MS in Global Marketing Management

Amidst an ever-evolving social and economic landscape, commercial enterprises are constantly adapting their global marketing strategies to ensure that they are strategically positioned for growth. The Master of Science in Global Marketing Management (MSGMM) at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) prepares you to excel within companies seeking qualified, creative decision-makers with the marketing and research expertise to combine proven techniques with innovative, and digital approaches to reach the international arena. Brands that are thriving, despite the pandemic, are solving immediate needs in people’s lives, providing information, services, and connection to their audiences, including individual consumers and commercial businesses. How do you create value for market players and global society in times of uncertainty? How do you respond to fast-changing, often unpredictable market trends around the world, while maintaining clear communication with diverse, well-informed, and highly digitalized consumers? How can you gather market data for international market selection and marketing strategy development? How do you make the maximum use of digital technologies and platforms? How can you navigate shifts in global marketing and content strategies? How should you reassess budget allocations, channel investments, as well as managing new remote work dynamics? These questions are the focus of the MS in Global Marketing Management at BU MET.

Program at a Glance

• Top 10 Online Program
• Online and On Campus
• Part-Time or Full-Time Study
• 40 Credits
• 12–20 Months to Completion
• No GRE/GMAT
• Tuition & Fees Range—Part-Time Study*: $37,600–$39,300

*Based on 2024–2025 Boston University tuition and fees. Merit scholarship may reduce cost.

Advance Your Career in Global Marketing Management

Offered on campus and online, BU MET’s Global Marketing Management master’s program is designed to develop your understanding of international business, economics, market research, and culture; build your capabilities in qualitative and quantitative analysis; advance your understanding of the roles of digital platforms and social media in marketing strategies; and enable you to gather and analyze primary and secondary data for market selection. Along with a solid academic core in marketing, the program offers state-of-the-art courses in areas with a critical impact on the field—including ecommerce, digital marketing techniques, market research and data analysis, finance, project management, and product and service development.

Using business simulation, website design, and business analytics tools, you will enhance your understanding of market research, decision-making, and the advanced marketing techniques needed to excel in the global marketing field. Along with skills in critical and innovative thinking, communication, and project leadership, you will benefit from a well-rounded understanding of the cultural, financial, geopolitical, and international economics issues that affect activities and strategies related to international commerce and importing/exporting.

BU’s MS in Global Marketing Management curriculum qualifies you for a variety of competitive careers. Our graduates have job titles such as international marketing manager, international market research manager, international market research analyst, market research analyst, brand manager, customer development manager, consultant, marketing specialist, project manager, global brand specialist, production reporting manager, sales manager, customer service director, social media executive, marketing strategist, international trade specialist, graphic designer, and digital marketing specialist, among others.

#6, Best Online Master's in Business Programs (Excluding MBA)

MET’s online master’s degrees in management are ranked #6 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2024.

Accredited member of AACSB International

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

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“…when one of MET’s kind advisers explained to me the benefits of studying the subject here, I was convinced. MET not only offers expert faculty with real-world experience, but in addition to the core courses to the Master of Science in Global Marketing Management program, elective topics, like Python, risk management, and supply chain management, allowed me to tailor my education to my preferences.” — Yifan Ding (MET’19), Global Adhesive Sales Manager, Shanghai Banzan Macromolecule Material Co., Ltd.

Why BU’s Global Marketing Management Degree is Ranked in the Top 10

• Active Learning Environment: BU MET’s Global Marketing Management program focuses on practical, hands-on education, ensuring you are immersed in all aspects of global marketing—education you can apply on the job.
• Career Counseling:MET’s Career Development office and BU’s Center for Career Development offer a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for both online and on-campus students.
• Engaged Faculty: In BU MET’s Global Marketing Management master’s program, you benefit from working closely with highly qualified faculty who draw from active research and substantial professional achievements in areas such as marketing strategy, relationship management, information economics, digital markets, international business and trade, ecommerce, marketing analytics, data mining, and more.
• International Perspective: To enhance skills in leadership, logistics, and cross-cultural communication, several online courses are offered with BU’s international partner universities in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Interact directly with peers and professionals at some of the world’s top business schools, participating in management and marketing classes, discussion groups, and projects conducted by partner university professors.
• Extensive Network: Study principles of global marketing management alongside peers with solid business experience, learn from faculty who have valuable business contacts, and benefit from an alumni community with strong professional connections.
• Complimentary Analytics Labs: Two levels of self-paced analytics laboratories offer access to advanced tools and provide opportunities to hone analytics skills using cases that are populated with realistic data.
• OPT Designated: Eligible graduates on student visas have access to an Optional Practical Training (OPT) of 12 months.
• 15:1 Class Ratio: Enjoy an exceptional student-to-instructor ratio, ensuring close interaction with faculty and access to support.
• Valuable Resources: Make use of Boston University’s extensive resources, including the Center for Career Development, Fitness & Recreation Center, IT Help Centers, Mugar Memorial Library, the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, the George Sherman Union, and many others.
• Flexible Options: Study at the pace that works for you, evenings on campus or fully online. Courses begin fall, spring, and summer; online courses have two starts per term.
• Track Record: Learn from the best—since 2014, BU MET’s part-time master’s programs in business and management have been ranked among the top in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
• Merit Scholarships: US citizens and permanent residents are automatically considered during the application process and nominated based on eligibility. Learn more.

Master the Principles of Global Marketing

Offered through BU MET’s Department of Administrative Sciences, the MS in Global Marketing Management core curriculum provides a solid academic foundation in global marketing management principles, including financial concepts, project management, decision-making, and the development of products and services. Degree specialization courses provide a global perspective on ecommerce, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), data mining, market research and analysis, and a variety of cultural, financial, geopolitical, and international economic factors.

Course content in the Global Marketing Management program is constantly redeveloped and updated, based on changing industry trends, to build effective soft and hard skills using multinational business cases. The program is ideal for career-changers, early- or mid-career professionals who want to advance up the job ladder, and globally focused leaders who need better international business and marketing skills to improve their business and marketing strategy development and management. Those with no work experience are welcome to apply as well.

Graduate with Global Marketing Expertise

Metropolitan College’s Global Marketing Management master’s degree will equip you with the ability to:

• Analyze the global marketing concepts and test application of the latest digital marketing tools and techniques.
• Develop qualitative and quantitative research utilizing data analytics to measure, analyze, and optimize global marketing strategies.
• Create a strategic plan, launch, and execute global marketing campaigns.
• Understand the importance of behaving ethically in their professional lives.
• Be effective leaders and communicators.
• Demonstrate problem-solving skills, supported by appropriate analytical and quantitative techniques.

Access to Self-Paced Analytics Laboratories

As a student in BU MET’s Global Marketing Management program, you have free access to hands-on analytics preparatory laboratories offered through the Department of Administrative Sciences. Our self-paced laboratories (SPLs) are organized in two levels:

• Level 1 consists of the following two required or recommended prerequisite labs. Open to all MET students, Level 1 labs include Pre-Analytics Laboratory (AD 100) and Introduction to R for Business (ADR 100).
• Level 2 comprises intermediate knowledge-based labs where students learn how to work with professional tools or approaches, or to introduce professional software applications not covered in the graduate program but used in the industry. The two new laboratories for this academic year are: Business Analytics Tools and Applications (AD 200) and Business Analytics with R (ADR 200).

In these specially-designed SPLs, you will be exposed to cloud-based educational tools, software applications, and databases, along with pre-recorded internal and/or external tutorials, lectures, and video-conferencing. You will have the flexibility to build your own path through the learning units and to proceed by completing assignments in a “learn and test yourself” mode—at your own pace. Upon successful completion of an SPL, you earn a standardized, digitally verifiable badge.

Certificate-to-Degree Pathway

BU MET graduate certificate programs can serve as building blocks to a master’s degree. The Graduate Certificate in Global Marketing Management shares specific courses with the master’s in Global Marketing Management program, giving you the option to take the certificate on your path to a master’s degree. Students currently enrolled in a graduate certificate who are interested in transitioning into a master’s degree should contact their academic advisor to declare their interest in this pathway. A new master’s degree application is not required. Connect with a graduate admissions advisor at adsadmissions@bu.edu to learn more about this option.

Master’s in Global Marketing Management Curriculum

A total of ten course (40 credits) is required.

All students must satisfy the degree core courses, specialization courses, and electives as indicated.*

Students who already hold the Graduate Certificate in Global Marketing Management may waive two specialization courses.

