Education

Master of Engineering in Robotics

The Master of Engineering (MENG) program in robotics is designed to meet educational needs of engineering professionals currently working in or wishing to enter the rapidly developing field of robotic and autonomous systems. Our program is interdisciplinary in nature, emphasizes systems thinking, and offers flexibility of concentration in a variety of areas. Our courses are taught by faculty and professionals at the forefront of advances in robotics. These courses involve on-campus learning with live online streaming and the option for later viewing.

Graduate Certificate in Robotics 

The Graduate Certificate (GCEN) program in robotics is designed to meet supplemental educational needs of engineering professionals seeking to obtain added credentials in robotics. The certificate requires completion of four introductory graduate level courses. Certificate credits can be applied towards the Master of Engineering degree.

Master of Science in Systems Engineering, Robotics Concentration 

The Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE) degree offers courses concentrated on a systems perspective and the ability to apply powerful model-based design and analysis methodologies to complex systems and services. Robotics is one of 10 application specialization areas offered in the degree. MSSE students are exposed to essential systems engineering principles, software tools for modeling and optimization, decision and risk analysis, stochastic analysis and human factors engineering. They learn to analyze financial and management issues associated with complex engineering systems and services. They receive training in systems engineering methodologies and sophisticated mathematical, computational and software tools for end-to-end development of engineering applications and problem solving. This includes models and simulations of complex engineering systems, algorithms and processes in system architecture development, and systems design using multi-objective trade-off analysis and optimization. The degree offers a balanced program of engineering, business and management processes, human and other constraining factors, public policy and law.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems Minor

The undergraduate minor in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) is a cross-disciplinary program administered by the Maryland Robotics Center in the Institute for Systems Research within the A. James Clark School of Engineering. The minor takes a multidisciplinary approach to robotics in which students gain knowledge about the design, control, programming, and integration of robotics and autonomous systems.

MRC Graduate Research Assistantship Program

The MRC Graduate Research Assistantship Program provides funding to UMD Ph.D. students who conduct robotics research under the guidance of MRC faculty members. Applicants must be outstanding mid-career students with full-time status and be involved in ongoing research.

Diversity in Robotics and AI Programs

We at the Maryland Robotics Center recognize that strength comes through diversity and actively seek and welcome students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities.  We would like to acknowledge and thank Amazon Lab126 and Microsoft for their diversity-in-robotics program sponsorship. These programs include Amazon Lab126 Diversity in Robotics and AI Seed Grant Program, Amazon Lab126 PhD Fellowship Program, Microsoft Diversity in Robotics and AI PhD Fellowship Program, and the Microsoft Future Leaders in Robotics and Autonomy Seminar Series. 

Pathways Program 

The MRC Pathways Program is open to graduate, undergraduate, and high school students interested in robotics. Pathway to the Profession provides support for students to conduct summer internships in the robotics industry. Pathway to the Ph.D. provides opportunities for students to conduct research with an MRC faculty member.

MRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The MRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs provides research opportunities to individuals at an early stage in their scholarly career who hold a doctorate in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field and whose research interests and experience are in multi-robot systems, medical robotics, miniature robotics, robotics for extreme environments, autonomous unmanned systems, bioinspired robotics, cognitive robotics, or human-robot interaction.

REU Program 

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the REU Site Program provides research opportunities for approximately 10 undergraduate students during the summer. Selected students come from different universities throughout the United States and are matched with faculty and other researchers at a host institution and assigned research projects suitable to that summer’s research theme. NSF provides a stipend to the participating students and assistance with housing and travel.

During the 10-week summer program, students not only engage in research projects but also attend technical and non-technical tutorial seminars and visit local government labs involved in bio-inspired robotics research. They attend professional and academic development seminars, and tour Maryland’s top-notch facilities supporting robotics research. The program culminates in a final session where students utilize the skills discussed with them during some of the summer seminars to present their summer research in a mock, conference-style presentation. 

Conference Travel Awards

Conference travel support is available from the Maryland Robotics Center to mitigate travel costs for students who present a robotics research paper at an academic conference. 

Robotics Student Teams

MRC strongly supports graduate, undergraduate, and high school student involvement in robotics teams and provides financial support for the teams to participate in robotics competitions.