Core requirements and policies in robotics
Ready to become a Michigan roboticist?
This outlines all the details you need to know to do so.
Robotics Declaration Requirements
To declare for the BSE major in Robotics, a student must be a College of Engineering student and:
- Have completed at least one full term at UM Ann Arbor
- Have an overall UM GPA of 2.0 or better in courses taken at the UM Ann Arbor campus and be in good standing.
- Have completed with a C or better or earned credit by exam or transfer for at least one course in each of these categories:
a. Introductory Linear Algebra (e.g. ROB 101, MATH 214, MATH 217)
b. Introductory Engineering Design (e.g., ENGR 100) or Introductory Computing/Programming (e.g., ROB 102, ENGR 101, ENGR 151)
c. Introductory Calculus (e.g. MATH 115, MATH 116, MATH 156)
d. Calculus-based physics lectures (e.g. PHYSICS 140, PHYSICS 160) or chemistry lectures (e.g. CHEM 130)
Ready to declare? Email robotics-sso@umich.edu to schedule a declaration appointment.
If you are interested in declaring Robotics and are not in the College of Engineering, you will first need to apply and be admitted as a cross-campus transfer student. Transfer students are admitted directly to the Robotics major and have some exceptions to how the above requirements are satisfied using transfer credits that can be discussed upon admission.
Please see the Office of Undergraduate Recruitment’s information about applying as a cross-campus transfer student as well as CoE’s Bulletin regarding the cross-campus transfer requirements.
Grade Policy
Courses used towards the Robotics BSE degree requirements need a minimum grade of a C to fulfill the requirements. Courses required by the College of Engineering for Intellectual Breadth and General Electives can fulfill the requirements with a D- or higher. Any course not fulfilling this grade requirement should be repeated or substituted with another degree requirement qualifying course.
| Degree Requirement Groups | Grade Minimum |
|---|---|
| CoE Common Requirements | C |
| Intellectual Breadth | D-; Pass/Fail eligible |
| Program Core | C |
| Technical Electives | C |
| General Electives | D-; Pass/Fail eligible |
Pass/Fail Elective Grading
Taking courses that you wish to count towards your degree as pass/fail is only allowed for fulfilling Intellectual Breadth and General Elective requirements. You may take a maximum of 2 courses pass/fail per full term (1 during Spring or Summer half-terms) and a maximum of 14 credits total. This Pass/Fail option can be a good way to maintain a good academic standing while exploring different types of courses within the University. Please refer to the CoE Bulletin for additional information and restrictions on pass/fail requirements.
Grade Exception Petition Policy
Students may petition to have a lower grade of a C- accepted for one course for the Robotics degree requirements. This includes courses counting towards the CoE Core Common Requirements, Teamwork in Robotics, Robotics Core, Discipline Breadth and Depth, Major Design, and Technical Electives. Students submitting a petition are encouraged to discuss how using the grade “token” can impact their degree plan with their academic advisor. The Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies will review the petition with the feedback from the academic advisor and provide a decision to approve or deny the request. Only one petition will be approved to accept a C- for the degree requirements per undergraduate student for the overall degree program. If a petition is not approved, a student may submit another petition in a future term for a different course.
For courses managed by ROB that require a minimum grade of C, students who meet the degree requirement with a C- under the Grade Minimum Exception policy are allowed to enroll in the course. These students can request an override from the SSO. For courses not managed by ROB that require a minimum grade of C, students with the C- will need to gain approval from the department who manages the course to enroll without meeting their grade minimum. Students should reach out to the department’s advising office to be guided through their process of requesting this permission.
To support timely schedule changes, the petition for a C- course exception should be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the Add/Drop deadline in the semester following the term in which the C- is earned.
College of Engineering Common Requirements
College Core Courses
The College of Engineering (CoE) requires a largely similar foundational coursework for all CoE students regardless of their major. For Robotics, these look like the following. You can find additional details in the College of Engineering Core Requirements Bulletin.
