Robotics Courses & Registration

The Robotics curriculum spans sensing, reasoning, and acting, alongside human-robot interaction. We offer undergraduate and graduate-level courses, as well as cross-listed and elective courses across the College of Engineering and the University of Michigan.

Course Overrides and Approvals

Non-Robotics Owned Courses (Cross-Listed ROB Courses)

The following ROB courses are administered and owned by partner departments. Michigan Robotics does not manage enrollment, issue electronic overrides, or hold waitlists for these courses. If you need permission or an override, follow the home department’s registration and override process.

Registering for Non-ROB Courses

Each department within the College of Engineering manages its own class permissions, prerequisites, waitlists, and electronic override procedures. Robotics cannot grant overrides or issue permissions for courses offered outside the Robotics Department. If you need an override or permission to enroll in a non-ROB course, please consult the respective department’s registration policy page.

Registration and Class Procedures

For detailed step-by-step instructions on registering for, adding, or dropping classes in Wolverine Access, see the Wolverine Access Student Business Guide.

Registration Overview

• Adding/Dropping Classes: Changes made after the drop/add deadline (three weeks into each term) require instructor and program coordinator approval via Wolverine Access. Drops after the deadline result in a “W” transcript notation. International students dropping below full-time status must request a reduced course load.
• Waitlists and Permissions: Waitlists remain active in Wolverine Access through the drop/add deadline. Student Services works with instructors to issue permissions as seats become available. Please be mindful of the permission expiration date and register for the course prior to the deadline listed in the automated email. Failure to do so will result in being dropped from the waitlist.

Advice on large waitlists: You may need to join a waitlist for courses you plan to take in a given term. Seeing long waitlists can feel nerve-wracking, but it is a normal part of the process. Early in registration, many students add extra courses to their schedules while deciding which ones to keep. As the term approaches and students drop those extra courses, seats steadily open up.

Undergraduate Independent Study

ROB 490 - Directed Study

1. Identify a project and secure an agreement with a faculty sponsor. Once project details are finalized, fill out and submit the ROB 490 Proposal Form.
2. Send the completed proposal responses to the faculty member via email, ensuring robotics-sso@umich.edu is copied (CC’d) on the message.
3. Ensure the faculty sponsor replies to the email thread with their official approval or any requested updates.
4. Await class permission from the Student Services Office for the instructor’s specific ROB 490 section, then complete enrollment in Wolverine Access.

Credit Policy and Degree Audits

• Credit Limit: Students may enroll for a maximum of 6 credits total of ROB 490.
• ROB Majors: Please indicate in the form if you would like these credits to count towards the Flexible Technical Requirements. If eligible, Student Services will route these credits in the student’s degree audit. No extra action is required from the student.

Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP)

Every year the Robotics Department reviews all MDP projects thought to have a Robotics affiliation and approves some of the projects to count towards the Robotics BSE Flexible Technical Elective requirement. This list will appear on the MDP website.

In order for robotics majors to use MDP credits towards the Flexible Technical Electives requirement, students must first enroll in 4 credits of ENGR 455 during the second semester of the project and then submit a petition to make the request.

Graduate Independent Study

ROB 590 & 690 - Directed Study

1. Identify a project and receive verbal or written approval from a Robotics faculty member (core or affiliate) to serve as your research advisor. Do not register before receiving this approval.
2. Submit the ROB 590/690 Proposal Form by the drop/add deadline of the term you will be registered. The form is sent to your advisor and the Graduate Chair, and your advisor will reply by email to approve or request revisions.
3. Register for your advisor’s section in Wolverine Access. (Be sure to check “Include Independent Study Classes”.) ROB 690 requires SSO permission to enroll: your advisor should email robotics-sso@umich.edu with their approval, and the SSO will then email you permission.

For full details, see ROB 590 and ROB 690.

ROB 590 & 690 Credit Policy

• ROB 590: A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits count toward the Robotics MS. ROB 590 is graded S/U.
• ROB 690: 3 credits, letter graded. Take ROB 690 in the same term as your final 3 credits of ROB 590 or in a later term.
• MDP: All 4 MDP credits (including the 1 credit of ENGR 599) count toward the 6-credit ROB 590 maximum.

Graduate Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP)

Every year the Robotics Graduate Committee reviews all MDP projects and approves some of the projects to count toward ROB 590 credit. This list will appear on the MDP website.

Robotics graduate students in MDP register for 1 credit of ENGR 555 in the Winter semester and 3 credits of ROB 590 in the following Fall semester. If your MDP faculty mentor is not a Robotics faculty member, register for ROB 590 in the Robotics Graduate Chair’s section. Students must still submit the ROB 590/690 Proposal Form by the Fall drop/add deadline.

Visiting or Auditing Courses

Before requesting an audit, review Section 3.2 of Rackham’s Academic Policies. Audited courses do not count toward degree requirements or full-time enrollment.

Once registered, email the instructor asking for approval to visit/audit (cc robotics-sso@umich.edu and include your UMID). Upon approval, the Student Services Office will request that the Registrar’s Office update your grading basis.

Questions? Contact the Student Services Office at robotics-sso@umich.edu.

Past Course Offerings

Browse through our previous term course listings: