PhD in Transportation and Environmental Systems Program

Hiroshima University offers a three-year doctoral program in Transportation and Environmental Systems in Hiroshima, Japan, delivered in English, with intake available in April or October. The university was established in a city known as the site of the first atomic bombing in human history, and it follows a founding principle built around unity, freedom, and the pursuit of peace. It has become one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in Japan, made up of 12 schools, 4 graduate schools, an attached research institute, a university hospital, and 11 attached schools, and it was recognized as one of 13 universities in the 2014 Top Global University Project and one of 13 universities in the 2018 WISE Program. Doctoral research in transportation and environmental systems typically covers areas such as traffic engineering, transportation planning, environmental impact assessment, sustainable infrastructure, and systems modeling, with candidates producing an original dissertation supervised by faculty working in these areas. Study at this level generally combines advanced coursework with field data collection and modeling work, reflecting the applied, systems-oriented nature of transportation and environmental research. Career outcomes for graduates commonly include roles in transportation planning agencies, infrastructure engineering firms, environmental consulting, and academic research, where systems-level thinking about transportation networks and their environmental effects is central to the work. For international doctoral candidates, this program offers an English-taught research pathway at an institution formally recognized under Japan's Top Global University and WISE initiatives, both designed to strengthen international doctoral training.