Railway Operations, Management and Policy MSc
Leeds, United Kingdom
DURATION
12 up to 24 Months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 27,750 **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international applicants: 30 July 2023 – UK applicants: 10 September 2023
** UK: £11,750 – international: £27,750
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Introduction
Railways play a key social and economic role throughout the world. However, across the world, railways are coming under increasing pressure to address the ongoing challenges in everything from capacity and congestion to reliability within finite resource budgets and complex industry structures.
Innovation is now perhaps more important than ever. That’s why the need for professionals with tailored skills and knowledge to provide solutions to these challenges has grown – especially in the last few years.
Our Railway Operations, Management and Policy MSc takes a multi-disciplinary approach, equipping you with the holistic skill set you’ll need to develop and evaluate solutions to railway problems and make a real contribution to the challenges of our railways worldwide.
Taught by leading researchers with an international reputation, this Master's degree has been designed following close consultation with industry to help prepare you for a rewarding career.
Studying at the Institute of Transport Studies at Leeds will also give you a unique head start in your career in transport. Not only does our world-leading research shape the course, but our close links with large corporations mean you’ll have a chance to interact with potential employers and possibly interview for graduate schemes and other vacancies. We also offer opportunities to build your industry work experience before you graduate with work placements and project work throughout your course.
"This course will bridge the gap between understanding the day-to-day operations of the different parts of the complex rail system and the wider social and strategic context that railways operate within. It will enable new and existing professionals to excel within the industry. Network Rail is keen to support this bold initiative by the University of Leeds."
Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman Network Rail
Learning and teaching
Postgraduate study involves a range of teaching methods, supported by independent learning. You'll learn through a variety of teaching methods such as lectures, seminars, workshops, computer exercises, practical sessions, directed reading, reflective journals, student-led discussions, fieldwork and tutorials. You’ll also learn through independent study, allowing you to develop critical problem-solving and research skills that are relevant to a career in transport.
The dissertation project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. You’ll get the opportunity to undertake an original piece of research relevant to addressing the challenges in the rail industry.
Throughout your degree, you'll be supported by a personal tutor who you can meet regularly to discuss any study or career questions you might have. There is also the opportunity to apply to the Institute for Transport Studies mentorship programme, where you'll be assigned an alumni mentor who currently works in the industry. The mentorship programme is a great opportunity to receive personalized career advice and develop a relationship with someone who is successful in the transport industry.
Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.
You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.
Active research environment
The Institute for Transport Studies was established as the UK’s first multi-disciplinary transport department, and we continue to lead the field with our research.
Programme team
The Programme Leader, Dr Manuel Ojeda Cabral, is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Leeds and Deputy Research Group Leader of the Economics and Appraisal Group. He has a strong interest in the railway industry and has worked on a wide range of rail projects nationally and internationally. Dr Ojeda Cabral’s research is primarily focused on understanding and improving the socio-economic appraisal of public sector projects and policies.
The wider programme team is made up of researchers and academics from the Institute for Transport Studies who have extensive expertise across a variety of transport disciplines.
In this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Other study options
This programme is also available part-time, over 24 or 36 months. We are flexible as to how you choose to study this course so that you can combine it with other commitments, such as an existing job. Please get in touch with our admissions team to discuss part-time study options.
Program Outcome
Why study at Leeds:
- Graduate with an MSc from a university that ranks 12th in the world for Transportation Science and Technology, ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022.
- Learn the latest innovations in transport from our Institute for Transport Studies’ world-leading research conducted right here on campus that feeds directly into the course.
- Advance your knowledge and understanding of broader strategic developments in the rail sector, ranging from the introduction of new infrastructure and rolling stock on the network to lessons from other railway systems.
- Tailor the course to suit your career aspirations with a wide selection of optional modules in areas such as sustainable spatial planning, green logistics and railway signalling to hone your knowledge and specialise in topics that interest you the most.
- Build industry experience collaborating on a multi-disciplinary team project with students from other degree specialisms that focuses on a real-world transport problem posed by Leeds City Council and/or choosing our optional four-month industrial placement scheme.
- Experience expert theoretical and practical teaching delivered by a programme team made up of researchers and academics from the Institute for Transport Studies who have extensive expertise across a variety of transport disciplines.
