Michigan Robotics undergraduate students will soon be able to choose from one of five concentrations within the robotics major. The concentrations will help students align their interests within the wide curriculum offerings and enable employers to identify relevant candidates.
“Michigan Robotics continues to define the robotics discipline to meet the emerging needs of students, employers, and society,” said Leia Stirling, associate chair of undergraduate studies.
“These concentrations let students build depth in the areas they’re most passionate about while still getting the ‘full-stack’ foundation that makes our degree distinctive.”
The concentrations are:
- Perception and Reasoning for Robotics
Focuses on how robots interpret and understand the world around them, covering topics in computer vision, localization, mapping, navigation, and deep learning for perception. - Dynamics and Control of Robots
Centers on making robots move precisely and reliably, with coursework in control systems, kinematics, dynamics, and applications ranging from legged robots to uncrewed aerial systems. - Hardware and Sensor Focused Robotics
Emphasizes the physical design and sensing systems that make robots work, from soft robotics and bio-inspired design to mechatronics and microrobotics. - Human-Robot Interaction
Examines how robots are evaluated, designed, and integrated with people, with coursework on usability evaluation, experimental methods, ethics, and the design of systems that are safe and intuitive for people. - Full Stack Robotic Systems
For students who want breadth across the entire robotics stack. It requires all six 300-level Robotics core courses plus two additional electives drawn from different concentration areas.
Each provides a structured pathway through elective coursework, helping students develop deeper expertise in the area of their choosing.
When Michigan Robotics launched its undergraduate program in Fall 2022, the first such program at a top-ten engineering school, the curriculum was designed around a broad, interdisciplinary foundation. As the program has grown, students and employers have asked for more structured ways to signal specialization. Concentrations provide this specialization while keeping the degree flexible.
The five concentrations were developed with input from the Robotics Advisory Board, a group of robotics leaders from industry, academia, and government, and the Robotics Undergraduate Student Council, the student leaders representing robotics undergraduates.
Concentrations are optional for students and are not required for the Robotics BSE. Each requires 12 or more credits drawn from technical and general electives, so they do not add courses beyond the existing degree. Students can declare a concentration anytime before applying for graduation by meeting with a Robotics academic advisor.
For full course lists and requirements, see the Robotics undergraduate degree requirements. To discuss how a concentration fits your plan, meet with a Robotics undergraduate advisor.