Introductory Engineering
- Introduction to Engineering: Engineering 100
- Computational Thinking: ROB 102 (Introduction to AI and Programming) or ENGR 101 or ENGR 151 or approved introductory programming equivalent
- Linear Algebra: ROB 101 (Computational Linear Algebra) or MATH 214 or MATH 217 or MATH 417 or MATH 419 or approved linear algebra equivalent
Calculus requirements
- Introductory Calculus: MATH 115 or MATH 120 (AP); and MATH 116 or MATH 121 (AP)
- Intermediate Calculus: MATH 215 or MATH 216
- Please note that ROB 201 - “Calculus for the Modern Engineer” is a groundbreaking course that can be used to satisfy the Math 115, Math 116, and Math 216 requirements for Robotics majors. If used to satisfy one or more of these requirements, the number of overall math requirements for the Robotics BSE will not be reduced and other math courses may be used to make up those credits. Please see a Robotics advisor for more information.
PHYSICS 140/141 and PHYSICS 240/241
CHEM 130 and CHEM 125/126
Intellectual Breadth (16 credits), Further details found in the section below.
General Electives (9 credits)
- 9 credits are “required”; CoE degrees require 128 total credits, and more General Elective credits may be needed to achieve this total depending on the variation of individual factors in a student’s record.
- General Electives can be any credit not otherwise used towards other degree requirements. This could also look like excess credits in the requirement groups.
Intellectual Breadth
All College of Engineering students must complete at least 16 credits of Liberal Arts Courses (LACs); 4 credits of which could come from Professional or Creative Development courses (PCDC).
- Within the 16 credits…
- … at least 3 credits must come from Humanities or classes that are marked with a “HU” in the LSA Course Guide. Test credit cannot be used to meet this requirement.
- … at least 3 credits must be at the 300-level or higher.
- Note that both the Humanities and the 300-level or higher LAC course may be satisfied with a single course, however, a total of 16 credits are still required to fulfill the Intellectual Breadth requirements.
- PCDC is an optional category of Intellectual Breadth that incorporates courses that could be considered more creative in nature or business oriented. A maximum of 4 credits of PCDC can count towards the 16 total.
Please see this section of the CoE Bulletin for further details and guidance of what courses can fulfill these requirements.
CoE Common Requirements
| Requirement | Alternatives or Option List | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Math 115 | Math 120 (AP) | 4 |
| Math 116 | Math 121 (AP) | 4 |
| Math 214 | ROB 101, Math 217, Math 417, Math 419 - choose 1 | 4 |
| Math 215 or 216 | ROB 201 (298.001) - Calc for Modern Engineering | 4 |
| ENGR 100 | 4 | |
| ENGR 101 | ROB 102, ENGR 151 | 4 |
| CHEM 130+125/126 | CHEM 210 + 211 | 5 |
| Physics 140/141 | Honors | 5 |
| Physics 240/241 | Honors | 5 |
| General Electives | Any credit that isn’t used by other degree requirements. | 9-12; varies, will be # of crs needed to reach 128 CTP |
| Intellectual Breadth | 16 cr total minimum | |
| Humanities | Labeled “HU” in LSA Course Guide | 3 |
| 300-level LAC | Approved LAC subjects found in CoE Bulletin | 3 |
| PCDC is optional | PCDC cannot be used to fulfill the HU or 300+lvl requirements | 4 crs maximum can be used towards the 16 total credits |
Robotics Core Degree Requirements
College of Engineering (CoE) students are required to earn a minimum of 128 Credits Towards Program (CTP). This includes both CoE and Robotics specific requirements.
Cumulative GPA requirement: You must have at least a 2.0 GPA at the time of graduation.
Residency requirements: At least 50 credits must be earned through the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor campus. At least 30 credits must be at the 300-level or higher in technical courses.
Robotics Major Requirements
| Requirement | Alternatives or Option List | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ROB 204 | 4 | |
| 3 Robotics Core Courses | ROB 310, 311, 320, 330, or 340 - choose 3 | 12 |
| Data Structures & Programming | EECS 280 | 4 |
| Probability, Stats, & Visual | IOE 265, EECS 301, BIOMEDE 241 - choose 1 | 3-4 |
| Electronics & Circuits | EECS 215, EECS 270, BIOMEDE 211 - choose 1 | 4 |
| Dynamics & Mechanics | ROB 215, ME 240, BIOMEDE 231- choose 1 | 4 |
| Discipline Depth | AEROSP 201, AEROSP 205, AEROSP 288, EECS 216, EECS 281, EECS 351, EECS 370, EECS 373, IOE 333, IOE 434, MATSCIE 220, NAVARCH 270- choose 1 | 3-4 |
| Technical Electives | 18 total cr minimum | |
| 2 Upper Level Electives | Any two 300+ level ROB course; except ROB 490 | 6 crs min |
| Flex Technical Electives | See Flex Tech | 10-12 crs |
| TCHNCLCM 350 | 3 | |
| ROB 450 or EECS 467 | 4 |
Robotics core
Robotics majors have five 300-level core courses to choose from. At minimum, three courses are required, and students are recommended to take no more than two in one semester due to workload, but students have the option of taking additional courses. Additional, 300-level core courses can count for flexible technical electives.
- ROB 310, ROB 311, ROB 320, ROB 330, ROB 340
- Visit the Sample Schedules to view different pathways through the degree and how choosing certain combinations of these courses could take you down a pathway of interest.
Discipline breadth & depth
A student looking to specialize can complement their learning at the intermediate level with upper-level elective courses. Both breadth and depth pathways through the intermediate level provide a suitable foundation for further exploration in upper level courses, as well as continued learning into other core areas of robotics.
To satisfy Discipline Breadth, students must take one class from each of the categories below.
- Data Structures & Programming: EECS 280
- Probability, Stats, & Visual: IOE 265 or EECS 301 or BIOMEDE 241
- Electronics & Circuits: EECS 215 or EECS 270 or BIOMEDE 211
- Dynamics & Mechanics: ROB 215 or MECHENG 240 or BIOMEDE 231
To satisfy the Discipline Depth requirement, students must take one additional course from one of the courses below. Students may also submit a petition to request an alternative.
- AEROSP 201, AEROSP 205, AEROSP 288, EECS 216, EECS 281, EECS 351, EECS 370, EECS 373, IOE 333, IOE 434, MATSCIE 220, NAVARCH 270
Robotics technical electives
One of the benefits of a Robotics degree is the ability to choose from a wide array of upper-level electives, allowing students to customize their degree plan to align with personal interests and skills. The flexibility of the upper level electives gives students the opportunity to explore diverse topics and develop interests and skills that will prepare students for active contributions within the field of robotics. Classes from a wide array of different fields can be highly beneficial in training a well-rounded roboticist given the highly interdisciplinary nature of robotics. Courses taken to fulfill this requirement must be graded and passed with a C or higher; these courses cannot be taken as Pass/Fail.
Upper Level Electives
Any 300-level or above Robotics course may be used as an upper level technical elective for the Robotics Undergraduate Program. Students must take two graded courses, a minimum of 6 total credits, to count towards their upper level technical electives.
Flexible Technical Electives
- Any 400-level course or above within the College of Engineering or any course counting for Mathematics or Physics 400-level credit or above at the University of Michigan.
- Any course listed for Disciplinary Depth can be used to count for flexible technical elective.
- Any excess 300-level ROB core course.
- The following 200-level and 300-level courses listed below are approved as Flex Tech electives for Robotics.
- Additional courses could be considered to satisfy this requirement via a department petition. If you have questions about using another course to satisfy these requirements, please contact your advisor.
Major design
TCHNCLCM 350
TCHNCLCM 350 is a prerequisite for ROB 450. The Technical Communications department manages all TCHNCLCM courses. Please visit techcom.engin.umich.edu for questions or issues with registration of these courses. It is worth adding this anecdotal observation for perspective: Before graduation, students typically ask for less TechComm in their degree program. After they graduate, alumni typically ask for much more TechComm after experiencing the professional world.
