Many transport planners have a degree, although others enter the profession directly from school and obtain the necessary skills through an apprenticeship, a degree or a  combination of experience, short courses and private study.

While there are first degrees in transport related subjects,  they are often concerned with the management of transport operations, logistics and the supply chain.  However, there are some first degrees that offer transport as a second discipline, such as Geography with Transport Planning, and transport planning might be an option on some Civil Engineering degree courses. 

But most transport planners have a first degree in which transport planning did not directly feature. They come from a wide range of disciplines, geography, economics, civil engineering, environmental studies, social science, operations research, and even music and theology.  What is crucial is that they

• are good written and oral communicators
• are able to work easily and accurately with numbers
• enjoy analysis, wanting to understand 'why?'
• enjoy joining up ideas for improvement across disciplines
• work well with others, including people with different values, and
• want to make a difference to the world they live in

The only first degree in transport planning is the new degree apprenticeship offered by NEUniversity London.  To follow this you must be at work and sponsored by your employer. 

More established are the large number of Transport Masters, and many transport planners across the world have benefitted from the UK's high standard and diverse provision.  Some choose to study for a Masters full time, either before finding a job as a transport planner, or as a transition in their work-based career.  But many study part time, often with financial support from their employer.  Bursaries are also available for UK students from charities such as the Rees Jeffries Fund and Brian Large Bursary Fund.

Although transport related Masters courses go by a variety of titles, such as Transport with Urban Planning, Transport Engineering and Operations, or Transport and the Environment, they include much of direct relevance to transport planning, and this depends on the options chosen.   A list of transport Masters degrees with a substantial transport planning content can be found here. 

When considering a transport Masters coupled with a career in transport planning it is best to choose a Masters course that is recognised by the Professional Standards Committee for the Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification, as having an approved Masters enables candidates to miss a step in the TPP award process - the Portfolio of Technical Knowledge (PTK). These are accessed through the TPS list above.