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October 22, 2024

Information for Applicants

The JTL-Transit Lab is a unique research group within MIT that brings behavioral science and travel behavior research and state of the art methods in transit operations, planning, and design together to improve, design, and reform transportation systems and policies. With its focus on interdisciplinary research, the JTL-Transit Lab continues to build on its longstanding history of providing new thinking on topics of importance in public transit and producing actionable research in collaboration with transit agencies and industry partners worldwide.

Research at the JTL-Transit Lab is carried out principally by faculty and students in MIT’s Master of Science in Transportation (MST) and Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Transportation. Students are paired with an agency research partner to conduct an applied research project as part of their Research Assistantships (RAs). Guided by the faculty, these research projects enable the students to develop in-depth knowledge of a particular area, and their research provides new thinking on topics of importance to transit agencies worldwide. Student researchers develop expertise through a combination of class work, field trips, and interaction with practitioners. Our research generally falls into operations and analysis, customer behavior, and policy and planning, although we are always looking for new ways to apply our knowledge.

All students at the JTL-Transit Lab begin at the master’s level through the Transportation program and can then apply to the PhD program during their second year of study. Students working in the JTL-Transit Lab as RAs are fully funded including tuition, medical insurance, and a monthly salary. RAs typically work with a faculty member on a research project for 20 hours per week. Funding is renewed yearly, contingent on satisfactory academic and research performance.

Alumni and current students come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including but not limited to urban planning, policy, economics, computer science, operations research, and engineering. Applicants interested in transportation studies and transit research are encouraged to apply to the MST program.

Application and Admissions Timeline

Applicants interested in joining the JTL-Transit Lab as a graduate student will need to submit an application to the MST program. Considerations for RAs are reviewed in parallel through the same application. 

In your application, you will have the opportunity to select a few faculty readers to evaluate your application. If you are interested in joining our lab, please select among the following faculty members as your readers to ensure your application is considered: Jinhua Zhao, Anson Stewart, Awad Abdelhalim, Jim Aloisi, and Nigel Wilson.

Note: This year’s application timeline has moved up from previous years. For the 2025 Fall applicants, the online system is now open and will close on December 1st, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The application can be accessed through this link.

As an interdepartmental program, admissions are administered by the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) department. More information on the general graduate application timeline and commonly asked questions can be found on the MIT CEE website here.

FAQ

  • Where can I find the application details for the MST program? The application link and list of requirements can be found here, and the official program description can be found here.

  • The MST application asks me to select faculty readers to evaluate my application. If I am interested in joining the JTL-Transit Lab, who should be listed in my application? Please select from the following faculty members: Jinhua Zhao, Anson Stewart, Awad Abdelhalim, Jim Aloisi, and Nigel Wilson. Choose faculty members most applicable to your research interests.

  • If I want to pursue a PhD, can I apply directly to the PhD program? All applicants, including those who plan to pursue a PhD and/or those who already have master’s degrees, should apply to the MST program. The MST is complementary to fulfilling PhD requirements and is equivalent to the same amount of time for both the MST and PhD track. Students interested in pursuing a PhD can apply in their second year.

  • How are agency-partnered research projects assigned to students? Projects will be assigned by the end of the summer before the start of your first year in the MST program based on agency interests and student interests and skills.

  • What is the coursework and curriculum like for the MST program? You can find exact details on the curriculum here. There is general flexibility to explore breadth and/or depth in topics of interest. First-year students are recommended to take at most two full-term courses in each semester.

  • Who are the current agency partners and sponsors? As of Fall 2024, we have ongoing projects with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and Department of Energy (DOE). We also conduct research in collaboration with the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART). Past partnerships include Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Transport for London (TfL), Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR), and Tren Urbano in Puerto Rico.

  • For international applicants, are TOEFL/IELTS results required? Yes, applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit an English Language Exam. Three exams are accepted: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and the Cambridge English exam. Applicants to the Master of Science in Transportation degree program should achieve a score of at least 100 on the TOEFL iBT, 7.5 on the IELTS, or 190 on the Cambridge English exam. You can find the details here.

  • Is the GRE required? Yes, the GRE is required. Unfortunately, no GRE waivers or financial assistance are available for applicants.

  • Should I contact faculty members before applying? Applicants are not required to contact faculty members before applying, but you are welcome to reach out if you have questions about specific research projects. Please note that responses can vary across faculty members, so you should not feel discouraged about your application if you do not receive a response. There are open opportunities for students who are interested in conducting research at our lab before applying to the MST program, such as the MIT-UF-NEU Joint Summer Research Camp. You can find the details of open opportunities here.

  • Are there interviews for prospective students of the lab? Yes, there will be interviews.

  • When will I find out if I’ve been admitted? Most decisions regarding admissions to the MST program and RAs will be made jointly during mid-February to March 1. Applicants are usually notified of their status by mid-March.

  • Can I pursue a dual degree? Yes. Requirements follow MIT policies. Students who wish to pursue this option must follow the regular admissions procedure to be admitted to each degree program. For the MST program, common dual degree pairings include ​​Master in City Planning (MCP), Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Master of Science in Operations Research (OR), and Master of Science in Technology and Policy (TPP).

If you have additional questions about the MST application process or requirements, please reach out to transportation-admission@mit.edu.