Educating the Future Workforce
The challenges (e.g. air quality, equity, political dynamics) and solutions (e.g. bicycling, electric vehicles, urban design, innovative pricing policies) embedded in transportation for livable communities can help grow and diversify the workforce. Our approach to education consists of:
- Multi-Disciplinary Undergraduate, Graduate Degrees, and Courses: NITC partner universities offer a rich array of degrees that serve the transportation profession. We support undergarduate and graduate students directly through research assistantships working on projects. We provide dissertation fellowships for students to research surface transportation topics that fit under the NITC theme.
- Providing Experiential Learning: A key component of our education strategy is experiential learning, which will help attract and retain students. Our campuses will continue to providing these opportunities, and NITC will seek ways to expand them.
- Developing Innovative New Curriculum: NITC partner universities have developed new, innovative curriculum consistent with transportation and livable communities that can be tested and shared among NITC and other universities.
- Educating Professionals: We offer a vibrant program of seminars, workshops, professional courses and other training opportunities that provide transportation practitioners with the latest tools and techniques.
- Engaging K-12 Students: Our K‐12 programs are designed to attract and retain new undergraduate students to our degree programs, and involve undergraduates in our research.
Graduate Programs at NITC Partner Universities
NITC partner universities offer the following programs with transportation specializations:
Portland State University
Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering (MSCE)
Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering (MEng)
Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering Management (MEng)
Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dual Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Civil and Environmental Engineering
Graduate Certificate in Transportation
University of Oregon
Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP)
Oregon Institute of Technology
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
University of Utah
Master of City and Metropolitan Planning (M.C.M.P.)
Civil and Environmental Engineering, M.S.
Certificate in Urban Design (City & Metropolitan Planning)
Certificate in Urban Planning (City & Metropolitan Planning)
Environmental Engineering, Ph.D.
Metropolitan Planning, Policy and Design, Ph.D.
University of Arizona
M.S. in Systems and Industrial Engineering
University of Texas at Arlington
Ph.D. in Planning and Urban Policy
Undergraduate Programs at NITC Partner Universities
Portland State University
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Supply and Logistics Management
Oregon Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
University of Oregon
Planning, Public Policy and Management
University of Utah
Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Arizona
Education Projects
University Education and Curriculum Development Projects
NITC is committed to teaching university students the latest topics consistent with transportation and livable communities. Our education projects focus on developing innovative new curriculum that can be tested and shared among NITC and other universities. NITC partner campuses offer funds to attract students to transportation through education opportunities at the university level. Our education grants focus on creating opportunities for experiential learning, and attracting and supporting undergraduate students. The following are education projects that help to further this objective:
Planning
- Collaborative Regional Planning: Tools and Techniques for Teaching Collaborative Regional Planning to Enhance Livability and Sustainable Transportation
- Introduction to Scientific Computing for Planners, Engineers, and Scientists
- Pedestrian Observation and Data Collection Curriculum
- Phase 2 Multimodal Transportation Planning Applications Curriculum for Urban Planning Programs
- Establishing Graduate Certificates in Sustainable Transportation at US Universities & Colleges
- Pedestrian and Transit Oriented Design
- Multimodal Transportation Planning Curriculum for Urban Planning Programs
- Transportation Leadership Education
- Strategic Design and Policy for Improving the Livability and Multi-modal Use of U.S. Urban Arterials and Commercial Highways
- OLIS Sustainable Transportation Class
- Addressing Homeless Encampments on Public Right-of-Way: A Knowledge Transfer Project
- Enhancing Bicycle and Pedestrian Education through Curriculum and Faculty Development
- Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Community Needs Assessment
- designBridge: Integrating Transportation into Service Learning Design/Build Projects
- Trail Planning & Community Service Curriculum
- designBridge: Integrating Transportation into Service Learning Design/Build Projects
- Expanding Service Learning Models in Transportation
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Curriculum Expansion
- City Design Lecture Series: Linking Transportation and Land Use Planning
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Program
- Linking Experiential Learning to Community Transportation Planning
- Road Ecology Course and Seminar Series
Engineering
- Instructional Modules for Obtaining Vehicle Dynamics Data with Smartphone Sensors
- Transportation Undergraduate Research Fellowship (TURF)
- Dynamic Evaluation of Transportation Structures with iPod-Based Data Acquisition
- Design for an Aging Population
- Graduate-level Civil Engineering Transportation Course Development-Oregon Tech
- UO NITC National Education Project: Advanced GIS: Smart Transportation
- Activity-Based Learning Module for Human Factors in the Introductory Transportation Engineering Course
- Development, Deployment, and Assessment of a New Educational Paradigm for Transportation Professionals and University Students
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Engineering Design Curriculum Expansion
- Distribution Logistics Course
- Traffic Engineering Training for Rural Communities
K-12 Education Projects
Workforce development doesn't have to wait until the university. In addition to our K-12 outreach and education programs, NITC is also committed to introducing K-12 students to transportation engineering and planning, including career possibilities and livability goals to improve communities. Through NITC education grants, we offer funds to attract students to transportation through educational opportunities at the K-12 level. The following are education projects that help to further this objective: