Master's in Robotics | Leading Program in the Nation

WPI’s master's in the robotics engineering department is a leading, first-of-its-kind graduate degree in the nation and an internationally lauded academic program. And for all the serious research that goes on here, we encourage imaginative and creative work with robots. On a campus located in the heart of New England’s robotics industry, you’ll work on innovative robotics projects from the get-go alongside influential and renowned faculty in our state-of-the-art labs. That's part of what makes our master's degree in robotics engineering so different.

The open and collaborative atmosphere allows idea sharing with fellow researchers, students, and faculty and fosters a community that’s involved and passionate as they work on breakthrough discoveries in medical and assistive robots, robot motion planning, human-robot interaction, and more.

Graduate Admissions

Curriculum for Master's in Robotics Engineering

With some of the most widely respected faculty in the nation and advanced robotics courses, graduate students turn theory into practice as they make robots, create software to operate them, understand how robots communicate, and study the ethical implications of using robots in a human world.

The foundation of robotics course work is supplemented by forward-thinking engineering course options in project management or entrepreneurship and innovation. You’ll have the freedom to design your own capstone work or thesis in whatever area interests you the most, and you’ll work closely with faculty to make sure it advances your study.

Graduate Catalog

This degree is available online.

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The New Frontier of Swarming Robots

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Master's in Robotics Research

Robotics research at WPI is ongoing and limitless. With engaged and accessible faculty and diverse research projects and teams, the master's in robotics engineering offers varied opportunities to explore your specialty and make industry connections.

While working towards an MS in robotics engineering, you’ll work alongside faculty and peers on leading-edge research and discover all the potential that robotics holds. Whether you want to explore robotic manipulation, voice recognition, biomechanics and robots, wearable robots, or robotic musical instruments, you’ll find your research niche here.

As a robotics graduate student, you’ll work side-by-side with faculty on research that pushes the boundaries of what seems possible—whether it’s developing robotic medical instruments or fine-tuning the smallest, multi-robot swarm robotics.

WPI has a long history as a pioneer in robotics engineering education, giving it a depth and breadth of knowledge. IT was the first university to offer BS through PhD degrees in robotics, and its comprehensive curriculum reflects that deep experience.

As a multidisciplinary field, robotics researchers collaborate to extend their impact.

Robotics impacts humanity in levels as varied as manufacturing to the most delicate surgery. A degree in robotics gives you plentiful job opportunities.

You’ll develop varied skills working within the robotics field. Depending on goals and interests, students can write the software to operate robots, build robots, or explore the ethical implications of robots in a complex human world.

New England is considered the global epicenter for the robotics industry. Opportunities to contribute to important advances in the field exist in nearby academia, established organizations and industries, and start-ups.

The robotics curriculum is purposefully varied. The industry is multilayered, so students take classes that have a business, systems engineering, or entrepreneurial approach.

Several on-campus, high-tech robotics labs allow robotics master's students the space and equipment needed for research, experiments, and discovery. Whether it’s in the Autonomous Robotics Collaboration (ARC) Lab or the Humanoid Robotics Lab, there’s a place for MS in robotics students to create and experiment.

Research & Facilities

Faculty Profiles

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Ready to Pursue a Master's Degree in Robotics?

If you’re ready to work on breakthrough discoveries and turn theory into practice as you construct robots, a master’s in robotics engineering is the degree for you. In our robotics master’s program, you will be surrounded by like-minded forward-thinking individuals who also have a passion for using robots in the human world. Browse our application requirements and submit an application today!

Maybe you’re ready to earn a doctorate degree? Elevate your career in robotics engineering with our robotics engineering PhD program. WPI offers one of the few robotics engineering PhD programs worldwide.

Pursue a Master’s Degree in Robotics Online

, Robotics Engineering

Professor Fischer is the William Smith Dean's Professor and a faculty member in Robotics Engineering with a appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at WPI. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2008 from Johns Hopkins University, where he was part of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Computer Integrated Surgery. At WPI he has been an integral part of developing the Robotics Engineering program and teaches primarily junior-level and graduate courses in Robotics.

Jie Fu

Carlo Pinciroli

Assistant Professor of Robotics Engineering and Assistant Professor of Fire Protection Engineering

, Robotics Engineering

The focus of my research is designing innovative tools for swarm robotics. I am developing Buzz, a programming language specifically designed for real-world robot swarms. During my Ph.D., I have designed ARGoS, which is currently the fastest general-purpose robot simulator in the literature. Recent work focuses on human-swarm interaction and multi-robot learning. I am also working on swarm robotics solutions for disaster response scenarios, such as search-and-rescue and firefighting.