Degree Requirements

Students who lack an appropriate background may be admitted and required to make up deficiencies by taking a program of bridge courses designed in consultation with graduate advisors. These courses are taken in addition to the degree requirements. See the undergraduate catalog for descriptions of 100 to 400-level courses. Students may be required to take or demonstrate that they already have taken courses equivalent to the bridge courses.

Students must select one area of specialization and take a minimum of 30 credits. TRAN 792 Pre-Doctoral Research is required for all students who receive departmental or research-based awards. A maximum of 6 credits may be taken from the 500-level courses for the master of science.

Three general areas of specialization are available. While they share a common methodological core, each is designed to suit various interests:

  • Transportation Engineering focuses on traffic engineering, physical design and operational aspects of transportation systems. This area is best suited for students with an undergraduate engineering degree.
  • Transportation Planning emphasizes the analysis and planning aspects, in particular the integration of transportation systems with urban and regional considerations such as economics, land use, and the environment.
  • Advanced Transportation Systems and Technologies emphasizes the use of emerging technologies such as intelligent transportation systems in planning, design and operations of multi- and inter-modal transportation systems.

Additional elective courses for all areas of specialization may be taken with approval of the graduate advisor.

Students are able to substitute Master’s thesis in their program. With permission of their research advisor, students intending to do an MS thesis should first register in the TRAN 700B (Masters Project). Students must receive a satisfactory (S) grade in 700B before registering for TRAN 701B (Masters Thesis). Students taking TRAN 701B must register in the immediate following semester with the same advisor. The MS thesis topic should be continuation of the work done in TRAN 700B.

M.S. in Transportation Engineering

Bridge Courses
CE 350Transportation Engineering 13
CS 101Computer Programming and Problem Solving3
ECON 265Microeconomics3
MATH 105Elementary Probability and Statistics3
MATH 309Mathematical Analysis for Technology4
Total Credits16
1

Students who have demonstrated professional transportation work experience may have this course waived. 

Core Courses
TRAN 603Introduction to Urban Transportation Planning3
TRAN 610Transportation Economics3
TRAN 650Urban Systems Engineering3
or EM 602 Management Science
Area of Specialization Required Courses
TRAN 615Traffic Studies and Capacity3
TRAN 625Public Transportation Operations and Technology3
TRAN 752Traffic Control3
Electives
Select four of the following:12
Project Planning and Control
Cost Estimating for Capital Projects
Environmental Impact Analysis
Managing Organizational Behavior in Technology-Based Organizations
Industrial Simulation
Applied Statistics
Computer-Aided Design
Strategic Management
Decision Support Systems for Managers
Geometric Design of Transportation Facilities
Geographic Information Systems
Behavioral Issues in Transportation Studies
Distribution Logistics
Traffic Safety
Flexible and Rigid Pavements
Master'S Project
Master's Thesis
Airport Design and Planning
Port Design and Planning
Intelligent Transportation Systems
Urban Trans Networks
Total Credits30

M.S. in Transportation Planning

Bridge Courses
CE 350Transportation Engineering 13
CS 101Computer Programming and Problem Solving3
ECON 265Microeconomics3
MATH 105Elementary Probability and Statistics3
MATH 309Mathematical Analysis for Technology4
Total Credits16
1

Students who have demonstrated professional transportation work experience may have this course waived. 

Core Courses
TRAN 603Introduction to Urban Transportation Planning3
TRAN 610Transportation Economics3
TRAN 650Urban Systems Engineering3
or EM 602 Management Science
Area of Specialization Required Courses
TRAN 655Land Use Planning3
TRAN 625Public Transportation Operations and Technology3
or TRAN 705 Mass Transportation Systems
TRAN 765Multi-modal Freight Transportation Systems Analysis3
Electives
Select four of the following:12
Project Planning and Control
Environmental Impact Analysis
Managing Organizational Behavior in Technology-Based Organizations
Human Resource Management
Applied Statistics
Legal and Ethical Issues in a Digital World
Strategic Management
E-Commerce Technologies
Geographic Information Systems
Behavioral Issues in Transportation Studies
Traffic Studies and Capacity
Distribution Logistics
Transportation Finance
Traffic Safety
Discrete Choice Modeling for Travel Demand Forecasting
Airport Design and Planning
Intelligent Transportation Systems
Total Credits30

Advanced Transportation Systems and Technologies

Bridge Courses
CE 350Transportation Engineering 13
CS 101Computer Programming and Problem Solving3
ECON 265Microeconomics3
MATH 105Elementary Probability and Statistics3
MATH 309Mathematical Analysis for Technology4
Total Credits16
1

Students who have demonstrated professional transportation work experience may have this course waived.

Core Courses
TRAN 603Introduction to Urban Transportation Planning3
TRAN 610Transportation Economics3
TRAN 650Urban Systems Engineering3
or EM 602 Management Science
Area of Specialization Required Courses
TRAN 615Traffic Studies and Capacity3
TRAN 755Intelligent Transportation Systems3
TRAN 765Multi-modal Freight Transportation Systems Analysis3
Electives
Select four of the following:12
Data Structures and Algorithms
Data Communications
Systems Simulation
Introduction to Communication Systems: Evolution to 5G and Beyond
Multicriteria Decision Making
Environmental Impact Analysis
Managing Organizational Behavior in Technology-Based Organizations
Heuristic Methods
Network Flows and Applications
Application of Stochastic Modeling in Systems Control
Industrial Simulation
Mathematical Programming in Management Science
A Queueing Approach to Performance Analysis
Applied Statistics
Computer-Aided Design
Decision Support Systems for Managers
Design and Development of High Technology Products
Geographic Information Systems
Behavioral Issues in Transportation Studies
Public Transportation Operations and Technology
Distribution Logistics
Traffic Control
Total Credits30