Critical Reviews of Selected Postgraduate Programs on Transport Engineering against the Needs of Infrastructure Development Thanikachalam Vedhathiri Former Professor, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research, Chennai vthani2025@yahoo.in Abstract This research reviews selected outcome based transportation engineering postgraduate programs (M.E/M.Tech) that are offered by selected colleges/institutions in India. A macro analysis of the courses was done. Most of the postgraduate programs offer specialization transportation engineering design, transportation system engineering and transportation engineering management. There is a need for greater focus on the transportation system analysis (performance and optimization), economics, analysis and planning methods (data sciences for transportation), intelligent transportation system, safety and security, transportation policy, planning and sustainability and urban transportation. Most of the graduate students take up teaching jobs. It is observed that only railways offer professional development programs for their engineers. Rarely transportation engineering departments depute their engineers to postgraduate programs. It is suggested that more specialization is needed on policy analysis, urban transportation, performance and optimization, demand and economics, analysis and planning methods, data sciences for transportation, intelligent transportation, safety and security, and sustainability. Keywords: Postgraduate Transportation engineering programs, planning improved programs, focus on policy analysis. Introduction There is a massive investment in the infrastructure development in India due to industrial expansion, the creation of industrial corridors, establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZ), developing multimodal transportation systems, creating major harbors and airports, connecting the industrial corridors with container
terminals through dedicated express highways and railways. Infrastructure development has become the backbone for the economic development. All these demands call for competent engineers to plan, design, execute the various projects and maintain them. The professional transportation engineers must coordinate between various agencies, industrial development organizations, and government departments. Hence, the postgraduate programs in transportation engineering are to be developed to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Also, there is a need for in-service professional development programs for the engineers and managers. Objectives of Research 1.
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Critically Assess the needs of postgraduate engineers in transportation engineering based on the massive investments in the infrastructure development in the country Review the courses offered by some selected postgraduate programs offered by a set of leading institutions. Suggest needed improvements in these programs Research Methodology Postgraduate Transportation Engineering Programs offered by three Indian Institutes of Technology (Chennai, Mumbai, & Delhi), National Institutes of Technology (Tiruchirappalli, & Warangal), State Technical Universities (Gujarat, Telangana & Uttara Pradesh) and State College (Trivandrum-Kerala) were selected. Foreign universities selected for comparison: MIT, Boston, and universities that focus on interdisciplinary postgraduate programs. In addition, the needs of the design engineers are identified from various industrial projects. The courses of the colleges were analyzed and compared. The deficiencies were identified and the suggestions were offered.