M.Tech. in Transportation Engineering

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with a Master of Technology course. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of M.Tech. in Transportation Engineering course.

  Transportation Engineering is a part of Civil Engineering. M.Tech. in Transportation Engineering is an ideal advanced course for Civil Engineering graduates.   M.Tech. stands for Master of Technology. It is a Master’s Degree course.   Technically, this is a PG level course. PG stands for Postgraduate level. It means that candidates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course are eligible to pursue this course.   Here is an overview of this course –

• Name of the course: M.Tech. in Transportation Engineering
• Type of course: Master of Technology
• Field: Civil Engineering
• Duration: 2 years
• Eligibility: Completed relevant B.E./B.Tech. program or equivalent qualification

This academic program is also known as M.Tech. in Transport Engineering. Some institutes are also known to offer Dual Degree courses associated with this domain!   What’s Transportation Engineering all about? What’s the scope and potential associated with it? What’s it like to specialize in this field? Will I get a good job after completing this M.Tech. program?   You will find answers to these questions in the next section.

Transportation Engineering: An Introduction

Transportation Engineering is a part of Civil Engineering. It is also known as Transport Engineering.   In simple terms, it is a discipline that deals with the application of technology, scientific principles and management to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation.   The main aim of this discipline is to make transportation facilities more safe, efficient, comfortable, economic, rapid, sustainable and environmental friendly.   As we all know – Civil Engineering is one of the oldest branches of Engineering! It is one of the core branches of Engineering!   Civil Engineering consists of many sub-disciplines and sub-branches. Transportation Engineering is one such branch. Technically, it forms an integral part of Civil Engineering.   Initially, it used to be a part of Civil Engineering and wasn’t treated as a separate entity. But with time, this branch gained huge prominence. Gradually, it began to be considered as an area of specialization (within the field of Civil Engineering).   Why is Transportation Engineering so important, you may ask. This discipline directly deals with design, development, construction, planning and maintenance of transportation facilities.   Transportation facilities include the following aspects (but not limited to) –

• Roads
• Airports
• Rail Network
• Port and Harbor Infrastructure
• And more…

Transportation facilities form an integral part of transportation systems. And transportation contributes to the economy both directly and indirectly!   Without transportation, trade between countries will stop. It will also stop the travel of people from one place to another.   These are the main reasons why Transportation Engineering forms an integral part of Civil Engineering. Broadly speaking, this branch can be divided into the following main types –

• Air Transportation
• Road Transportation
• Water Transportation
• Urban Transportation
• Pipeline Transportation

Each sub-branch has specific transport facilities associated with them. For example – road transportation has highways, bridges and roads. Air transportation has airports. Water transportation has port infrastructure.   Transport Engineering deals with the design, planning, construction, operation and management of these systems and facilities. The aim to make these systems and facilities more fast, economical, comfortable and convenient.   We’d like urban roads to be well planned, don’t we? We’d like them to be free of traffic jams, don’t we? Transportation Engineering, through phases like planning and design, can help make these things happen!   If we take a closer look at this branch, we will be able to recognize sub-branches and sub-disciplines within it. Some of the notable sub-disciplines are –

• Railroad Engineering
• Highway Engineering
• Airport Engineering
• Port and Harbor Engineering
• Traffic Engineering

In short, this domain is quite broad. It generates ample amount of job opportunities each year.   Come, let us take a closer look at the course details. In the next section, you will find details about the course such as – eligibility criteria, duration, colleges, fees and admission process.

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Master of Technology course. Technically, it is a PG level course.

Duration

The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is six months long. The entire academic program consists of four semesters.

Eligibility Criteria

Minimum educational qualification required to pursue this course is – Completed relevant B.E./B.Tech. program OR Equivalent qualification.   Minimum aggregate marks criteria may also apply. If yes, it could be anywhere around 45-55% aggregate marks.

Colleges

There are two types of Engineering Colleges offering this course in India –

• Government Engineering Colleges
• Self Financed Engineering Colleges

Government Colleges can further be classified into two types – State Govt Colleges and Central Govt Colleges. Government Colleges are known to charge lower fees than their Self Financed counterparts.   Some of the popular colleges are –

• IITs
• NITs
• Nirma University
• BITS

Fees

Tuition fees charged for the program may vary from one College to another. It depends upon the following factors –

• Type of College (Govt or SF)
• Rating and reputation of the College
• Scholarship status of the student

On an average, tuition fees could be anywhere between 80-150K INR per semester. Government Colleges are known to charge relatively lower fees that their Self Financed counterparts.

Admission Process

Reputed institutes rely on merit based admission process. Such institutes make use of relevant entrance test to select deserving candidates. Some institutes are also known to conduct their own qualifying test in order to select deserving candidates.

Syllabus

Here are some of the core subjects present in the curriculum –

• Urban Transportation
• Traffic Flow Theory
• Traffic Engineering
• Transportation Systems
• Airport Planning and Design
• Urban Transportation System
• Safety
• Cost Estimation
• Planning and Design
• Project Management
• Project Work
• Laboratory Work

Career Prospects

This is a job oriented M.Tech. program. It will lead you to a rewarding career. Growth of your career depends upon factors such as – College from which you complete the course, your academic performance, your aptitude and intelligence, amount of hard work you do, tests you give (Government tests, Private interviews etc) and many more such factors.

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  After completing this course, one will have access to ample amount of Government and Private sector jobs. Some of the notable Government sector recruiters are –

• NHAI
• AAI
• Ports Authority
• PWD
• Municipal Corporations
• City and Town Planning Bodies

Here are some of the prime private sector recruiters –

• Infrastructure Development Firms
• Consultancies
• Contract Firms

Salary

Starting salary depends upon different factors. Some such notable factors are –

• Job location
• Profile of the employer
• His/her academic performance
• His/her skills and aptitude
• Job profile

On an average, starting salary could be anywhere between 40-80K INR per month. In case of Government job, the salary will be based on designated pay scale and grade.