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Program Description

The Department of Transportation and Logistics offers a Master of Science (M.S.) in Transportation and Urban Systems, a Master of Transportation and Urban Systems (MTUS) and a Certificate in Transportation and Urban Systems. The degree is awarded through the College of Business, which collaborates with the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute to provide high quality graduate programs for students. The program takes an interdisciplinary approach to transportation and logistics and attracts students with backgrounds in transportation and logistics, as well as agribusiness, applied economics, civil engineering, construction management, emergency management, finance, geosciences, industrial/manufacturing engineering, and supply chain management.

Master of Science (M.S.) in Transportation and Urban Systems

This degree focuses on: (1) urban transportation systems; (2) relationships between transportation, land use, environment, emergency response, and logistical delivery systems; (3) coordinated planning, operations, and security; and (4) the spatial dimensions of urban systems. The curriculum is built around the topics of: public transportation systems, geographic information systems, freight transportation and logistical delivery systems, urban geography and land use, the environmental impacts of transportation systems, transportation systems security, and the sustainability of transportation and urban systems. The M.S. degree requires a thesis, it is targeted at students with strong research interests.

Master of Transportation and Urban Systems (MTUS)

This is a non-disquisition degree that is primarily intended for professional planners and engineers. Students in the M.S. and MTUS programs can select from a common set of courses. However, students enrolled in the non-disquisition (MTUS) program have more opportunities for synthesis of practice and additional course work, with less emphasis on research. Students in this option are required to complete a creative component as coordinated with their advisor.

Certificate in Transportation and Urban Systems

The certificate in Transportation and Urban Systems is primarily targeted at practicing professionals who wish to gain additional knowledge in the emerging fields of transportation and urban systems. The certificate requires a minimum of 9 course credits that can be selected from a list of on-line courses, including: Transportation Systems Security, Transportation Planning and Environmental Compliance, Transportation System Modeling, Urban Transportation Systems Analysis, Context Sensitive Solutions, Transportation Systems Laboratory, Public Transportation, and Public Transportation II.

Admission Requirements

The Transportation and Urban Systems master's program is open to qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. To be admitted with full standing, the applicant must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an educational institution of recognized learning with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or equivalent to attain full standing.
2. Have adequate preparation in one or more of the disciplines comprising Transportation and Logistics and must have professional experience or interests in community practice.
3. Have shown the potential to undertake advanced study as evidenced by prior academic performance and have a stated interest in transportation and the capability to conduct transportation research.
4. Submission of official transcripts
5. Submit a two-page resume
6. Submit a one-page "Letter of Intent" outlying your reasons for pursuing the Master of Transportation and Urban Systems.
7. Submit three-letters of recommendation (NA for Certificate Option)
8. Submit applications directly to the NDSU Graduate School via the on-line application process.
9. International applicants whose first language is not English and who do not possess an U.S. bachelor's degree or higher are subject to additional requirements when they apply for admission to the Master of Managerial Logistics program. They must meet the minimum requirements on measures of general English language proficiency. The accepted measures of language proficiency are the TOEFL ibT 71 and  IELTS 6.

Students who do not meet all requirements for admission or have deficiencies in prerequisite course work, but show satisfactory potential for graduate study, may be admitted conditionally. The conditional status may be changed to full graduate standing after the first or second semester of study, based on the student's academic performance.

Students will be accepted from many disciplinary backgrounds, including (but not limited to): architecture, business, civil engineering, environmental engineering or science, geography, government, political science, sociology, and urban affairs. However, acceptance is on an individualized basis.

 

Master of Science (M.S.) in Transportation and Urban Systems

A minimum of 30 credits is required for the degree of which 21 must be core courses and 3 credits of electives. All students must take a final examination which covers the course work taken by the candidate, as well as the thesis topic as coordinated with their adviser.

Each thesis must be of sufficient depth and quality to warrant at least six (6) graduate credits. However, no more than 10 credits can be earned for any thesis. Each thesis will contribute one of the following:

• New models – may be achieved through the synthesis of several techniques, the modification of existing models, or new applications of analytical techniques to transportation/urban problems.
• Knowledge – may be accomplished through the collection and analysis of original data or the development of innovative planning techniques.

Master of Transportation and Urban Systems (MTUS)

MTUS is a non-thesis degree. However, each student must complete a creative component, which can be a case study, practicum, or paper. In the creative component, a student may develop a case study of a metropolitan region, transit system, or public program. Case studies may include:

1. Comprehensive transportation planning processes in metropolitan areas,
2. Urban transit systems or operations,
3. Emergency or disaster response case studies or plans,
4. Security programs or issues, and
5. Integrated transportation/environmental plans.

The case study must be approved by the student’s adviser and should involve transportation and community professionals from federal, state, or local agencies, or private industries. In lieu of a case study, the adviser may approve other activities or outcomes that would comprise the creative component.

A minimum of 30 credits is required for the degree of which 21 must be core courses and 7 credits of electives. A minimum of two (2) credits and a maximum of four (4) credits will be awarded for the creative component.

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Certificate in Transportation and Urban Systems

The certificate in Transportation and Urban Systems will consist of a minimum of 9 credits selected from the core courses below. Additional courses may be offered online in the future.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Information Systems Technologies
TL 725	ERP Configuration	3

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Enterprise Management
TL 715	Introduction to ERP	3
TL 727	Organizational Change Management	3

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Transportation Planning
CE 780	Transportation Planning	3

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Emergency Response and Disaster
TL 719	Crisis Analysis and Homeland Security	3