Coordinated Degree Program in Transportation Engineering and Urban Planning  

Transportation Engineering and Urban Planning are closely related fields. Transportation engineering deals with the planning, design, construction, and operation of transportation systems, while urban planning is concerned with broader issues that are related to transportation. These issues include land use, environment, economic development, community housing and development, urban design, and other social, economic and political issues at the local, regional, state and national level. Given the increased complexity and interconnection of the issues engineers and planners address, there is a great need for engineers to understand planning issues and planners to grasp engineering principles and skills. People trained in both fields are in high demand.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science with the cooperation of the Department of Urban Planning offers a Master of Science (MS) in Engineering/Master of Urban Planning (MUP) program to prepare students for positions in transportation, public works and related fields. The purpose of this MS/MUP coordinated degree program is to meet the needs of planning and transportation professions for people who combine competence in urban planning and transportation engineering. Students in the program will concurrently pursue a Master of Urban Planning and a Master of Science in Engineering degree program.

The dual degree program in transportation studies and urban planning allows a student to earn two masters degrees after completing a minimum of 54 credit hours in the Engineering and Urban Planning departments. If a student were to earn those masters degrees separately, 72 credit hours would be required. Students in the program will meet the minimum requirements for each degree and then complete the respective degree requirements with courses taken in both departments.

Under the MS/MUP program, students normally take 21 credits in engineering, 30 credits in planning and do a thesis. These programs are designed by the student to directly meet their goals and needs. A typical program of study is outlined in the following eight steps.

1. Admission to each of the constituent programs.
2. Completion of required core courses in Urban Planning.
3. Completion of an “approved technical program of studies” in engineering as related to urban planning. In transportation planning this could include the following courses:
   
   
   CE 490 Transportation Engineering
   
   • CE 590 Urban Transportation Planning
     
   • CE 592 Traffic Control
     
   • CE 790 Transportation Systems Design
     
   • CE 792 Methods of Transportation Analysis
   • CE 940 Topics in Transportation
      
4. Completion of the Urban Planning comprehensive examination.
5. Completion of the College of Engineering and Applied Science comprehensive examination.
6. Completion of 6 credits in non-transportation related Urban Planning approved electives.
7. Completion of 6 credits in non-transportation related Engineering approved electives.
8. Completion of a 3 credit thesis

Past Project Titles and Research Work Accomplished in the Program

• Internet GIS and its Applications in Transportation
• Implications of Automated Highways on Land Use Patterns
• Measurement of Transit Benefits
• Transit Based Land Use Design
• Design of Freeway Noise Barriers
• Evaluation of Inter-model Transfer Facilities
• Design of Transit Facilities
• Evaluation of an Innovative Transit Pass (UPASS) Program
• Usage, Impacts, and Transferability of an Innovative Pass Program
• A Transportation Modeling Primer
• Survey of Motorist Attitudes Towards a Proposed Highway Project
• Transportation Models for Livable Communities
• An Evaluation of Efforts to Promote Transportation Reform
• How to Conduct Focus Groups
• Quick Response Freight Manual
• Advanced Travel Demand Forecasting Course
• Highway Capacity Concepts in Travel Forecasting Models
• GIS, Jobs-Housing Balance and Urban Commuting
• GIS-Based Automatic Transit Traveler Information Systems