Available for Fall 2024
MS Degree Tracking
Complete all of the following:
- 21 course credits (12 required, 6 elective, 3 allied); AND
- 2-3 seminar credits; AND
- 6 credits of thesis or project or “mixed option” (combination of project-intensive courses, internship, or project)
Minimum total of 30 credits
6000 and 7000 level coursework required
Click on each section below for more details.
Complete at least one course from each core area:
Robot Mechanics Core Area (Required)
- ROBOT 6000 | Robotics I: Mechanics | 3 Credits
(Also offered as CS 6310 or ECE 6650 or ME EN 6220)
Robot Control Core Area (Required)
- ROBOT 6100 | Robotics II: Control | 3 Credits
(Also offered as CS 6330 or ECE 6651 or ME EN 6230)
Cognition Core Area (Choose 1)
- ROBOT 6200 | Motion Planning | 3 Credits
(Also offered as CS 6370 or ME EN 6225) - CS 6300 | Artificial Intelligence | 3 Credits
Perception Core Area (Choose 1)
- CS 6640 or BME 6640 or ECE 6532 (cross-listed) | Image Processing | 3 Credits
- CS 6320 | Computer Vision | 3 Credits
Required Core Area Credit Hour Sub-Total: 12 Credits
Select 2 classes total from two different categories.
Core courses listed above that are not used to fulfill a core area requirement may also be considered.
Robot Mechanics Category Electives
- ROBOT 7000 | Manipulation and Mobility | 3 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 7230 or CS 7310) - ROBOT 7010 | System Identification for Robotics | 3 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 7220 or CS 7320)
Robot Control Category Electives
- ME EN 6200 or ECE 6615 (cross-listed) | Classical Control Systems | 3 Credits
- ECE 6670 | Control of Electric Motors | 3 Credits
- ME EN 6210 or ECE 6652 or CH EN 6203 (cross-listed) | State Space Control | 3 Credits
- ME EN 7200 | Nonlinear Control | 3 Credits
- ME EN 7210 | Optimal Control | 3 Credits
- ECE 6570 | Adaptive Control | 3 Credits
Cognition Category
- CS 6350 | Machine Learning | 3 Credits
- CS 6958 | Robot Learning (currently special topics) | 3 Credits
Perception Category
- CS 7640 | Advanced Image Processing | 3 Credits
- CS 6353 | Deep Learning for Image Analysis | 3 Credits
- ECE 6530 | Digital Signal Processing | 3 Credits
Human-Robot Interaction Category
- CS 6360 | Virtual Reality | 3 Credits
- ROBOT 7400 | Haptics for VR, Teleoperation, and Physical Human-Robot Interaction | 3 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 7240) - ROBOT 6400 | Neural Engineering and NeuroRobotics | 4 Credits
(Also offered as BME 6440 or ECE 6654)
Robot Design Category
- ROBOT 6500 | Advanced Mechatronics | 4 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 6240) - ROBOT 6960 | Wearable Robotics (currently special topics) | 3 Credits
- ECE 6780 OR CS 6780 | Embedded System Design | 4 Credits
- ECE 6960 | Robotic Millisystems | 3 Credits
- CS 6956 | Medical Robotics | 3 Credits
Elective Course Sub-Total: 6 Credits
Remaining courses to reach the 30-credit hour minimum requirement may be chosen from core courses and pre-approved electives above, supporting electives below, lecture-based engineering/science courses (e.g., excluding seminars, projects, thesis), or approved non-engineering/science courses. Subject to supervisory committee approval.
Supporting Electives (Recommended allied classes that complement robotics curriculum)
- ME EN 6035 | Design of Experiments | 3 Credits
- ME EN 6250| Object-Oriented Programming for Interactive Systems | 3 Credits
- ME EN 6100 | Ergonomics | 3 Credits
- ECE 6540 | Estimation Theory | 3 Credits
- CS 6540 | Human-Computer Interaction | 3 Credits
- ME EN 6410 | Intermediate Dynamics | 3 Credits
- CS 6340 | Natural Language Processing | 3 Credits
- ME EN 6205 | System Dynamics | 3 Credits
Allied Course Total: 3 Credits
Thesis students only complete both seminars (project and “mixed option” students complete only Robotics seminar):
- ME EN 6890 or ECE 6900/6910-001 or CS 7930-001 | Department Seminar | 1 Credit (enroll in the seminar associated with your thesis advisor)
AND/ OR
- ROBOT 6800 or CS 7942 or ECE 6868 or ME EN 6892 (cross-listed) | Robotics Seminar | 2 Credits (enroll in 2 semesters for 1 credit each semester)
Seminar Sub-Total: Thesis students-3 Credits; Project or Mixed Option students-2 credits
ROBOT 6970 | Master’s Thesis Research* | 6 Credits (enroll in your thesis advisor’s section)
or
ROBOT 6920 | Graduate Project** | 6 Credits (enroll in your project advisor’s section)
or
Mixed Option: Complete a combination of the options below for a minimum total of 6 credits
- ROBOT 6920 | Graduate Project** | 1-6 Credits
- Approved coursework with intensive projects*** See list below | 1-6 Credits
Thesis or Project or “Mixed Option” Sub-Total: 6 Credits
*Faculty mentoring and graduate committee supervision required for thesis completion. Students meet with committee regularly, prepare and defend thesis in a public presentation and exam. The majority of the three-person committee must consist of robotics faculty. Committee chairs may be regular or auxiliary COE faculty. Theses require rigorous scientific contributions and must be approved by a majority of the advising committee.
