South Asian University's Global MS in Intelligent Transportation Systems and Sustainable Mobility is a practice-oriented postgraduate programme designed for mid-career professionals seeking advanced expertise at the intersection of technology, policy, and transportation infrastructure. Strongly aligned with India's national priorities — particularly the deployment of Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling systems and intelligent mobility platforms — the programme aims to support the reduction of logistics costs from 12–14% to 6–8% of industrial output through data-driven systems. With a deliberate focus on South Asia and the Global South, academic inputs, case studies, and institutional collaborations will progressively draw on expertise from SAARC member countries.

MS Program Completion (End of Semester 4)

• Candidate completes all coursework, Innovation Lab requirements, and the Credit-bearing Global Study Tour across Semesters 1–4 (90 credits).
• MS Dissertation / Capstone Project is submitted and successfully defended before the SAU Faculty Evaluation Panel and the assigned Industry Mentor.
• The Program Office confirms that all 90 credit requirements are fulfilled with no outstanding academic obligations.
• The MS degree is formally awarded by South Asian University at the end-of-year convocation.

Automatic System Trigger — PhD Registration Flag (Immediately after MS Award)

• The SAU Academic Management System detects the PROGRAM_TYPE = INTEGRATED_5YR flag on the candidate's record.
• Upon recording the MS degree award, the system automatically initiates the PhD registration workflow — no manual application or re-admission is required.
• A system-generated notification is dispatched to the candidate's registered email confirming the initiation of PhD registration.
• Simultaneously, the Program Office (ITS India Forum) and the SAU Registrar's Office receive an automated alert to begin doctoral onboarding.

Discipline

The programme is multidisciplinary by design, targeting professionals across a range of sectors:

Candidates are assessed against the following criteria:

Academic qualification in the following area:

• Civil Engineering, with specialisation in Transportation or Infrastructure;
• Mechanical Engineering;
• Electrical or Electronics Engineering;
• Computer Science / Information Technology;
• Urban and Regional Planning;
• Architecture;
• Environmental Engineering or Environmental Science;
• Geography (with quantitative orientation);
• Economics (with strong analytical component);
• Public Policy or Public Administration;
• Infrastructure or Construction Management;

Multidisciplinary backgrounds are actively encouraged, and rigid discipline filters are deliberately avoided.

A minimum aggregate of 55% marks or equivalent CGPA in the qualifying degree shall ordinarily be required, subject to relaxation for reserved categories as per Government of India and University norms.

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Assessment & Evaluation

Progression Eligibility Verification (Within 2 Weeks of MS Award)

• The SAU Doctoral Committee reviews the candidate's MS academic record against the progression checklist*.
• Verification confirms: MS degree awarded, satisfactory academic standing, no disciplinary record, and PhD Research Intent Statement on file.
• If all conditions are met → the system status is updated to PhD_REGISTRATION = CONFIRMED.
• If any condition is not met → the Program Office contacts the candidate within 5 working days with a remediation timeline. The candidate retains the awarded MS degree regardless of PhD progression status.

PhD Research Intent Statement Submission

Prior to MS completion, the candidate submits a PhD Research Intent Statement to the Program Office.

• The statement outlines the proposed research domain, a preliminary research question, and the candidate's rationale for pursuing doctoral study.
• The statement is reviewed by the SAU Doctoral Committee and ITS India Forum's written acknowledgement is issued within 10 working days.
• Submission of the Intent Statement is a precondition for PhD auto-registration.

*MS-to-PhD Progression Eligibility Checklist

The SAU Doctoral Committee verifies all of the following conditions before confirming PhD registration. All conditions must be satisfied:

Other Modalities

Matters relating to progress monitoring, credit completion, course submission, and final evaluation are governed under the applicable SAU Regulations, ensuring institutional consistency and academic rigors throughout the programme.

The admission process is structured across three stages: