The Schar School of Policy and Government is offering a rare opportunity to sample a range of courses across the Master’s in Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics program in an evening focusing on “Transportation in the City of the Future.” The 90-minute sampler takes place Thursday, November 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus.
The session is free for prospective graduate students but registration is required at this site.
“This will cut across all of our courses and some of the other programs” offered at the Schar School, said Laurie A. Schintler, director of the dynamic and timely Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics program. “We will focus on emerging technologies in smart cities, which is very hot right now. We’ll look at everything from drones and autonomous vehicles to transportation economics and logistics.”
The evening will also examine ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, big data, the use of blockchain and AI in transportation, flexible and on-demand transit systems, shared-use vehicles, mobile payment systems, and a methods course and a systems course. New electives addressing additional topics, including one focusing on automated vehicles, will be introduced.
Just as importantly, Schintler will also address “the social, ethical, and institutional issues that go along with these technologies,” she said. Those issues include planning, policy, and privacy as well as inclusiveness, sustainability, and livable communities.
The title may suggest the “City of the Future,” but Schintler said the future is already here, and so are employment opportunities.
“There are jobs in the field, but you do have to be abreast of the cutting edge,” she said. “Things are changing rapidly.”
For more sample course opportunities, visit our events page.