**ROBOT 6920 Graduate Project: 1-6 credits can earned through faculty-advised projects, projects with a company, or projects with a student club. Projects must be approved by the Robotics Faculty, and students are required to give a short final presentation of their project(s) (e.g., during robotics seminar, at a conference, etc.).
***Approved Project Intensive Courses include:
ROBOT 6500: Advanced Mechatronics
ROBOT 6960: Wearable Robotics
ROBOT 6200: Motion Planning
CS 6320: Computer Vision
ROBOT 6400: Neural Engineering & Neurorobotics
Courses can be counted as part of the minimum 21 coursework credits. Students choosing to take project-intensive courses to fulfill the project requirement will need to take additional approved courses to reach the 30 credit hour minimum to complete the degree.
Beginning Fall 2024, a Master of Science (MS) degree in Robotics will be available at the University of Utah. A project, thesis, or "mixed" (any combination of project-intensive courses, project, or internship credits) options will be available. A Robotics Master's degree will provide knowledge for integrating hardware and software with algorithms to create the next generation of intelligent machines.
Robotics researchers are employed in a wide range of occupations that are creating the next generation of technological devices. Roboticists create assistive robots [prosthetics, wearable robots], autonomous vehicles [cars, mining equipment, underwater, and aerial], automated warehouses, manufacturing systems, medical devices, and consumer products [vacuums, 3d printers, craft machines].
Students interested in pursuing a Robotics Master of Science Degree should apply to the University of Utah Graduate School application and indicate "Robotics MS" as their chosen program. Students must be admitted to the Graduate School of the University of Utah as well as the Robotics graduate program.
Admission Deadlines
| Semester | Application Opens | Domestic Priority | Domestic Final | International Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | August 1 | January 1 | April 15 | January 15 |
| Spring | August 1 | N/A | November 1 | Fall admission only |
| Summer | August 1 | N/A | March 15 | Fall admission only |
Due to visa processing timelines, we are only able to admit new international students for Fall semesters. Current international graduate students at the University of Utah who wish to switch into the Robotics program can discuss this option with the Graduate Coordinator.
Admissions requirements are as follows:
- Students pursuing a Robotics Master’s degree typically have a bachelor's degree in a STEM related area. Applicants with degrees from other areas will be considered, but students may need to complete additional work (e.g., math, physics, programming, etc.) to be prepared to take robotics courses.
- Graduate degree applications will be considered holistically. Admitted students typically have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 (the university requires a 3.0), but students with lower GPA's are encouraged to apply and explain their individual circumstances in their personal statement.
- GRE scores are currently not required, but may be considered if they will strengthen the student's application and are strongly recommended as another way to demonstrate English proficiency and academic preparation.
- International students must also meet University of Utah English proficiency requirement for admission
Applicants should provide:
- Names and emails of three people that will provide recommendation letters.
- A resume or curriculum vitae.
- 1-2 page personal statement.
- Optional technical writing sample (recommended for master's thesis applicants)
- Transcripts from all institutions attended (unofficial for the application, but official transcripts are required prior to enrollment if admitted).
- Application fee ($55 Domestic MS, $65 International MS).
These are minimum requirements and do not guarantee admission. The graduate admissions committee reviews all aspects of the application package before determining acceptance into the Robotics graduate program. Selected applicants will be admitted to the Master’s Project or "Mixed" option by default. Students who wish to pursue the Master’s Thesis option should identify and be admitted by a faculty advisor that will advise their research. We DO NOT ASSIGN Faculty Advisors for thesis-seeking students, so students are encouraged to make these connections quickly.
Kelly Pearson
Robotics Graduate Student Coordinator
kelly.pearson@utah.edu
Interested students may also contact the Director of Robotics Studies, Dr. Stephen Mascaro.