Civil Engineering Degrees with a Concentration in Transportation Engineering

Transportation Engineering is a program area within the Civil Engineering Program at the UMass Amherst College of Engineering. This program area exists at the cutting edge of transportation technology, with multi-modal research and instruction covering wide-ranging issues, such as transportation safety, intelligent transportation systems, human factors, freight movement, travel demand management, and traveler information centers. 

The on-campus Transportation Center works with state, federal, and industrial agencies to promote research and education, and currently consists of the following major research programs: the UMTC/Massachusetts Department of Transportation; Cooperative Transportation Research Program; the Regional Traveler Information Center; the Baystate Roads Program; the Massachusetts Technical Assistance Program; the UMass Traffic Research Safety Program; and the USDOT University Transportation Center Initiative. 

Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to earn a Certificate in Transit Operations and Management. 

For graduate students interested in an interdisciplinary education that will provide them with foundations in the connected fields of transportation engineering and regional planning, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning offer an M.S.C.E./M.R.P. dual master’s degree.

Both undergraduate and graduate students may join the UMass Amherst Joint Transportation Organization, the student group that coordinates activities across all of the Transportation Engineering related student chapters and professional societies, including the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Women's Transportation Seminar, the American Society of Civil Engineers - Transportation & Development Institute, New England Intelligent Transportation Society, and Young Professionals in Transportation.

B.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Transportation Engineering

While undergraduate Civil Engineering majors begin their experience by taking foundational courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics, they have the ability to explore Transportation Engineering by taking elective courses in this area in their junior and senior years, culminating in a senior design project, where students’ knowledge and skills are applied to a real-world problem.

M.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Transportation Engineering

The masters program prepares students for careers in industry, government, consulting, or for further study at the doctoral level. Both thesis and coursework-only options are available. The multidisciplinary approach within Transportation Engineering provides flexibility in designing both coursework and research, addressing a wide array of student interests.

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Transportation Engineering

The doctoral program places more emphasis on research activities, preparing students to conduct impactful research and produce significant contributions to the field. A personalized approach to faculty mentorship ensures that students have a broad understanding of the technical and social elements of transportation and are well-prepared to pursue academic, research, government, or consulting careers. 

Program Coordinator: Dr. Daiheng Ni, ni [at] engin [dot] umass [dot] edu (ni[at]engin[dot]umass[dot]edu)