Transportation Planning and Policy (TPP)
The Graduate Certificate in Transportation Planning and Policy is designed to teach students about transportation systems and related public policies. Students will learn about travel behavior and the impacts that transportation systems have on surrounding areas and their population (e.g., local, regional, national). Transportation systems comprise personal transportation (e.g., automobile, walking, bicycle, or e-scooters) and public transportation (e.g., buses, subway, or regional rail).
Shape sustainable, equitable, and resilient mobility systems for tomorrow’s communities.
Why Choose TPP at Virginia Tech?
Multimodal Focus: Analyze complete streets, transit network coordination, active mobility, and emerging vehicle technologies within a unified planning framework.
Research Leadership: Learn directly from internationally recognized scholars and practitioners whose comparative research shapes transport policy, safety metrics, and active transit investments in North America and Europe.
For further questions about the program and research guidance, please contact Faculty Advisor Dr. Ralph Buehler at ralphbu@vt.edu.
Dr. Ralph Buehler
International expert in sustainable transport systems, active mobility, and comparative transit policy. His works include City Cycling and Cycling for Sustainable Cities (MIT Press).
Explore the Curriculum
The program covers transportation policy and planning problems associated with land use patterns, traffic volumes, traffic safety, environmental pollution, finance, and changing technological and political environments. Graduates will be prepared to contribute to transportation planning and associated public policies.
Students are required to take 12 credit hours of graduate level coursework:
- UAP 5644: Transportation Systems Planning (3 credits)
- UAP 5864: Topics in Transportation Planning and Policy (3 credits)
Students will select two courses from the following list:
- UAP 5114: Computer Applications in Urban Planning and Management (3 credits)
- UAP 5224: Planning Methods and Technologies (3 credits)*
- UAP 5424: Metropolitan Planning Topics (3 credits)
- UAP 5794: Environmental Planning Studio (3 credits)
* Students in the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program are encouraged to choose electives other than UAP 5224 because UAP 5224 is a required core class for MURP.
Please reach out to Faika Lore, faikalore@vt.edu, for any questions or comments. To take next steps or to receive updates on program developments, please fill out the form below: