Developing an Interdisciplinary Transportation Certificate Program for Today’s Transportation Workforce

The demand for skilled transportation professionals that possess a breadth of interdisciplinary backgrounds including planning, public policy, and finance is higher now than ever before in the U.S. However, there are few educational programs that address the field of transportation in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary manner. Transportation certificate programs that offer professional training in transportation planning can play a crucial role by providing a substantive base of knowledge through required and elective coursework delivered on campus or online. This paper shares insights and observations from Texas A&M University’s interdisciplinary transportation certificate program, offered both through an existing degree program and online for non-degree seeking students. In addition to discussing curriculum development, certificate implementation, and marketing and recruiting efforts, this paper shares insights on implementing a distance learning transportation certificate. This study also evaluates the transportation certificate program by analyzing data on student characteristics, graduation and retention rates, and job placement. Specific recommendations and guidelines for implementing a transportation certificate program are offered that may be of value to other universities and institutions seeking to develop a similar program.