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About STEP

Portland State University is a great place to study transportation planning and engineering. Portland, Oregon is famous for its multimodal transportation system. Portland is a hub for advanced transportation research conducted at Portland State University in close partnership with renowned transportation agencies and firms. We have vibrant undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. programs with full funding (tuition plus a stipend) available for top students, energetic and committed faculty, more than 25 specialized transportation courses, we are part of the new Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, have beautiful new classroom buildings, laboratories and a wonderful downtown Portland location!

Travel Reimbursement Awards

STEP, through a grant from OTREC, also offers a limited number of travel reimbursements for prospective graduate students who live out of state and would like to visit the campus. STEP will reimburse up to $350 of actual travel costs upon submittal of receipts. To be eligible for a travel reimbursement, prospective students should first apply to a graduate program and contact the STEP advisor. A recommendation from one of PSU's faculty before visiting the campus is required.

Jobs!

PSU students and graduates typically easily find excellent internship and permanent employment opportunities with transportation agencies and consulting firms in the Portland region, in Oregon or along the West Coast. Students are working or interning for: the Oregon Department of Transportation, City of Portland, Metro, TriMet, Washington Department of Transportation, City of Salem, DKS Associates, Kittelson and Associates, CH2MHill, URS, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Alta Planning + Design, City of Vancouver, IBI Group, David Evans and Associates, PTV America, Federal Highway Administration, Murray Smith & Associates, Group Mackenzie, WRG Design, Clackamas County, Parametrix, and more!! For more information about our fantastic alumni, please see:

Education

There are currently eight graduate-level degree programs within which students can specialize in transportation:

Our students are both full- and part-time. Students who participate in STEP are also seeking undergraduate degrees such as:

Transportation education and research at PSU focuses on transportation systems, infrastructure, policy, and planning. We cover all modes of transport and the relationships and interactions of transportation systems with land use, the economy, the environment, institutions, and people. Our programs are multidisciplinary. Faculty conduct research on a wide range of topics, including: transit operations; relationships between urban form, travel behavior and health; intelligent transportation systems; safety; transportation finance; transportation and environmental planning; and land use planning and transportation infrastructure.

There are also several opportunities to attend seminars and classes. Students can join the Center for Transportation Studies "Transportation" email list and the Portland State University STEP (Students in Transportation Engineering and Planning) email list.

The Center for Transportation Studies, in cooperation with the Center for Urban Studies, School of Urban Studies and Planning and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, offers a Transportation Seminar Series. The seminars are presented each Friday during the academic year in the Distance Learning Center. Students, transportation professionals, and community members are welcome to participate in person and via live streaming video. Remote participants are invited to submit questions by email during the seminars, and all seminars are archived in streaming video format for future viewing.

Feel free to contact us for more information, and particularly if you would like to learn more about our programs from the student perspective. We would be glad to help you arrange a campus tour or discuss any aspect of life as a transportation student at Portland State University. Please let us hear from you!

Faculty Contacts:

  • Robert L. Bertini [info] Civil & Environmental Engineering and Urban Studies & Planning
  • Jennifer Dill [info] [profile], Urban Studies & Planning
  • James Strathman, Center for Urban Studies and Urban Studies & Planning
  • Christopher Monsere [info], Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Miguel Figliozzi [info], Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • John Gliebe, Urban Studies and Planning
  • Tony Rufolo, Urban Studies and Planning
  • Kristin Tufte, Computer Science and Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Kent Lall, Civil and Environmental Engineering