- Enhance your career prospects and join our successful alumni who have secured jobs in some of the most influential companies and institutions in transport.
- Take advantage of our close working relationships with big organisations in the industry such as ARUP, AECOM, Transpennine Express and Transport for London who actively advertise and recruit directly from the Institute of Transport Studies.
Curriculum
Throughout this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of railway operations, management and policy by studying a range of core modules. You’ll consider a variety of perspectives and tools when approaching the multiple and varied challenges present in a rail context, along with many of the key issues currently facing industry professionals.
You’ll also be able to choose two optional modules, allowing you to tailor the course to your needs and preferences. This allows you to develop more specialised skills and tailor your degree towards your preferred career interests.
Throughout your course, you'll gain a range of specialist knowledge and advanced research skills. In your dissertation, you’ll apply these to a project chosen from a variety of topics. Some topics are suggested and supported by the industry, giving you the chance to address a real-world problem and gain experience working with the industry. Your supervisor will support you throughout the process of developing your dissertation topic.
Project work
In the second semester, you'll study our Transport Integrated Project module. This project lets you experience what it is like to be part of a multi-disciplined team working within the transport sector. You’ll work alongside students from our other Master's degrees, using your different specialisms to solve a real-world transport problem posed by Leeds City Council.
The Transport Integrated Project module helps you develop a real-world experience of working in the industry. You’ll gain insights into how planning, economics, environmental science, modelling and engineering can work together to develop sustainable solutions to global challenges.
Throughout the project, you’ll be advised by industry experts and will be required to write both group and individual reports. At the end of the module, you'll present your final work as a group.
Previous projects have included:
- Designing a new park and ride site
- Designing a new train station
- Redesigning Leeds’ City Square
Fieldwork
We offer opportunities for students to experience transport systems in action, allowing them to meet and hear directly from transport professionals and see what they’ve learned in practice. Field trips have included visits to cycle and traffic calming facilities, the motorway traffic control centre, the guided bus system and town planning features.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Shaping Future Transport Systems 15 credits
- Transport Data Collection and Analysis 15 credits
- Railway Operations and Management 15 credits
- Railway Policy 15 credits
- Railway Investment Appraisal 15 credits
- Transport Dissertation 60 credits
- Transport Integrated Project 15 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Sustainable Spatial Planning and Analysis 15 credits
- Green Logistics 15 credits
- Analysing Transport and Society 15 credits
- Global Transferability of Policies, Models and Methods 15 credits
- Choice Modelling and Stated Preference Survey Design 15 credits
- Railway Signalling and Control 15 credits
- Transport in Development 15 credits
Admissions
Career Opportunities
Railway professionals are essential to the development and delivery of plans for significant railway infrastructure investment — and currently, in the UK, we have a shortage, therefore demand is high.
A degree from the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds opens up a range of opportunities to pursue a rewarding career in this industry. This course will equip you with an extensive specialist skill set, alongside industry experience and the chance to interact directly with industry organisations which could give you the edge with employers.
Upon graduation, you may find employment in a range of roles across the transport industry, such as a policy analyst, economist, strategic operations manager or planner among many others.
Our graduates work across the private and public sectors. Many work abroad, whether for UK companies with overseas offices, for international organisations or for national governments.
Plus, the University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2022 report.
Here’s a snapshot into some of the job positions and organisations previous graduates from this course have secured:
- Information Coordinator, Network Rail
- Project Leader, Chilean State Railways
Four-month placement scheme
You’ll have the opportunity to gain four months of industry experience in the UK with companies such as Network Rail and AECOM at the end of your Master's course. After a competitive application process, paid placements are offered from September to December at the end of your studies.
Some of the employers and the job titles of previous placement students are listed below:
- AECOM (Graduate Transport Engineer)
- Network Rail (Strategic Planning Assistant, Timetable Development Assistant, Junior Strategic Planner)
- Fore Consulting (Transport Consultant)
- Stantec (Transport Consultant)
The scheme is open to all Masters students, including those on a student visa, within the Institute for Transport Studies. Placements aren’t guaranteed.
Student Testimonials
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Program Admission Requirements
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