MS/SE Specialization in
Advanced Transportation Systems (ATS)

Transportation is one of the most important and increasingly complex infrastructure networks of our modern society. The air mode of transportation has been using radars, wireless telecommunications and a distributed communications/ computer decision support system to control and separate aircraft since the 1950’s. Today, the ground mode of transportation is adopting many of these same technologies to attempt to deal with growing highway congestion. At the same time, the air mode is attempting to radically change the traditional forms of air traffic control to deal with growing congestion in the hub and spoke network that comprises our modern international air transportation system. Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) functions are migrating from totally ground-based systems to hybrid ground and satellite bases systems. Central control is migrating to distributed control. Airline Air Operations Centers are taking on increased roles and responsibilities through the use of Collaborative Decision Making (CDM). Trucking Operations Centers are tracking their fleets with space-based systems.

This track looks at transportation operations, monitoring and control from a systems engineering perspective. It uses both analytical methods and complex simulations to give the student an awareness of how future transportation systems will evolve.

Elective courses: Two of the elective courses should be taken from the following list:

• CEIE 560 Public Transportation Systems
• SYST 560 Introduction to Air Traffic Control
• SYST 660/OR 660 Air Transportation Systems Modeling

The remaining elective courses can be taken from the list above, the list of basic methods courses, and the following:

• CEIE 660 Urban Transportation Planning
• SYST 512 Systems Engineering for Design and Development
• SYST 571 Systems Engineering Management
• SYST 619 Introduction to Architecture-based Systems Engineering
• SYST 684 Sensor Data Fusion
• SYST 697/PUBP 777 Critical Information Technology Infrastructures
• OR 647 Queuing Theory
• Either INFS 612 Principles and Practices of Communication Networks
  TCOM 500/ECE 540 Modern Telecommunications
• PSYCH 530 Cognitive Engineering: Cognitive Science Applied to Human Factors

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