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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Did you know that WPI is the first university to offer BS through PhD degrees in robotics engineering? Our program is also the first in the nation to receive accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
As one of the fastest growing areas of technology, robotics engineering presents opportunities across a wide range of industries—including security and national defense, factory automation, healthcare, consumer products, customized manufacturing, and interactive entertainment.
Through our pioneering Online MS in Robotics Engineering program—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.
Program Highlights
This degree is also offered on campus.
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Courses
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
10 courses, 30 credit hours, including a capstone. The options listed below are specific to the ONLINE program and meet the overall degree requirements. You will work with a faculty advisor to develop a customized and relevant plan of study selected from the courses below. Additional courses may become available online and are available on-campus.
FOUNDATION (9 Credits)
*Requires RBE 500.
CORE (Minimum of 6 credits of additional RBE Courses)
ENGINEERING CONTEXT (3 credits)
- MIS 576. Project Management
ELECTIVES (9 credits)
- SYS 501. Concepts of Systems Engineering
- Three credit hours selected from courses at the 500 level or above with a prefix of RBE
- Three additional credit hours selected from courses at the 500 level or above with a prefix of RBE, CS, ECE, MA, ME or SYS. Note that not every graduate level course will be offered online. Visit the course catalog for a complete list of course descriptions.
CAPSTONE PROJECT (3 credits)
- RBE 594. Capstone Project Experience in Robotics Engineering
- One of the central priorities in WPI’s educational philosophy is the application of academic skills and knowledge to real-world problems. With an advisor's guidance, students choose a robotics engineering project that offers substantive evaluation and application of the coursework covered in the program.
- Example of a capstone project from our Systems Engineering Department
Course Schedule
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Faculty
Prerequisites
The MS program in robotics engineering 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 programming.
This program 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.