School spotlight:

University of Missouri-St. Louis and the University of Northern Iowa

by Rebekah Bovenmyer

Whether you prefer living in a major city or a college town, the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) have transportation-related programs for you.  

UMSL has programs in transportation studies, logistics, and history. UNI has construction management and geographic information systems.

University of Missouri at St. Louis (UMSL)

Transportation studies

Want a crash course in the field of transportation? The Center for Transportation Studies at UMSL offers a minor for students studying any major.

This 15-credit transportation studies minor combines courses like the history of railroads in America, traffic and transportation management, and the economics of transportation to give students both the big picture of transportation in America and specifics for how businesses use it today.

Students are also encouraged to get an internship in a transportation-related company.

“The interdisciplinary coursework includes a wide range of interests that’s different from other programs,” says Daniel Rust, who created the program in 2005. “It makes students very marketable.”

For more information, contact Daniel Rust, rustd@umsl.edu, or visit www.umsl.edu/~cts/undergradoverview.html.

Logistics

Want to manage how trains, planes, trucks, and ships move products around the world? Then you might be interested in the logistics and operations management emphasis in the four-year Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

In this emphasis area, students learn how to move products most efficiently and for the least amount of money. They take courses in decision support systems, business forecasting, international logistics, and business statistics.

“The great thing about UMSL is that St. Louis serves as a kind of built-in lab. We have a port, public transportation in the city, and major highways and interstates intersecting all around us. We have lots of logistics and freight companies right here in the city,” says Don Sweeney, logistics professor and associate director for the Center for Transportation Studies.

For more information about the logistics and operations management major, contact Don Sweeney, dsweeney@umsl.edu, or visit www.umsl.edu/divisions/business/ms/undergraduate.htm.

History

If you love history and transportation, UMSL has several options for you. UMSL offers several transportation history courses, including railroads in America life, aviation in American life, and the American West: gateways and corridors.

The courses cover the different modes of transportation and how they helped create America today.

“Almost all students have driven when they come to college, so I try to connect the courses to what they already know. There’s always something a student can find interesting about transportation history whether they’re fascinated by business, race, or even empire-building,” says Carlos Schwantes, St. Louis Mercantile Library Endowed Professor in Transportation Studies.

UMSL offers three degree programs for history students:

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or B.A. with a teaching certificate
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Education with an emphasis in Social Studies
• Combined B.A. or B.S. with a master’s degree

Students planning to earn a master’s degree can join the B.A./M.A. degree programs where after the first two years of the undergraduate program, students apply to start working on their master’s. After five years, students earn both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“UMSL has the largest collection of transportation-related materials in the U.S.: TWA papers, documents from the 1800s, and the oldest railway journal in the world. It’s a terrific physical collection of documents. In fact, the Mercantile library is the oldest library west of the Mississippi,” says Schwantes.

For more information about the history programs, contact Dr. Carlos Schwantes, schwantesc@umsl.edu, or visit www.umsl.edu/bulletin/as/history.html#under.

University of Northern Iowa (UNI)

Construction management

Do you want to focus on the management side of getting roads built? Students in UNI’s four-year construction management program (housed in the industrial technology department) learn about the construction methods and practices.

Students learn construction estimating, scheduling, quality control, planning while taking business courses such as accounting and business law. Construction courses focus on hands-on experience on real-world projects.

Computers are used in the all the courses, but students learn skills like estimating manually before learning how to estimate projects using a software program.

All the students take the same courses in the construction management major but can choose different minors like real estate or business.

“Our main focus is management and construction techniques, and hands-on experience is our strength,” says MD Salim, professor of construction management. “In fact, we don’t offer summer courses so our students can get construction experience during the summer.”

For more information, contact MD Salim, md.salim@uni.edu, or visit www.uni.edu/indtech/.

Geographic information system (GIS)

If you love both maps and technology, then check out UNI’s geographic information systems (GIS) programs in the geography department. The department offers two ways to study GIS.

The first is a 15-credit certificate program in cartography and GIS. This certificate program requires 6 credits of GIS. Students also take courses in geographic positioning systems (GPS), aerial photo interpretation, and remote sensing.

As part of a four-year degree in geography, students can also choose the GIS track. Students take technical GIS and GPS courses, statistics, and geography courses (including transportation geography and regional analysis and planning).

Most classes have a both a classroom and lab portion, so students get to practice using the technology in real-world situations.

“The program is pretty hands-on and focused on practical applications,” says Tim Strauss, associate professor of geography.

For more information about UNI’s GIS program, contact Tim Strauss at tim.strauss@uni.edu or visit www.uni.edu/geography/.

Why spotlight these schools?

UMSL and UNI are members of the Midwest Transportation Consortium, one of the sponsors of Go!.

Do you have a college you want us to profile? Let us know at editor@go-explore-trans.com.