Transport Planning and Engineering MSc (Eng)

Course overview

If you’re an ambitious engineering graduate – from a civil, mechanical, computing or electronic engineering background – this course is a smart route to a career in the expanding field of transport consultancy and public policy.

Our Transport Planning and Engineering MSc will teach you engineering techniques to develop transport networks that are founded on fundamental principles, robust evidence, sustainable and equitable principles, state-of-the-art modelling, accurate data analysis, and an understanding of human psychology.

Taught by researchers with an international reputation, this Masters degree has been designed following close consultation with industry to help prepare you for a rewarding career. It also addresses the multi-disciplinary nature of transport – enabling you to make effective decisions for clients, employers and society.

Studying in the Institute of Transport Studies at Leeds will also give you a unique head start in your career in transport. Not only does our world-leading research shape the course, but our close links with large corporations means you’ll have chance to interact with potential employers and possibly interview for graduate schemes and other vacancies. We also offer opportunities to build your industry work experience before you graduate with work placements and project work throughout your course.

Why study at Leeds:

• This Masters degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators and EUR-ACE.
• Our Institute for Transport Studies’ globally-renowned research conducted right here on campus feeds directly into the course, shaping your learning with the latest thinking in sustainable transport planning – and beyond.
• Advance your knowledge and skill set in developing solutions to engineering problems that fit the broader aims of transport and planning policy.
• Tailor the course to suit your career aspirations with a wide selection of optional modules in areas such as road geometry and infrastructure, public transport management and railway signalling to hone your knowledge and specialise in topics that interest you the most.
• Build industry experience collaborating on a multidisciplinary team project with students from other degree specialisms that focuses on a real-world transport problem posed by Leeds City Council and/or choosing our optional four-month industrial placement scheme.
• Familiarise yourself with industry-standard models and tools such as SATURN and DRACULA.
• Experience expert theoretical and practical teaching delivered by a programme team made up of researchers and academics from the Institute for Transport Studies who have extensive expertise across a variety of transport disciplines.
• Take advantage of our close working relationships with big organisations in industry such as consultancies like AECOM, ARUP, Atkins, Fore Consulting, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald, Pell Frischmann, Rambold, Tracsis, Vectos and Local / Regional / National Government organisations including Department for Transport, Active Travel England, Transport for London, Transport for the North, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council who all actively advertise and recruit directly from the Institute of Transport Studies.
• This course offers flexible study options where you can study full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 or 36 months to fit in with your lifestyle.

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Accreditation

Joint Board of Moderators

EUR-ACE

Accreditation is the assurance that a university course meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students.

This course is professionally accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) on behalf of the Engineering Council. The JBM represents the five main professional bodies in the UK registering Civil Engineers, including The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), The Permanent Way Institution (PWI), The Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), and The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).

This Masters degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a partial CEng-accredited undergraduate first degree* See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

*It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited IEng degree or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.

This course is also accredited by EUR-ACE, the European quality label for engineering degree programmes at bachelor and Masters level.

Join our online taster course

This two-week course offers a great taste of studying 21st-century transportation challenges at a postgraduate level.

Course details

Throughout this course, you’ll learn to develop solutions to engineering problems that fit the broader aims of transport and planning policy. You'll study a selection of core modules that address many of the key issues currently facing transport industry professionals. These provide you with a holistic overview of transport problems and approaches to policy formulation. You’ll also deepen your knowledge of:

• Engineering design principles
• Integrated transport networks - road, rail, and aviation
• Refining models to fit local contexts
• How to use SATURN and other Leeds-built models so that you become fluent in their use in live environments

You’ll also be able to choose from a wide range of optional modules. This allows you to develop more specialised skills and tailor your degree towards your preferred career interests. You'll also study our Transport Integrated Project module, which gives you an experience of a typical real-world transport project.

Throughout your degree, you'll gain a range of specialist knowledge and advanced research skills. In your dissertation, you’ll apply these to a project chosen from a wide range of topics. Some topics are suggested and supported by industry, giving you the chance to address a real-world problem and gain experience of working with industry. Your supervisor will support you throughout the process of developing your dissertation topic.

Project work

In the second semester, you'll study our Transport Integrated Project module. This project lets you experience what it is like to be part of a multi-disciplined team working within the transport sector. You’ll work alongside students from our other Masters degrees, using your different specialisms to solve a real-world transport problem posed by Leeds City Council.

The Transport Integrated Project module helps you develop a real-world experience of working in the industry. You’ll gain insights into how planning, economics, environmental science, modelling and engineering can work together to develop sustainable solutions to global challenges.

Throughout the project, you’ll be advised by subject experts and will be required to write both group and individual reports. You'll present your work as a group.

Previous projects have included:

• Designing a new park and ride site
• Designing a new train station
• Redesigning Leeds’ City Square

Fieldwork

At the Institute for Transport Studies, we want you to graduate with hands-on, real-world skills you can take into your career. Fieldwork gives you the chance to build those professional skills and put theory into practice – experiencing transport systems in action and meeting transport professionals who are actively working in the field.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

Most courses consist of compulsory and optional modules. There may be some optional modules omitted below. This is because they are currently being refreshed to make sure students have the best possible experience. Before you enter each year, full details of all modules for that year will be provided.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Transport Planning and Engineering MSc (Eng) Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Transport Planning and Engineering MSc (Eng) Part Time in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Learning and teaching

Postgraduate study involves a range of teaching methods, supported by independent learning. You'll learn through a variety of teaching methods such as lectures, seminars, workshops, computer exercises, practical sessions, directed reading, reflective journal, student-led discussions, fieldwork and tutorials. You’ll also learn through independent study, allowing you to develop critical problem-solving and research skills that are relevant to a career in transport.

Throughout your degree, you'll be supported by a personal tutor who you can meet regularly to discuss any study or career questions you might have.

There is also the opportunity to apply to the Institute for Transport Studies mentorship programme, where you'll be assigned an alumni mentor who currently works in the industry. The mentorship programme is a great opportunity to receive personal career advice and develop a relationship with someone who is successful in the transport industry.

Active research environment

The Institute for Transport Studies was established as the UK’s first multidisciplinary transport department, and we continue to lead the field with our research. Our reputation allows us to invest in world-class facilities and a variety of specialist software tools including SATURN, DRACULA, and specialist open-source analysis packages such as OpenPave for pavement design, and licensed software such as ARCADY, LINSIG for junction design. We also have a driving simulator, too.

Other study options

This programme is also available part-time, over 24 or 36 months. We are flexible as to how you choose to study this course so that you can combine it with other commitments, such as an existing job. Please get in touch with our admissions team to discuss part-time study options.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr Yue Huang, is an experienced Chartered Engineer whose academic research looks at the lifecycle assessment of transport infrastructure. His expertise also includes road safety and novel pavement design, materials and recycling.

The wider programme team is made up of researchers and academics from the Institute for Transport Studies who have extensive expertise across a variety of transport disciplines.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment is equally varied and can include coursework essays, case-study reports, group assignments, posters, presentations and exams.

Applying

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in a related subject such as (but not limited to) engineering, environmental science, maths, physics, computing, natural sciences or a quantitative subject.

Graduates from other disciplines and those with professional qualifications plus experience in the sector will also be considered.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Engineering (10 weeks). 

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

31 July 2024 – International applicants

8 September 2024 – UK applicants

Click below to access the University’s online application system and find out more about the application process.

If you're still unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025

This course is taught by

Institute for Transport Studies

Contact us

Institute for Transport Studies Postgraduate Admissions Team

Email: courses@its.leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Fees

UK: £12,500 (Total)

International: £30,750 (Total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

Career opportunities

A degree from the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds opens up a range of opportunities to pursue a rewarding career in this industry. This course will equip you with an extensive specialist skill set, alongside industry experience and the chance to interact directly with industry organisations which could give you the edge with employers.

Transport consultancies are the largest employers of our graduates, but other common careers include those in government, academia, regulatory bodies, transport operators, logistics companies, not-for-profit and international agencies.

Our graduates work across the private and public sectors. Many work abroad, whether for UK companies with overseas offices, for international organisations or for national governments.

Plus, the University of Leeds is in the top 5 most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2024 report.

Here’s an insight into some of the job roles and organisations previous graduates on this course or similar have secured:

• Transport Planner, Jacobs Foundation
• Transport Officer, Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda
• Civil Engineer, Ministry of Roads and Highways
• Senior Transport Modeller, Shanghai Urban Transport Design Institute
• Transport Engineer/Planner, FAO Consulting International (Nigeria) Ltd
• Transport Planning Consultant, Steer Davies Gleave
• Traffic & Transport Engineer, Duffy Chartered Engineers
• Transportation Planner Engineer, Pell Frischmann
• Transportation Consultant - Traffic Engineer, AECOM
• Transport Modeller, Jacobs Foundation
• Graduate Transport Engineer, AECOM
• Graduate Transport Modeller, WSP
• Graduate Transport Planner, Atkins
• Logistics Manager, Toyota

Careers support

Study abroad and work placements

Four-month placement scheme

You’ll have the opportunity to gain four months industry experience in the UK with companies such as Network Rail and AECOM at the end of your Masters course. After a competitive application process, paid placements are offered from September to December at the end of your studies.

Some of the employers and the job titles of previous placement students are listed below:

• Graduate Transport Engineer, AECOM
• Strategic Planning Assistant, Timetable Development Assistant, Junior Strategic Planner, Network Rail
• Transport Consultant, Fore Consulting
• Transport Consultant, Stantec

The scheme is open to all Masters students, including those on a student visa, within the Institute for Transport Studies. Placements aren’t guaranteed.