With appropriate advanced planning, you can use degree electives from your Master of Science in Global Marketing Management to satisfy up to two required courses in an Administrative Sciences graduate certificate program—leaving only two additional courses to be completed in order to receive a graduate-level certificate.

Degree Core Courses

(Four courses/16 credits)

MET AD 632 Financial Concepts

Introduction to the concepts, methods and problems of accounting and financial analysis. Includes accounting principles, measurement and disclosure issues, financial statement analysis, time value of money, cash flow projection and analysis, capital budgeting and project evaluation, bond and equity valuation, cost of capital and capital structure. 4 cr. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. [ 4 cr. ]

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning II

MET AD 642 Project Management

The course explores modern project management by providing an enterprise- level, experiential view of the discipline focused on connecting projects to the organization's mission, vision, and values. The theme of the course is applying key project management tools and techniques, through case-based group work, which will help students identify, analyze, and develop practical proposals to real-world issues. Groups select, plan, report, and then present on their project's scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality, and communications elements using tools such as the WBS, network diagram, PERT estimate, Gantt chart (including the use of MS Project), risk register, and heat map. Students also gain familiarity with important new concepts in project management: Agile frameworks, actionable sustainability thinking, and Benefits Realization Management, all of which will be important for their success not only in other graduate courses, but as they lead projects for their organizations so as to provide lasting, triple-bottom-line value. The course is aligned with the latest PMBOK? Guide from the Project Management Institute. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 715 Quantitative and Qualitative Decision-Making

The purpose of this course is to help improve business problem solving and managerial decision-making through the use of quantitative and qualitative decision-making tools and techniques. This course will provide the student with an overview of how decisions are made to solve management problems in the business environment. It introduces the fundamental concepts and methodologies of the decision-making process, problem-solving, decision analysis, data collection, probability distribution, evaluation, and prediction methods. Students will learn how to apply different quantitative and qualitative analytical tools commonly used in business to provide a depth of understanding and support to various decision-making activities within each subject area of management. Through the use of case studies of decisions made by managers in various production and service industries and a business simulation package specifically prepared for this course, the scope and breadth of decision-making in business will be described. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 741 The Innovation Process: Developing New Products and Services

Addresses the specifics of new product and service development and fostering innovation and technology to increase performance. Topics include generating and screening initial ideas; assessing user needs and interests; forecasting results; launching, and improving products and programs; bringing innovation to commercial reality. [ 4 cr. ]

Specialization Courses

(Four courses/16 credits)

MET AD 648 Ecommerce

Undergraduate Prerequisites: AD 500 or equivalent, stamped approval. - The course provides a detailed examination of the history of e-commerce, along with important concepts related to the ways that businesses can successfully use Internet and Web technology. Students are introduced to the concepts and problems associated with electronic commerce. Topics include comparison of e-commerce procedures, payment mechanisms, applications in different industry sectors, security, the challenges of starting and maintaining an electronic business site, as well as a comparison with traditional business practices. The development of a WordPress-themed website is a minor feature of the course. 4cr. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 655 International Business, Economics, and Cultures

This course considers macroeconomic factors of relevance to the firm: aggregate economic activity, cyclical movements, and fiscal and monetary policies. The course reviews the problems of decision-making relating to demand, production, costs, market structure, and price, and provides an analysis of the interplay between governments, economic systems, labor, and multinational corporations (MNCs). Topics include: the basis for the existence, organization, and growth of MNCs; a comparison of major economic and government systems; areas include the impact on the firm's business transactions and trade due to taxation, regulation, legal environments and labor influences. This course additionally investigates the relationship between the interaction of national culture and development. Topics range from developing nations' rain forest and species management to pollution generated by developed nations. Culture, policy, and development are also discussed in relation to the impact of the business interactions (agriculture, fishing, technology transfer, etc.) among developing and developed nations. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 737 Innovative Marketing Techniques

This course will provide you with the theoretical understanding of the Internet marketplace necessary to adapt to its many changes, while also equipping you with the skills you'll need to perform vital daily functions. The course includes discussions of both B2B and B2C and looks at marketing and communications from an integrated, business-wide perspective. The goal is to appreciate principles and practice of online marketing. Topics include integrated innovative marketing strategy, search engine marketing, email marketing, and social media. 4cr. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 856 Market and Economic Research and Analysis

This course will provide a comprehensive discussion of market and economic research and analysis, their key concepts, process description, qualitative and quantitative techniques for market research and data analysis, and application scenarios. Students will gain an appreciation for some of the breadth and depth of this subject and its significance for the business enterprise -- both from start-up entrepreneurship as well as an established business organization. The structure of the course is based on the six steps of the market research process: problem definition, development of an approach to the problem; research design formulation; fieldwork and data collection; data preparation and qualitative and quantitative analysis; report preparation, and presentation. [ 4 cr. ]

General Electives

(Two courses/8 credits)

Select two additional Administrative Sciences graduate-level courses (8 credits) with advisor’s approval. Graduate-level courses may also be selected from other Metropolitan College departments or other Boston University schools and colleges, with an advisor’s approval.

The following are some of the elective courses allowed with advisor approval:

Analytics:

MET AD 654 Marketing Analytics

Prereq: METAD571
Become familiar with the foundations of modern marketing analytics and develop your ability to select, apply, and interpret readily available data on customer purchase behavior, new customer acquisition, current customer retention, and marketing mix optimization. This course explores approaches and techniques to support the managerial decision-making process and skills in using state-of-the- art statistical and analytics tools. Students will have an opportunity to gain a basic understanding of how transaction and descriptive data are used to construct customer segmentation schemas, build and calibrate predictive models, and quantify the incremental impact of specific marketing actions. Python, R, SQL, and Power BI software are used in this course. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 688 Web Analytics for Business

Prereq AD100, ADR100, AD571
Explore web analytics, text mining, web mining, and practical application domains. The web analytics part of the course studies the metrics of websites, their content, user behavior, and reporting. The Google Analytics tool is used for the collection of website data and doing the analysis. The text mining module covers the analysis of text including content extraction, string matching, clustering, classification, and recommendation systems. The web mining module presents how web crawlers process and index the content of websites, how search works, and how results are ranked. Application areas mining the social web and game metrics will be extensively investigated. R, SQL, and Power BI software are used in this course. [ 4 cr. ]

Advertising:

MET AD 708 Contemporary Issues In Public Finance

Focusing on the vibrant and complex $4 trillion Municipal Bond Market, this course offers you a solid foundation in all aspects of analysis and investing in this capital market that funds some of the largest public-works infrastructure projects in the United States. You will gain a comprehensive analytic skill-set of techniques and methods currently used by analysts, bankers, and portfolio managers to evaluate large municipal projects. Upon completing this course, you will have a professional portfolio of work demonstrating a mastery of analytical skills as practiced and applied in this market today. Either new to the field or with existing professional experience, students studying finance, urban planning, public administration or similar disciplines will find this course engaging. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 719 Fixed Income Analysis

Prereq: MET AD 630, MET AD 731
This course covers the nature and analysis of fixed income securities and an in-depth examination of some of the particular features of some major classes of fixed income instruments, valuation, sensitivity to risks, and management of fixed income portfolios. [ 4 cr. ]

Global Business:

MET AD 680 Global Supply Chains

This course covers the quantitative analysis tools to support operations management for a supply chain that is geographically dispersed and culturally diverse. The tools necessary to assure that the products/services are delivered/provided in the quality and timely manner include demand forecasting, inventory and capacity buffer optimization, delayed differentiation, statistical risk pooling, and stochastic inventory optimization. These tools are applied to decisions such as offshoring, multi-country outsourcing, push-pull, reverse supply chains, and risk mitigation. Particular attention is given to sustainability, information technology and digitalization, and creating resiliency. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 760 International Trade and Logistics

This course provides extensive insight into international trade practices and corporate decision-making criteria attendant to global import/export and other market entry strategies, and management of international logistics operations including global sourcing, global transportation, facility network design, intermediaries, and trade documentation. Topics include operations, government agencies, import/export channel networks, and the evaluation of international opportunities with the help of a business simulation package specifically prepared for this course. It is designed to provide students with the skills and tools necessary for international trade and international logistics management. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 763 Multinational Finance and Trade

Graduate Prerequisites: (METAD731) - Prereqs: AD 630, AD731
Applies the concepts of corporate finance and risk mitigation to the problems of multinational financial management. Major topics include foreign exchange risk, and construction of hedging strategies using derivative instruments such as forwards, futures, and swaps to reduce multinational corporate risk. Addresses international financial flows and their impact on foreign exchange rates, capital flows, speculation, analysis of alternative foreign investments, analysis of sources and uses of corporate funds abroad, multinational tax and profit. [ 4 cr. ]

Basic Statistics:

MET AD 510 Mathematics & Statistics in Management

The goal of this course is to introduce to students foundational mathematics and statistics knowledge that will provide them skills and tools necessary to succeed in their area of study. [ 4 cr. ]

Project Management:

MET AD 782 Project Value Strategies

Undergraduate Prerequisites: METAD642 - Prereq AD642
This course will introduce students to Project Value - - a unique perspective on classical Project Management that is focused on assuring that a project delivers value that is aligned with the mission, vision, and values of an organization. This increasingly popular framework with which to view projects and project management is derived from current research, standards, and thought leadership from PMI and other international bodies . Students will learn how to create value in projects even in today's disruptive, turbulent environment. They will learn how to apply the conceptual framework of benefits realization management (BRM) and to use tools to manage a portfolio of programs and projects strategically with an aim of sustainable project value. Value in Agile projects will be discussed. The element of the Triple Bottom Line and a focus on sustainability is part of the subject matter. Case studies and real life experiences, illustrated with guest lectures, will be intertwined with current research in project management. [ 4 cr. ]

Digital & Neuromarketing:

MET AD 576 Social Media Marketing

This course is designed to help you understand how marketing has (and has not) changed due to the rise of social media and changes in various underlying contextual factors, such as dramatically increased speed of information dissemination across consumers and brands. The overarching goal is to obtain a clear perspective on digital/social/mobile marketing so that you can appreciate its true value to consumers, to managers, and to other corporate stakeholders. It will equip you with the relevant knowledge, perspectives, and practical skills required to develop marketing strategies that leverage the opportunities inherent in social media and consumer-to-consumer social interactions for achieving business and marketing goals. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 601 Digital Platforms and Quantitative Marketing

This course focuses on identifying and assessing platform business practices and understanding their target consumers' attitudes and behaviors through theoretical models, case studies, and quantitative data analysis. Students will understand the effects of network and platform technology on business success and learn how to analyze platform consumer data through Python basics, text analysis, sentiment analysis, and network analysis methods. [ 4 cr. ]

MET AD 619 Applied Neuromarketing Research and Ethics

Neuromarketing is transforming the global marketing industry as a relatively new discipline, quickly transforming how marketers influence consumers and their buying decisions. The rapid increase in the uptake of neuromarketing across multiple business domains and applications across industries is making it imperative that global marketers take heed and start applying them to their marketing strategies as well. This course leverages three core disciplines: marketing, market research, and brain science. In this course, students will learn how neuromarketing is gaining moment in the industry because it leverages how the consumer's brain reacts and responds to specific marketing incentives and stimuli. It ensures that the marketing efforts and their effectiveness are well- measured and accurate through applied neuromarketing analytics in a lab environment. This course also leverages neuromarketing research during lab sessions, using various cutting-edge and innovative techniques through biometric and brain signals to examine consumer behavior and develop relevant marketing strategies. [ 4 cr. ]

Other:

MET AD 755 Doing Business in North America

Students are introduced to the latest requirements, techniques, procedures, and practices for successfully 'Doing Business in North America'. Emphasis is placed on managing in the most competitive business environment in the world; preparing, implementing, and maintaining sustainable international business transactions and operations. We begin with a description of driving forces and starting conditions for being a competitive and sustainable business enterprise including the role of the market integration in the NAFTA region. Included is consideration of corporate market entry strategies such as import and export agreements and transactions, contractual agreements, strategic alliances, and direct foreign investments. Factors of risk management, business continuity management, and performance management (on project and corporate levels) are considered. Regional policies, international trade development, opportunities in international trade development, and forward- looking challenges are examined. All participants attend live online lectures, partake in discussion boards and complete a group term project involving business simulation. The project is developed in stages (decision rounds) throughout the term and teams compete during each stage. [ 4 cr. ]

MET CM 726 Strategic Brand Solutions

Explores the impact of current advertising/marketing issues from business, economic, political, social, legal, and ethical perspectives. Modified case method, with lectures from experts on selected issues. [ 4 cr. ]

*Degree requirements may vary for those students transferring credits from previous coursework at Boston University or receiving course waivers due to professional designations.