Master's in Robotics Engineering Online

This program is also available on campus

Through our pioneering online robotics engineering master's degree—the first in the nation—you will advance your knowledge of the mathematical and mechanical frameworks needed to design safer and more efficient robotics systems and explore innovative ways of using robots to tackle and solve real-world problems.

An online specialization in Autonomous Vehicles. WPI continues its tradition of innovative robotics education with a brand-new suite of online courses on the future of personal transportation. This advanced concentration is available to candidates accepted to the M.S. in Robotics Engineering, and pre-requisites apply.

Learning Outcomes for Online Master's in Robotics

In the online master's in Robotics, students master the fundamentals of computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, and mechanical engineering underlying robotic systems while studying advanced topics such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, wireless networking, and nanotechnology.
Robotics online courses are taught by WPI faculty members who are leading the way in developing new possibilities for robotic technology in health care, manufacturing, security, and emergency response.
Culminating capstone experience enables you to apply your knowledge to solve a real, practical problem in your workplace under the guidance of faculty and industry mentors.
Our online robotics courses are delivered via live and self-paced virtual sessions that enable you to connect with our global community of highly-engaged faculty members, industry professionals, and peers.

Also available online: Graduate Certificates in Robotics Engineering. If you prefer to pursue a master’s in robotics engineering on-campus, explore our regular MS degree.

Curriculum

The M.S. program in Robotics Engineering requires 30 credit hours of work. Online Robotics Engineering students select a non-thesis option, which requires a 3-credit capstone experience. The distribution of credits is as follows:

1. Robotics Core (15 credits)
At least 15 credits are needed. Any additional credits accrued from these courses will be counted as Electives.

Foundations (9 credits)

RBE 500.Foundations of Robotics
RBE 501.Robot Dynamics
RBE 502.Robot Control

Core Robotics Engineering Electives (6 credits)
Any RBE 500+ other than RBE 594, RBE 596, RBE 598, RBE 599, and RBE 699.

2. Engineering Context (3 credits)
3 credits hours selected from the following courses or any SYS course at the 500 level or above:

ETR 593.Technology Commercialization
MIS 576.Project Management
OBC 506 Leadership
BUS 546.Managing Technological Innovation

3. Capstone (3 credits)
A 3-credit hour capstone experience

4. Electives (3-9 credits)
Sufficient coursework selected from courses at the 500 level or above in Science, Engineering, or Business to total 30 credit hours with the approval of the student’s advisor on the Plan of Study.

All Robotics Engineering graduate courses are three credits, unless otherwise noted below.

RBE 500	Foundations of Robotics
RBE 501	Robot Dynamics
RBE 502	Robot Control
RBE 511	Swarm Intelligence
RBE 521	Legged Robotics
RBE 549	Computer Vision
RBE 550	Motion Planning
RBE 577	Machine Learning in Robotics
RBE 580	Biomedical Robotics – 2 credits
RBE 594	Capstone Project Experience in RBE
RBE 595	Reinforcement Learning
RBE 595	Advanced Robot Navigation
RBE 595	Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Autonomous Vehicle Applications

To find the next offering of online Robotics Engineering courses, visit the Registrar’s site.

To view a course description, visit the Graduate Catalog.

Subject to change, based on availability.

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Admissions Qualifications for the Online Robotics Engineering Master's Degree

The robotics engineering online degree requires an undergraduate or graduate degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or a related field from an accredited university. Applicants should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

In addition, students should be able to demonstrate strong skills and a modest amount of course work (2-3 courses) in each of the following areas:

Mechanical engineering
Electrical & computer engineering
Computer science

Students with backgrounds in other engineering or science disciplines will be considered based on their demonstrated skills in engineering and computer science.

The online master's in robotics assumes familiarity with an object oriented programming language (OOP), such as C/C++, Java, Perl, and/or Python. Students that lack or feel that they should refresh their programming skills should consider taking a suitable college course in an OOP language prior to enrollment. A working knowledge of Calculus, Differential Equations and Linear Algebra are also required. These mathematical foundations are critical for MatLab, system dynamics modeling and other topics explored in the MS robotics engineering curriculum.

If you do not have a bachelor's degree, please view our list of undergraduate programs.

For specific application requirements, visit application requirements page.

What our students have to say

“Every teacher that I’ve had at WPI had a genuine care for the students. Everyone at WPI is a true believer in what they are doing. They are so passionate and enthusiastic about it, and it makes me catch fire about it, too.”

– Xiaolin Zhen, Online M.S. in Robotics Engineering student and Gateway Scholarship winner.

Learn more about Xiaolin on our blog

Be Prepared

Refresher courses tailored to ensure you’re ready to excel in your chosen field and confident in your ability to tackle the program’s challenges.

Refresher Courses

What Does a Career in Robotics Engineering Look Like After Graduation?

With the demand for robotics engineers on the rise, graduates find employment opportunities across a variety of industries, including national defense, factory automation, healthcare, consumer products, and interactive entertainment. Earning an online robotics engineering master’s degree gets you one step closer to a successful career in the robotics field.

Career Outlook

Explore Additional Robotics Engineering Degrees at WPI

Advance with a Robotics Engineering Graduate Certificate

Interested in pursuing an advanced degree, but not sure you can commit to the demands of an online master’s in robotics? Check out our Robotics Engineering Graduate Certificate which allows you to advance a career in robotics while taking you a step closer to earning a master of science. The Robotics Engineering Graduate Certificate is also available online.

Need to Earn a BS in Robotics Engineering First?

Interested in first earning your bachelor’s degree in Robotics Engineering? At WPI, we offer an innovative undergrad degree in robotics engineering that provides students the opportunity to build, interact, and explore the function of robots. Check out our bachelor’s in Robotics Engineering here.

Explore a Minor in Robotics Engineering

Maybe you’re interested in robotics engineering, but don’t want to pursue it as your major? Our Minor in Robotics Engineering educates students on the basics of robotics and provides access to work, design, and manipulate robots.

Generate Solutions That Lead to Breakthroughs with a Robotics PhD

Already embarked on your robotics engineering career and looking to elevate it further? Explore WPI’s robotics PhD in which you will have the opportunity to generate solutions that lead to breakthroughs in the robotics industry.