Programs in transportation management prepare people to plan and oversee transportation systems. Programs may also instruct students how to design highway systems. Students learn logistics, planning, and traffic engineering.

Have you ever heard of a roundabout? Common in Europe, roundabouts are circular intersections in which cars enter from a side street, travel around a center island, and exit at the next desired street. Cars all travel in the same direction, and there are usually no traffic lights. Many experts feel that roundabouts are safer than regular intersections, with up to 40% fewer collisions.

Roundabouts are an example of a way to control and move large amounts of traffic. They effectively move people from one place to another. In many ways, transportation management is similar to a roundabout. This field studies logistics and traffic technology to more effectively move people and products.

In general, transportation management has two variations. Many business departments offer programs in transportation management, where the point is to move X from point A to point B. What is X made of? How does it need to be moved? What is the best route to get from A to B? In what way - rail, car, or air? Who should manage it along the way? As you might expect, students in this type of program study logistics, facilities management, and transportation design. They also study the basics of business, especially supply and demand, economics, and marketing.

The other variation is transportation management from an engineering perspective. Here, you design and plan highways, roads, and railways. In essence, you try to manage traffic. You're not only trying to move goods from A to B, you're managing where A and B are, and the best way to connect them. This not only makes it easier to transport products, but also people. After all, cars and trucks don't drive themselves. In this type of program, you take engineering and design courses. Like the business program, you study logistics.

In both variants, bachelor's and graduate degrees are offered. As about 20 schools offer transportation management, be sure to check each one out to see what its focus is. In general, bachelor's degrees take four years to complete and master's degrees take an additional two.