2. Specialisations

About

The introductory TIL Fundamentals gave a good impression of the scope and variety of the TIL master programme. The Specialisations help you to take more control of the direction and content of your study.

The four available specialisations are:

• Specialisation TG: Transport Governance
  Planning, policy making, project management, assessment, behaviour of actors and organisations. 
• Specialisation TO: Traffic Operations
  Operational management, methods and technologies to control traffic, vehicles and other machines.
• Specialisation TN: Transport Networks
  Design, monitoring and management of transport systems and infrastructure. 
• Specialisation LS: Logistics Systems
• Control and optimisation of transport and production networks and the supply chains to which these belong.

A certain overlap between the specialisations is due to the interdisciplinary nature of the programme and the requirement that each TIL master student acquires a basic set of knowledge, skills and understands how to use (advanced) tools, regardless of specialisation.

Choosing the most suitable specialisation

You are still early in the programme when you have to choose your individual specialisation. From psychology we know that decision-making spurs anxiety. Providing information and active involvement help to reduce anxiety. This goes as follows:

• Join the yearly Specialisation Workshop. There we introduce each specialisation and the 4 TIL Toolboxes (see the subpages), which visualise the core themes and application areas of each specialisation. There is no reference to specific courses in a Toolbox, because we want to express the commonalities between the courses. Using the toolboxes, you discuss among peers about your choice and ask questions to the organisers. We also ask you about your provisional choice. In the workshop we will also introduce other main (second year) courses, in particular the TIL5050-20 Design project and the TIL5060 Thesis project.
• Discuss your choices with the study advisors, Dr. Stefano Fazi and older students.
• Read the Study guide and the Programme Navigator for course-wise information.

Rules

You must choose one specialisation and successfully complete all its courses.
You don't enroll in a specialisation, but in its courses. Just before you start your thesis project, My Study Planning will be used by the student administration to 'decide' that you are a student of Specialisation xy.

That also implies, that you can change your specialisation during your master. More information about this in the Q&A section.

You may choose more than one Specialisation within the MSc TIL.

Relation with TIL5060 (thesis) project
Article 10.1 of the TER MSc TIL 2024-2025 allows a thesis project start while lacking at most 10 EC (5 EC from your Specialisation and 5 EC from your Electives). This will be checked by the Board of Examiners using My Study Planning and having received your completed and signed TIL-1 form.