MS Degree Program in Transportation Systems Engineering

Program Description

Transportation contributes to the economical, industrial, social, and cultural development of any country. Transportation is critical for any country’s economic success. Every commodity requires transportation facilities at both the production and distribution stages. Every country’s progress is dependent on the efficiency of its transportation networks. Transportation systems enable the movement of goods, services, and people between sites. It is impossible to overstate the importance of efficient transportation systems. A country’s economic, social, and cultural development requires a functional and adequate transportation system. Rapid changes in the transportation environment, as well as the interrelationships between transportation, urban systems, information services, and production planning, necessitate transportation professionals having a strong background in fundamental disciplines, the ability to adapt to change, and the vision and insight needed to implement through innovative solutions in a fast-paced world. It is felt that a MS program pertaining to transportation sector would go a long way in enhancing the understanding of the students of different transportation systems and how they synchronize together to ensure safe, economical, and efficient transport operations within the country.

The MS Degree Program in Transportation Systems Engineering is being offered by the Center of Excellence in Transportation/Railway Engineering, at PAF-IAST from Fall Semester of 2022. The objective of the MS Program is to impart knowledge and skills to the MS graduates, who are desirous of acquiring an understanding of the intricacies of a multidisciplinary field like road, railways, air, pipelines and marine engineering. The goal of the MS Degree program in Transportation Systems Engineering 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. The strong quantitative focus of our program will provide 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 operations.

CORE COURSES

Introduction to Transportation Systems

Urban and Sub Urban Transportation - Concepts, Strategy & Organization

Transportation Policy and Strategic Planning

Transport Economics

WHAT THE STUDENT WILL LEARN?

Objective of the MS Degree Program

The objective of the MS Degree Program is to attract graduate engineers from different disciplines working in the transport related sectors in Pakistan and abroad, and empower them with theoretical and practical knowledge about over- all railways working and to expose to modern techniques and contemporary best practices in the field of ‘Transportation Systems Engineering’.

The academic team

The academic team would comprise of a vibrant mix of practitioners from the railway sector, professionals from transport field, dedicated researchers and academicians of transport and rail related economics. Their collective knowledge would enable the students to develop a comprehensive understanding of railway operations and engineering practices and enable them to conduct research through hands-on and field – based projects in collaboration with railway departments in Pakistan. The faculty would strive to enhance the students ability of therotical knowledge, principles and contemporary concepts taught during the course and be able to relate them to ground realities and link them to practical issues in the field.

Transport engineering

Transport engineering is a growing industry and railways is a field with a growing demand in Pakistan, specially with the up coming ML-1 uphowever there is a dearth of professionals who understand the dynamic of the sector as a whole. The MS Degree Program will emphasize on professional life in railways and employability skills, by focusing on enhanced techniques like communication, technological proficiency, teamwork and analytical skills.

MS Degree Program in ‘Transportation Systems Engineering’

The MS Degree Program in ‘Transportation Systems Engineering’ would fulfil the demand for specific higher education and training in the railway sector, and expose students to the various aspects of railway working. The MS Degree would generally follow the laid down of HEC parameters on the one hand and work closely with Beijing Jiaotong University, China so far as the curriculum and laboratory work is concerned. Moreover, the program will also offer a dual degree program, with the options to get a MS in Transportation System Engineering from PAF- IAST after one and a half year, followed by another degree from Beijing Jiaotong University, China, after putting in another one year at Beijing.

Admission Requirements

Eligibility Criteria

  • The eligibility criteria for admission in MS Program in Transportation Systems Engineering is a graduate degree with 16 years of education in Civil or related to any Transportation Engineering (Road, Rail, Urban Planning, Airport, or Marine) field degree from a PEC/HEC recognized institution. 
  • Applicants must have a minimum CGPA and Percentage for admission according to HEC/PEC criteria.
  • The GRE/GAT-General with a minimum 50% cumulative score will be required at the time of admission.

Degree Requirement

• 30 Credit hours (Cr)
• Core Courses: (4*3=12)
• Elective Courses (4*3= 12)
• Research Methodology (RM) (2Cr) Mandatory
• Plan A: MS degree in Transportation System Engineering (With Research)
• 24 Credit hour Courses +2 (RM) , 6 Credit hours thesis (1.5 year program)
• Plan B: MS degree in Transportation System Engineering (Without Research)
• 30 Credit hour Courses + 2Cr (RM)

Industrial Linkages and Liaison centers

• Beijing Jiatong University, China
• National Highway & Motorway
• Highway Research & Training Center
• BRT (Bus Rapid Transport) Department
• Automotive Design & Crash research center
• Pakistan Railway