Robotics Capstone The Robotics curriculum culminates in a team-based, senior design capstone course, ROB 450. Students can alternatively satisfy this requirement with EECS 467.
Independent study
ROB 490
A maximum of 4 hours of directed/independent study or research courses (total across all depts., i.e. ROB, EECS, ENGR, IOE, Civil, etc.) can count toward Flexible Technical Electives via a petition but not as an Upper Level Elective. ROB 490 is recommended for seniors. Students interested in enrolling in a ROB 490 project need to submit a proposal after discussing the project with a Robotics faculty member.
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 your Flexible Technical Electives. This list will appear on the MDP website.
In order to use MDP credits towards the Flexible Technical Electives requirements, 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.
Dual Majors
To earn dual majors within the College of Engineering, you must satisfy the requirements for both programs and take at least 14 additional credit hours of pertinent technical coursework beyond what is shared between the two majors (accounting for 142 credits total). You should schedule advising appointments at both departments to determine allowable overlap among requirements. Approval by both departments involved is required.
ROB 204 and the ROB 300-level courses you are using to satisfy the Robotics Core requirements cannot be double counted.
Dual majors should discuss their Major Design Experience with their Robotics Academic Advisor. For additional information, please refer to the CoE Bulletin sections on additional bachelor’s degrees and double counting courses.
Minors
The Robotics degree is interdisciplinary and students may find that they wish to augment their degree with an additional academic area. All CoE minors and most LSA minors throughout the University are available to Robotics Undergraduate students if they can meet the minor declaration requirements set by the minor department. Please see the CoE Bulletin for additional information on non-CoE minors.
While there is not a limit to the number of minors you can elect to complete, be mindful with double counting a course to use towards multiple minors or with your degree. No course can count towards more than two majors, and no more than one major and one minor. For additional information, please refer to the CoE Bulletin sections on additional bachelor’s degrees and double counting courses, and talk with your advisor to see how you might be able to fit a minor into your degree plan.
Transfer to Robotics and Transfer Credit
Transfer Admission
Beginning in the Winter 2026 admissions cycle, students from institutions outside of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor may apply for transfer admission directly to the Robotics BSE Program for either Fall or Winter term admission. Application requirements and the admissions process is described on the CoE Office of Undergraduate Requirement’s website.
Current U-M students who are in a different School or College may apply for a cross-campus transfer for either Fall or Winter term admission. Application requirements and the admissions process is described on the CoE Office of Undergraduate Requirement’s website.
Admitted transfer students who have been admitted to a different department must begin in the department they have been admitted to and wait a full semester before declaring Robotics. These students may still meet with Robotics advisors and take Robotics courses to make progress towards the Robotics degree in the interim period before they declare.
Transfer Credit
Students have the option to transfer courses that they have taken at other institutions for academic credit that can be used towards their degree requirements.
Before taking a course elsewhere with the intention of transferring the credit, students should check the following U-M maintained databases to determine if the course is transferable. Courses that do not appear on any of these databases should go through the credit evaluation process outlined on the CoE Procedure for Transfer Credit Approval website. Please note that courses will be considered for ROB transfer credit and that the process can take a good deal of time, so make sure that you plan well in advance.
Transfer Credit Databases
- Transfer Credit Equivalency Search - Transfer credit information for courses taken at USA and international colleges and universities
- LSA Transfer Equivalency Search - For international institutions, including third party, commercial study abroad providers
- CoE Study Abroad Course Database - These are for IE study abroad programs
- Math Transfer Database - The Math Department evaluates all math courses and will often provide feedback about the evaluation on the database.
Residency requirement
Keep in mind that you must take at least 50 credits hours (including 30 hours of technical credits at the 300-level or above) on the Ann Arbor campus.
Archived Program Guides
Questions
If while reading through these requirements you have any questions, please contact our Robotics Student Services team.