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 transport systems from a holistic perspective including interconnections between walking, cycling, public transport, and driving. Analyze complete streets, transit systems, active mobility, and emerging technologies within a unified planning framework.
Research Leadership: Learn directly from internationally recognized scholars whose comparative research shapes transport policy, safety metrics, and active transportinvestments 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: Topics in Computer Applications in Urban Planning and Management (3 credits): Topics course on the application of analytical techniques for understanding and addressing urban and regional planning and management problems. Identification of data sources, data collection options and data analysis. Topics include geographic information systems, computer coding, spatial analysis, modeling of complex systems, or decision modeling.
- UAP 5224: Planning Methods and Technologies (3 credits)*: Topics course on the application of analytical techniques for understanding and addressing urban and regional planning and management problems. Identification of data sources, data collection options and data analysis. Topics include geographic information systems, computer coding, spatial analysis, modeling of complex systems, or decision modeling.
- UAP 5424: Metropolitan Planning Topics (3 credits): A topics course focusing on the methods and techniques of evaluating physical development needs of metropolitan areas and their sub-areas. Emphasis on elements of land use, physical development needs, representation, and the role of comprehensive plans and implementing regulatory ordinances (zoning, land subdivision regulations, building codes, environmental regulations).
- UAP 5794: Environ Plan Studio (3 credits): Application of environmental planning techniques involving either land use or transport in a specific project.
* 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: