Robotics Engineering

RBE Majors are expected to be through two terms of Physics by the end of their first year. In A term, RBE Majors typically take PH 1110/1111. You must be starting with MA 1022 Calculus II or higher to begin with Physics. If you are starting with MA 1021 or MA 1020 Calculus I, and/or if have AP credit for PH 1110, you should consider CH 1010. 

Physics

PH 1110 and PH 1111 are two different versions of mechanics:

• PH 1110 has a recommended background of differential calculus (MA 1021) and concurrent study of integral calculus (MA 1022). 
• PH 1111 has a recommended background of both differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and 1022). If you are starting your math sequence at MA 1022 (Calculus II), you should instead take PH 1110. 

If you are starting your math sequence at MA 1021 or MA 1020 (Calculus I), you should not take Physics.

The traditional PH 1110 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,” and learning in groups with other students in class,  you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problem solving. Studio-style courses often require more work outside of class before a topic is covered to be ready for the activities in the classroom, whereas traditional-style courses often require more work outside of class after a topic is covered to review and practice on your own (or with other students). The total amount of work outside of class turns out to be about the same between the two styles. Studio-style physics consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and the same two-hour session of labs per week. The section numbers for studio-style physics are AS01 or AS02.

Certain sections of PH 1111 are also taught in a studio style, depending on the instructor and available classroom space.

Chemistry

If you choose to begin with Chemistry, you should take CH 1010 Chemical Properties, Bonding, and Forces in A term. Students who are starting their math sequence at MA 1021 or MA 1020 (Calculus I) should take Chemistry first instead of Physics. 

RBE majors should complete the calculus sequence (MA 1021-1024) by the end of their first year. It is recommended that you take Math in A and B terms of your first year. In choosing which Math course you will begin with, please consider the following.  

1. Complete the Math Placement Exam. The Math Placement Exam will tell you which Calculus course you should start in based on your current knowledge. If you are recommended to start in MA 1020, this will be your math course for both terms.
2. Consider if you have AP Credit (new policy as of 10/20/25):
   Students who obtain a score of “4” on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and should begin with MA 1022 in A term followed by MA 1023 in B term. Those that obtain a score of "5" on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022 and should begin with MA 1023/1033 in A term followed by MA 1024/1034 in B term.
   Students who obtain a grade of “4” or “5” on the BC-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021, MA 1022 and MA 1023 and could begin with MA 1024 in A-term then MA 2051 in B-term, OR MA 1033 in A-term followed by MA 1034 in B-term. 
3. Students who received a 6 or 7 on the IB will receive 2/3 credit of MA 1000, and should use the math placement exam results to decide which math class to take.
4. Consider the possibility of retroactive credit. If the Math Placement Exam recommends that you start in MA 1022, MA 1023/1033, or MA 1024 but you do not have AP credit, this could be a great option for you. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1022 and MA 1023/1033 on your first attempt, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1023/1033 and MA 1024/1034 on your first attempt you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022.  If, in your first year, you complete MA 1024 and MA 2051, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022. Please note that there is no retroactive credit for MA 1023. In determining if this is the right path for you, we strongly recommend completing the Math Placement exam and following the suggestion given to you. 

The sequence MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III and MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV is an alternative to the MA 1023, MA 1024 sequence in A and B terms. The sequence is designed to give a deeper and more mathematically rigorous presentation of the relevant calculus topics. If you really enjoy math and have credit for Calculus I and II already, you should consider this sequence instead of the MA 1023-MA 1024 sequence.

Your third course should be a GPS, Humanities and Arts, Social Science, or Computer Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Great Problems Seminar

GPS stands for Great Problems Seminar, which are courses exclusively for first year students that allow students to learn about a problem in the world and work with a group on how to fix it. These courses are helpful with the transition to college as well as useful for students when preparing for projects such as IQP and MQP in junior and senior year. GPS courses run for both A and B term, so you will only need to choose one. More information can be found here.

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You should pick courses in subjects you are interested in. When you come to campus you will learn more about the HUA requirement and how you will complete it. 

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Computer Science

If you wish to get an early start to robotics, you should take an introductory programming class to prepare you for RBE 1001 Introduction to Robotics in the future.

CS 1005 Programming for Engineers introduces students to the fundamental principles of programming as it applies to robotic applications. This course provides an appropriate programming background for RBE 1001.

