraduate credits, schedule an appointment with Assistant Director of Admissions Kevin Ahearn.
***Program completion time is dependent upon transfer credits and pace of enrollment (two or three courses per semester).
Please note that enrollment in four or more courses in a semester requires students to pay the full-time (per semester) tuition rate.
Questions? Please contact us to hear from an Admissions Advisor who can help you determine the best enrollment pathway. For information regarding financial aid, visit the Boston University Financial Assistance website. We also encourage you to review the scholarship opportunities for BU MET undergraduate students.
Get Started
Please visit the BU MET admissions page for details on how to apply, financial assistance, tuition and fees, requirements for international students, and more.
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