Center for Transportation & Logistics

The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) is a world leader in supply chain management and transportation education and research. MIT CTL engages in three principal activities: research, education, and outreach.

Research

The center's world-renowned research programs directly involve over 75 faculty and research staff from a wide range of academic disciplines, as well as researchers in various affiliate organizations around the world. MIT CTL has four main research programs: supply chain management and logistics; transportation; humanitarian and sustainable supply chains; and the impact of aging on mobility, health, and wellness.

Supply chain management and logistics projects include the Computational and Visual Education (CAVE) Lab, Digital Supply Chain Transformation, Food and Retail Operations Lab (FaROL), FreightLab, Low Income Firms Transformation (LIFT) Lab, Omnichannel Distribution Strategies, the Supply Chain Education Initiative, and Measuring and Investing in Resilience. Transportation programs and projects include the MIT Program in Intelligent Transportation Systems and the Megacity Logistics Lab. The Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab works with the UN, USAID, and various NGOs to improve the effectiveness of the response to humanitarian disasters globally. The Sustainable Supply Chains Lab works on green and sustainable supply chain projects addressing social and environmental challenges including responsibility and traceability. The MIT AgeLab conducts research to improve quality of life for older adults and those who care for them, creating new ideas and translating technology into practical applications such as autonomous vehicles, community accessibility, and design and home service logistics.

Education

MIT CTL's top-ranked Supply Chain Management Program (SCM) offers two professional master’s degrees. The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Supply Chain Management is designed for students who wish to continue in research or who plan to pursue a PhD. The Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Supply Chain Management is created for students who wish to pursue a career in various industries including consulting, manufacturing, distribution, retail, software, and services. Students have the option of a 10-month residential (SCMr) program or, for those who successfully complete the MITx MicroMasters credential in supply chain management online, an intensive blended (SCMb) program option with five months in residence at MIT. Both programs require a successful application and at least two years of full-time, professional post-bachelor's work experience.

The MIT Global Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (SCALE) Network network consists of six centers of excellence that are managed through MIT CTL in Spain, Luxembourg, Colombia, Malaysia, and China. All centers offer master's programs modeled on the MIT SCM curriculum, with the exception of the Colombia program, which offers a graduate certificate to students pursuing master's degrees in supply chain related majors at top Latin America universities. Students from all six SCALE centers work on common projects and participate in a global learning exchange each year.

Students interested in the interdepartmental Master of Science in Transportation (MST) program administered through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering should contact the Transportation Program academic office. Several departments offer both master's and doctoral degrees that allow a focus on transportation, including Aeronautics and Astronautics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning, and the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.

The MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management raises the knowledge of SCM professionals across the globe and provide a rigorous credential to qualified students at minimum cost. The credential offered by MITx and edX is an advanced, professional, graduate-level foundation in supply chain management. Five courses and a final comprehensive exam represent the equivalent of one semester of coursework at MIT. These online courses offer the same rigor and relevance as the material taught on campus.

Outreach

MIT CTL partners with industry to turn the center's innovative research into market-winning applications. MIT CTL currently has more than 50 corporate partners worldwide who participate in events and education activities, interact with researchers, and contribute to and help steer research projects. Visit the website to learn more about our outreach program.