Master’s in Urban Traffic Management Engineering and Control Centres
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in urban traffic management and control centre engineering, structured in 12 modules covering traffic engineering, detection, centralised signal control, control centres, incident management, microsimulation, driver information, demand management, analytics, cybersecurity and procurement, with the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 7th ed.), UNE 135401 and PTV Vissim, and an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Urban Traffic Management Engineering and Control Centres — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$15,700 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse urban traffic performance using capacity and level-of-service parameters.
Select and validate traffic detection systems.
Design coordinated and adaptive traffic signal control strategies.
Plan the functional design of a traffic control centre.
Manage incidents and events with predefined traffic plans.
Apply microsimulation to assess management measures.
Develop continuity and cybersecurity plans for traffic systems.
Who it's for
- Traffic engineers.
- Traffic control centre managers.
- Senior traffic management operators.
- Traffic signal systems specialists.
- Traffic data analysts.
- Urban mobility consultants.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to work in local government.
What you'll work with
- Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 7th ed.) (capacity and level-of-service analysis)
- UNE 135401 (traffic controllers)
- EN 12675 (traffic signal controllers – functional safety requirements)
- EN 12368 (traffic control equipment – signal heads)
- CEN/TS 16157 (DATEX II) (traffic and travel information data exchange)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2) (cybersecurity across the EU)
- Spanish General Traffic Regulation (RD 1428/2003) (road traffic rules)
- PTV Vissim
- Aimsun Next
- TRANSYT
- SUMO
- Python (pandas, TensorFlow)
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Fundamental variables: flow, density and speed1.2The fundamental diagram and capacity1.3Levels of service according to the Highway Capacity Manual1.4Queueing theory applied to intersections1.5Shock waves and congestion formation1.6Network traffic: macroscopic and microscopic1.7Manual and automatic traffic counts1.8Speed and travel time studies1.9Urban congestion indicators1.10Case study: congestion diagnosis of an urban corridor
2.1Inductive loops and their calibration2.2Radar and microwave detectors2.3Computer vision and traffic cameras2.4Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for travel times2.5Floating vehicle data from providers2.6Number plate recognition and access control2.7Road weather stations2.8Sensor maintenance and availability2.9Cross-validation of sources2.10Lab: vehicle counting with computer vision
3.1Architecture of centralised systems3.2Fixed-time plans by time of day3.3Arterial coordination: green waves3.4SCOOT and SCATS adaptive systems3.5Traffic-actuated control3.6Optimisation with TRANSYT3.7Communication protocols with controllers3.8Priority for public transport and emergency vehicles3.9Evaluating control effectiveness3.10Practical exercise: tuning a green wave on a corridor
4.1Functional design of a control centre4.2Video wall, operator workstations and ergonomics4.3Traffic SCADA management software4.4Operating procedures and shifts4.5Coordination protocols with police and emergency services4.6Alarm management and prioritisation4.7Integration of heterogeneous subsystems4.8Operational continuity and backup centres4.9Control centre performance indicators4.10Case study: designing a city's traffic control centre
5.1Automatic incident detection5.2Management cycle: detection, response and recovery5.3Predefined traffic management plans5.4Diversions and route signage5.5Major events and special plans5.6Street works and their coordination5.7Managing snowfall and weather episodes5.8Real-time communication with drivers5.9Post-incident analysis5.10Workshop: traffic plan for a sporting event
6.1Car-following and lane-changing models6.2Building networks in microsimulation6.3Calibration with field data6.4Simulation of signalised intersections6.5Management scenarios and control measures6.6Simulation of pedestrians and public transport6.7Software-in-the-loop integration with controllers6.8Statistical analysis of replications6.9Limitations and good practice6.10Lab: microsimulation of a corridor in Vissim
7.1Variable message signs: design and location7.2Writing effective messages7.3Pictograms and signage regulations7.4Real-time travel times7.5Car park guidance7.6Dissemination to navigation systems and apps7.7DATEX II format for data exchange7.8Accessibility of information7.9Assessing driver compliance7.10Practical exercise: messaging strategy for an incident
8.1Low-emission zones and access control8.2Urban road pricing and congestion charging8.3Reversible lanes and HOV bus lanes8.4Traffic calming and superblocks8.530 km/h speed limits8.6Loading and unloading regulation8.7Park-and-ride policies8.8Effects on air quality and noise8.9Assessing social acceptance8.10Case study: evaluation of a low-emission zone
9.1Flow and occupancy time series9.2ARIMA models and recurrent neural networks9.3Short-term prediction for the operator9.4Anomaly detection in sensor data9.5Dashboards for the control centre9.6Imputation of missing data9.7Digital twin of the road network9.8Data-driven optimisation9.9Data quality and traceability9.10Lab: predictive model of occupancy by link
10.1Threats to controllers and signal networks10.2Segmentation of industrial networks10.3Access management and authentication10.4Secure firmware updates10.5The NIS2 Directive and essential operators10.6Contingency plans for control centre failure10.7Degraded modes of signal operation10.8Backups and recovery10.9Drills and crisis exercises10.10Workshop: continuity plan for a control centre
11.1Technical specifications for traffic systems11.2Maintenance contracts with service levels11.3Traffic signal asset management11.4Life cycle and technology renewal11.5Interoperability and open standards11.6Economic assessment of traffic management11.7Service indicators for citizens11.8Coordination between municipal departments11.9Multi-year investment planning11.10Case study: maintenance specification for a signal network
12.1Selection of the study area12.2Traffic data collection12.3Diagnosis of current performance12.4Design of the management strategy12.5Microsimulation of scenarios12.6Proposal for a control centre or subsystem12.7Economic and implementation analysis12.8Conclusions and recommendations12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
The programme is delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is PTV Vissim, Aimsun Next, TRANSYT, SUMO and Python (pandas, TensorFlow), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: traffic counts at intersections, microsimulation of control strategies and incident management exercises in a control centre. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 7th ed.), UNE 135401, EN 12675, EN 12368, CEN/TS 16157 (DATEX II), Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2), Spanish General Traffic Regulation (RD 1428/2003).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with PTV Vissim, Aimsun Next, TRANSYT, SUMO, Python (pandas and TensorFlow), using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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