For students considering a possible double major in Computer Science and Robotics Engineering, CS 1101 Introduction to Program Design or CS 1102 Accelerated Introduction to Program Design is expected as a foundational course, so students considering this double major should take CS 1101/1102 instead of CS 1005 for their introductory programming class. You should only take CS 1102 if you have had substantial previous programming experience. 

If you chose to begin with Physics, you should take PH 1120 or PH 1121 as your B Term Course. 

PH 1120 and PH 1121 are two different versions of Electricity and Magnetism, and students should only take PH 1120/1121 if they will meet the recommended background after A term:

• PH 1120 has a recommended background of Mechanics (PH 1110 or PH 1111) and differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and MA 1022). 
• PH 1121 has a recommended background of  Mechanics (PH 1110 or PH 1111), differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and MA 1022), and vector algebra (MA 1023). For students who will be taking MA 1023 Calc III concurrently, it is recommended that you select PH 1120 instead.

The traditional PH 1120 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of computerized labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,”  you,” you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problems. It will require more work outside of class to be ready for the activities in the classroom.  This version consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and a two-hour session of computerized labs per week. The section numbers for this option are BS01 or BS02. 

If you took MA 1021 in A term and will be taking MA 1022 in B term, you can take PH 1110 General Physics - Mechanics in B term. 

Other Science

If you chose to begin with Chemistry and wish to take two chemistry courses, you should take CH 1020 Chemical Reactions in B term for one of your "Other Science" requirements. You could also consider a Biology course like BB 1001 Introduction to Biology or BB 1004 Human Biology for one of your "Other Science" requirements. 

You could also consider taking an additional MA course such as MA 2071 Linear Algebra.

RBE Majors are recommended to complete the Calculus series (MA 1021-1024) in their first year. In B Term, you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your A term course. Students who started with MA 1020 Calculus I with Preliminary Topics (semester-long Calculus I) will continue with this class in B term.

The calculus sequence is typically taken as follows:

• MA 1021 Calculus I or MA 1020 Calculus I with Preliminary Topics (Semester-long)
• MA 1022 Calculus II or MA 1120 Calculus II (Semester-long)
• MA 1023 Calculus III or MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III
• MA 1024 Calculus IV or MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV 

In choosing which Math course you will begin with, please consider the following.  

1. Complete the Math Placement Exam. The Math Placement Exam will tell you which Calculus course you should start in based on your current knowledge. If you are recommended to start in MA 1020, this will be your math course for both terms.
2. Consider if you have AP Credit (new policy as of 10/20/25):
   Students who obtain a score of “4” on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and should begin with MA 1022 in A term followed by MA 1023 in B term. Those that obtain a score of "5" on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022 and should begin with MA 1023/1033 in A term followed by MA 1024/1034 in B term.
   Students who obtain a grade of “4” or “5” on the BC-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021, MA 1022 and MA 1023 and could begin with MA 1024 in A-term then MA 2051 in B-term, OR MA 1033 in A-term followed by MA 1034 in B-term. 
3. Students who received a 6 or 7 on the IB will receive 2/3 credit of MA 1000, and should use the math placement exam results to decide which math class to take.
4. Consider the possibility of retroactive credit. If the Math Placement Exam recommends that you start in MA 1022, MA 1023/1033, or MA 1024 but you do not have AP credit, this could be a great option for you. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1022 and MA 1023/1033 on your first attempt, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1023/1033 and MA 1024/1034 on your first attempt you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022.  If, in your first year, you complete MA 1024 and MA 2051, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022. Please note that there is no retroactive credit for MA 1023. In determining if this is the right path for you, we strongly recommend completing the Math Placement exam and following the suggestion given to you. 

The sequence MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III and MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV is an alternative to the MA 1023, MA 1024 sequence in A and B terms. The sequence is designed to give a deeper and more mathematically rigorous presentation of the relevant calculus topics. If you really enjoy math and have credit for Calculus I and II already, you should consider this sequence instead of the MA 1023-MA 1024 sequence.

Your third course should be a GPS, Humanities and Arts, Social Science, Computer Science, or Robotics Engineering course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Great Problems Seminar

GPS stands for Great Problems Seminar, which are courses exclusively for first year students that allow students to learn about a problem in the world and work with a group on how to fix it. These courses are helpful with the transition to college as well as useful for students when preparing for projects such as IQP and MQP in junior and senior year. GPS courses run for both A and B term, so you will only need to choose one. More information can be found here.

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You should pick courses in subjects you are interested in. When you come to campus you will learn more about the HUA requirement and how you will complete it. 

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Computer Science

If you took CS 1005/1101/1102 in A term, you may look to continue in Computer Science by taking CS 2102/2103 Object-Oriented Design Concepts. CS 2103 is Accelerated Object-Oriented Design Concepts and should only be taken if you have had substantial previous programming experience.

Robotics Engineering

If you are exceptionally well prepared (having credit or experience in PH 1110 and PH 1120) and have taken CS 1005, CS 1101, or CS 1102 in A term you can consider taking RBE 1001 Introduction to Robotics in B Term. Most students take this course in C or D terms. 

For assistance in considering if you are adequately prepared for RBE 1001, consider connecting with faculty in the Robotics Engineering Department by emailing rbe@wpi.edu.

RBE Majors are expected to be through two terms of Physics by the end of their first year. If you did not take Physics in A and B terms you should consider doing so in C and D term. 

PH 1110 General Physics - Mechanics has a recommended background of differential calculus (MA 1021) and concurrent study of integral calculus (MA 1022). 

The traditional PH 1110 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of computerized labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,”  you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problems. It will require more work outside of class to be ready for the activities in the classroom.  This version consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and a two-hour session of computerized labs per week. The section numbers for this option are C01S-CS02.

If you have done PH 1110/11, 1120/21, and CS 1005/1101/1102 prior to C term, consider taking RBE 1001 Introduction to Robotics.

RBE majors should complete the calculus sequence (MA 1021-1024) by the end of their first year. In C Term, you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your B term course.

The calculus sequence is typically taken as follows:

• MA 1021 Calculus I or MA 1020 Calculus I with Preliminary Topics (Semester-long)
• MA 1022 Calculus II or MA 1120 Calculus II (Semester-long)
• MA 1023 Calculus III or MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III
• MA 1024 Calculus IV or MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV 
• MA 2051 Differential Equations

Students who have completed the Calculus sequence and Differential Equations may consider taking Matrices and Linear Algebra (MA 2071 or 2072) or Probability (MA 2621).

Your third course should be a Humanities and Arts, Social Science, or Computer Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You should pick courses in subjects you are interested in. When you come to campus you will learn more about the HUA requirement and how you will complete it. 

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Computer Science

If you have not yet taken an introductory programming class, you should take CS 1005 Programming for Engineers. This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of programming as it applies to robotic applications. This course provides an appropriate programming background for RBE 1001.

For students considering a possible double major in Computer Science and Robotics Engineering, CS 1101 Introduction to Program Design is expected as a foundational course, so students considering this double major should take CS 1101 instead of CS 1005 for their introductory programming class. 

RBE majors should take two terms of Physics in their first year. If you did not take PH 1120 in B term, you should consider doing so in D term.  

PH 1120 General Physics - Electricity and Magnetism has a recommended background of Mechanics (PH 1110 or PH 1111) and differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and MA 1022). 

The traditional PH 1120 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of computerized labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,”  you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problems. It will require more work outside of class to be ready for the activities in the classroom.  This version consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and a two-hour session of computerized labs per week. The section numbers for this option are D01S-DS02.

RBE majors who have taken CS 1005/1101/1102, PH 1110/1111, AND PH 1120/1121 should plan to take RBE 1001 Introduction to Robotics  in C or D terms. 

RBE Majors are recommended to complete the Calculus series (MA 1021-1024) in their first year. In D Term, you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your C term course.

The calculus sequence is typically taken as follows:

• MA 1021 Calculus I or MA 1020 Calculus I with Preliminary Topics (Semester-long)
• MA 1022 Calculus II or MA 1120 Calculus II (Semester-long)
• MA 1023 Calculus III or MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III
• MA 1024 Calculus IV or MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV 
• MA 2051 Differential Equations

Students who have completed the Calculus sequence and Differential Equations may consider taking Matrices and Linear Algebra (MA 2071) or Probability (MA 2621/2631).

Your third course should be a Humanities and Arts, Social Science, Engineering, or Computer Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You should pick courses in subjects you are interested in. When you come to campus you will learn more about the HUA requirement and how you will complete it. 

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Engineering/Computer Science

RBE majors who have taken CS 1005/1101/1102, PH 1110/1111, AND PH 1120/1121 should plan to take RBE 1001 Introduction to Robotics  in C or D terms.

Students who have taken an introductory programming class may also consider CS 2102 Object-Oriented Design Concepts in D term.

Other appropriate engineering courses students may consider include ECE 2010 Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering and ES 2501 Introduction to Static Systems.