Overview
Transportation systems are vital to human activity, and yet create enormous economic, environmental, social, and human life costs. The Department’s research program emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of transportation research, and at the same time supports concentrated research in specific areas. The Transportation Group has active research partnerships with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, TransLink, municipalities throughout Western Canada, Transport Canada, and numerous other entities in the public and private sectors.
The undergraduate program in Transportation Engineering enables students to supplement fundamental Civil Engineering studies with training in the design, construction and operation of transportation systems, combined with a wide range of elective courses related to the planning, evaluation and management of transportation facilities of all modes and in both urban and interurban contexts.
The graduate program in Transportation Engineering provides advanced training and research facilities for students who are at all stages of their careers and looking to support various future career goals, including as researchers, educators, and practitioners. Graduate students whose undergraduate degrees are outside of Civil Engineering may qualify for admittance depending upon their background and experience.
Key Areas
- Traffic engineering
- Road safety
- Intelligent and automated transportation systems
- Travel behaviour and transportation planning
- Multimodal, long-distance transportation systems
- Transportation asset management
- Traffic-related emissions and air quality
Media Highlights
- UBC Civil in the Media: texting while walking puts pedestrians in danger
- UBC Civil Engineering finds e-bike incentives worth the investment
- Provincial funding will advance UBC Disaster Resilience research
- UBC REACT Lab Wins 2023 Climate Action Award
Specialization Requirements
| MEng | MASc | PhD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core courses (credits) | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Elective courses (min. credits) | 20 | 8 | 20 |
| Seminar course | CIVL 597-106/206 | CIVL 597-106/206 | CIVL 597-106/206 |
| Thesis course | N/A | CIVL 599 | CIVL 699 |
Core requirements
All four courses CIVL 582, 583, 586 and 597-106(206) as listed below.
Elective requirements
Electives may be taken from the list of Approved Electives below, or other electives may be taken with approval of the Specialty Advisor / Supervisor.
Undergraduate students who are interested in Transportation Engineering are directed to the following courses:
- CIVL 440
- CIVL 441
Graduate Courses
| Core | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Term |
| CIVL 582 | Transportation Engineering Impacts | 3 | 1 |
| CIVL 583 | Urban Engineering Methods and Models | 3 | 2 |
| CIVL 586 | Urban Transportation System Analysis | 3 | 1 |
| CIVL 597-006 | Graduate Seminar (Transportation) | 1 | 1 & 2 |
| Approved Electives | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Term |
| CIVL 518 | Reliability and Structural Safety | 3 | 1 |
| CIVL 519 | Risk and Decision Analysis | 3 | 1 |
| CIVL 520 | Construction Planning and Control | 3 | 1 |
| CIVL 522 | Project and Construction Economics | 3 | 2 |
| CIVL 585 | Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Design | 3 | 1 |
| PLAN 579 | Public Health, Transportation, and the Built Environment | 3 | 2 |
| PLAN 580 | Urban Transportation Planning | 3 | 2 |
Questions?
To learn more about the Transportation Engineering M.Eng. program, please contact Dr. Alex Bigazzi. To learn more about the research-based degrees, please contact the professor(s) whose research you are interested in.
People
Facilities
Our Transportation Engineering facilities include the Bureau for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Freight Security (BITSAFS) office and lab, where employees and research assistants conduct testing and analysis of ITS-related equipment and methods; and the Research on Active Transportation (REACT) lab, which is a collaborative space for the comprehensive study of active travelers using laboratory, field, and naturalistic study methods. Learn more.