Northwestern University has a 40+ year history of education and research in transportation, focused on planning and operations, including problem analysis, modeling and forecasting, location and logistics, and policy evaluation.  The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department offers both Master of Science and Ph.D. programs, which have prepared hundreds of key practitioners in transportation planning and management and many scholars who teach at academic institutions around the world.  Today we are pursuing many exciting research endeavors in transportation and the allied fields of logistics, communications and information systems.  Our research is an integral part of the educational environment and is closely linked to classroom instruction.

Our objective is to prepare our students to identify, analyze, and solve complex transportation problems, and to communicate those solutions toward their successful implementation.  We are particularly proud of the close and supportive relationships between our faculty and students, which help make the Northwestern transportation program an effective community environment for research and professional and personal development.

Transportation is an important area of study and research for students and faculty in Economics, Industrial Engineering and Management Science, Northwestern's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Transportation faculty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and other departments are affiliated with Northwestern's Transportation Center, which is the focal point for interdisciplinary research, academic studies, and executive training. The Center sponsors the Master of Science in Transportation Program, a one year degree experience which prepares quantitatively-oriented people from all disciplines for careers in transportation analysis, operations, and management.  The Center's Business Advisory Committee of more than 75 senior executives from US and international transportation companies provides guidance to all transportation programs at Northwestern and constitutes an important resource upon which students and faculty may draw.

CONCEPT of the TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND PLANNING PROGRAM

Transportation is a dynamic field: technological, economic, social, political and regulatory changes continually alter the environment in which transportation services are demanded and provided.  The design, operation and effectiveness of transportation services are closely connected to other social and economic systems.  Rapid changes in the transportation environment and the inter-relationships between transportation, urban systems, information services and production planning require transportation professionals to be well-trained in fundamental disciplines, to be able to adapt to change, and to have the vision and insight needed to implement creative options in a dynamic world.

The graduate programs in Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department stress conceptual and quantitative approaches to the analysis of transportation and related systems. Our goal is to develop our students' analytic, quantitative and communication skills so that graduates are well prepared to face the exciting and challenging transportation environment of today and tomorrow.  Our courses and research integrate theory, methods and applications. The strong quantitative focus of our program provides students with skills for analyzing all modes of transportation used for the movement of people and goods, within and between cities, under both public and private operation.

While our approach is rigorous and quantitative, it is not oriented exclusively toward students with engineering backgrounds. Transportation affects and is affected by major social and economic trends, and its problems are best addressed by professionals with broad backgrounds. Thus, we invite applications from quantitatively-oriented students with backgrounds in economics, management, industrial engineering, mathematics, political science, and related fields in addition to students in Civil Engineering.

STUDENTS and the EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

The Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning program typically includes 15 to 25 U.S. and international students, divided equally between Masters and Doctoral candidates. Through coursework, seminars, research and social events, our students interact closely with each other and with graduate students at the Transportation Center, the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the Departments of Economics and Industrial Engineering.

Students enter the program with a variety of training and backgrounds, representing a diversity which enriches the educational environment.  They undertake interdisciplinary studies, selecting courses in transportation, urban systems, industrial engineering, economics, management, and political science.  Close interactions between Northwestern faculty and students foster an atmosphere which easily accommodates individual needs and interests.  This is facilitated by a low student-faculty ratio, collegial research endeavors, and the activities of the Transportation Club of the Management School. A seminar series, coordinated through the Transportation Center, regularly brings visiting researchers and transportation professionals to Northwestern, exposing our students to a variety of intellectual perspectives.

Facilities for transportation research at Northwestern are unparalleled. Mainframe and mini-computers are available through the Northwestern’s Information Technology Division.  Personal computers are accessible in both Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Transportation Center. Students learn to use these resources through classroom assignments and in writing and research projects.

The Northwestern University Transportation Library is the largest university library devoted to transportation in the country.  It houses over 230,000 documents treating the economic, operational and social aspects of transportation.  Researchers from around the world rely on it as a source of information.  The library staff is exceptionally knowledgeable and works closely with faculty and students to support research and teaching functions. Northwestern's library system is a world leader in on-line catalogue access, and professionals in the Transportation Library are experts on the use of electronic databases and internet resources. Some courses at Northwestern make readings and other handouts available through the Library's Electronic Reserve System, which allows students to access, ready and copy documents from remote terminals or their local residences.