MRP
To build on the core planning curriculum, MRP students select a specialization, with transportation planning as one available option. The primary goal of the CTP is to prepare transportation planners for practice in local, regional, and state planning as well as the private sector. CTP students establish a foundation of planning knowledge through five core courses including:
- Planning Theory (3 credits). PLAN 704 satisfies this requirement. The course assumes no previous familiarity with planning literature. It is an introduction to planning theory, practice and history.
- Urban Spatial Structure (3 credits). This is satisfied by completing PLAN 714, Urban Spatial Structure in the fall of the first year.
- Economic Theory (3 credits). This is satisfied by completing PLAN 710, Economics for Planners, in the fall of the first year. Students without sufficient background in microeconomics should enroll in PLAN 710.
- Planning Methods (3 credits). Students are required to take PLAN 720 in their first fall semester. Exemptions are based on taking an exam at the beginning of the fall semester. PLAN 721 is an accelerated version of PLAN 720 for students with better preparation or intending to specialized in the areas of economic development or transportation. Additional coursework in planning methods is offered in areas of specialization.
- Problem-Solving Workshop (3 credits). Application workshops enable students to hone skills attained inother coursework and to generate useful analyses, plans and recommendations to public and non-profit clients, thereby providing community engagement and valuable service to the state. The workshop requirement is fulfilled in the second year by taking the section of Planning 823 that is most closely related to the student's areas of interest. A student may, with the instructor's approval, take an additional workshop course as an elective.
The department offers specializations that represent coherent fields of planning practice. Each specialization addresses theory, methods, strategies, plans and policies relevant to professional practice. In addition, planning law, the application workshop and the Master's Project are usually related to the area of specialization. Transportation Planning provides concepts and tools relevant to transportation policy and planning and in-depth knowledge of the reciprocal relationship between transportation decisions and land development.
CTP students also take 5 elective courses to reach the required number of credits -- up to 3 of these classes can be taken outside the department. For details, see the Transportation Planning specialization page. Electives give students the opportunity to deepen their transportation knowledge by taking additional transportation-related courses, or pursue broader interests in Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Planning or other planning specializations.
Students are also required to complete a Master's Project (MP). For a list of recent MPs completed by students specializing in transportation planning, click here.
Ph.D.
The Ph.D. program provides training in research methods that enables graduates to contribute to the development of substantive theory, knowledge, and scholarship in transportation planning.
The doctoral program is based upon a mentoring model. Each student is paired with a faculty mentor who advises the doctoral student on appropriate courses and provides supervision in all aspects of conducting state-of-the-art research. Students generally need between three and four semesters of formal course work before taking comprehensive exams.
The course requirements are flexible depending on a student's background and area of interest. The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of thirty credits. Students may take courses in any department of UNC-Chapel Hill or NCSU, but at least one year of residency for course work is required. Dissertation research takes approximately one year and must result in a significant contribution to the body of transportation knowledge. Further details on Ph.D. degree requirements can be found on the DCRP Doctoral Program page.
* The Carolina Transportation Program is seeking doctoral students interested in transportation. Financial aid is available.
