Master of Urban Transportation Systems

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with a Master’s Degree course that is related to transportation management. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of Master of Urban Transportation Systems course.

  Technically, it is a Master’s Degree course. This makes it fall under the category of PG (Postgraduate) level course.   Here is an overview of the academic program –

• Name of the course: Master of Urban Transportation Systems
• Type of course: Master’s Degree
• Field: Transportation Systems
• Duration: 2 years
• Eligibility Criteria: Completed relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree course

Candidates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree course are eligible to pursue this course. Graduates hailing from relevant disciplines such as – Architecture, Planning, Engineering and Science will benefit from this course.   Transportation Systems play a huge role in the development of a nation. This is the main reason why Governments around the world invest heavily in this sector. Due to this factor, this sector generated ample amount of job opportunities each year.   What is Urban Transportation Systems all about? What’s the scope and potential associated with this domain? What is it like to become an Transportation Systems professional?   You will find answers to these questions in the next section. Here it is –

Urban Transportation Systems: An Introduction

In simple terms, transportation is the movement of humans, goods and animals from one location to another. There are various modes of transport. Popular modes include – air, water and land (rail or road). There also exists other modes such as cable, pipeline and space!   Transportation is very important for the development of a Nation! Due to transportation, movement of goods from one place to another is possible. This facilitates trade!   Similarly, transportation is also essential for other vital activities such as –

• Governance
• Defence
• Healthcare
• Tourism
• And more…

Transportation Systems facilitate transportation of goods, humans and animals in an organized, efficient and timely manner. Such a system comprises of aspects such as –

1. Infrastructure
2. Vehicles
3. Operations

For any transportation system to work efficiently, these three aspects must combine together. For example, for efficient road transportation, you will need roads (infrastructure), bus/car/any form of motorized vehicle (vehicle) and operations (traffic management, transportation service etc).   Urban Transportation Systems deal with transportation systems that are limited to urban settlements. Urban settlements and areas have their own set of transportation challenges and problems.   Lack of quality infrastructure, lack of operations management, cost of transportation etc are some of the main problems faced by urban transportation users. Urban Transportation Systems can help solve these problems through the following techniques –

• Planning
• Design
• Technology
• Operations Management

Apart from that, Urban Transportation Management also deals with non-technical aspects such as –

• Land management
• Finance management
• Governance and Policies
• Energy

In short, Urban Transport Systems aims to make the whole process more efficient, fast, sustainable and affordable! Master of Urban Transportation Systems course trains students in the above mentioned areas.   Come, let us take a closer look at the course details. Here it is –

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Master’s Degree course. Technically, it is a Postgraduate level course. You may also check – courses after 12th science.

Duration

The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is six months long. At the end of each semester, a student must face main external examination. The entire program consists of four semesters.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree courses like – B.Arch., Bachelor of Planning, B.E. or B.Tech. in Civil Engineering, B.E. or B.Tech. in Environmental Engineering, Bachelor of Construction Technology. OR Master’s Degree of equivalent in disciplines such as – Mathematics, Statistics, Operations. OR Master’s Degree in Science or Technology in disciplines such as – Geomatics, Geoinformatics, Geographical Information System OR Master’s Degree in Geography or Economy.

Colleges

This academic program is offered by Planning Institutes across India. There are two such types of institutes in India –

• Government Institutes
• Private Institutes

CEPT is a very popular Institute offering this course in India. Government Colleges are known to charge relatively lower fees than their Private sector counterparts.

Fees

Fees charged for the academic program may vary from one institute to another. Course fees depends upon the following factors –

• Type of institute (Government, Private, Aided etc)
• Location of the college
• Status and rating of the college
• Scholarship status (of student, if applicable)

Government colleges are known to charge low fees. Average fees in private colleges could be anywhere between 60-150K INR per semester. You may also check – Master of Urban Management.

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.   Some other institutes are also known to conduct direct as well as donation based admission process.

Syllabus

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

• Transportation Infrastructure
• Planning
• Project Management
• Passenger Behaviour
• Finance Management
• Operations Management
• Modes of Transportation

Career Prospects

After completing this course, you will have access to multiple job opportunities. Popular opportunities include – Government jobs, Private sector jobs and Self-Employment opportunities.

You may also check –

M.Arch. course

B.Arch. course

  Some of the prime Government sector employers are –

• NHAI
• PWD
• Municipal Corporations
• Metro Corporations
• Indian Railways
• Ministry of Transportation

Some of the prime Private sector employers are –

• Contract Agencies
• Road Construction Firms
• Transport Infrastructure Firms
• Consultancies

If you are interested in self-employment opportunities, you may turn to opportunities like – independent planner/designer, consultant etc.

Salary

Starting salary of Urban transportation professionals depends upon a number of factors. Some of the prominent factors are –

• Institute from which the candidate completed the course
• The domain he/she has chosen
• Job location
• Status of the employer

On an average, starting salary could be anywhere between 50-80K INR per month. In case of a Government job, the salary will be as per the pay scale and grade.