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. Pursuing an online master’s in robotics can help elevate a future career as a robotics engineer.
This program is also available on campus
Learn moreThrough 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.
Now available: 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. See below to learn more.
Learning Outcomes for Online Master's in Robotics
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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.
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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.
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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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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
Program Requirements
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.
Courses
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.
Robotics Engineering Info Session
View our on-demand webinar to be introduced to our online graduate programs in Robotics Engineering. Get an overview of program logistics, what online learning looks like, the application process, and more!
Graduate Studies Series
Team members from Graduate & Professional Studies host quick and convenient webinars designed to highlight popular topics when starting grad school. Take a deep dive into specific areas of interest such as how to secure funding, how to ace your application, an overview of student services, and more!
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 our admissions for online programs page.
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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.
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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.
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.