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Robotics MS

Contact Robotics Admissions

Brent Gillespie

Associate Chair of Graduate Studies

Kristel Oelke

Student Services Manager

Robotics at Michigan Statistics

AI test with robotic arm picking up bean colored bags

#2

Robotics Program

$75M

for the new robotics home or 140,000 sq. ft. in the new Ford Motor Company Robotics Building

14

departments collaborating across schools and colleges

Why Robotics Engineering at Michigan?

The Michigan Robotics Institute fosters a culture of collegiality, diversity, and cross-disciplinary problem solving to create smart machines that serve societal needs.

Bringing in roboticists from anthropology, medicine, law, architecture, and of course, engineering, we keep the human in mind as we work together to accelerate advances in robotics.

MAir drone facility

What does an MS in Robotics do?

Robotics engineers find themselves as key team members as they can apply the latest technologies to pressing problems, whether on factory floors or in research labs.

With a rare grasp on both hardware and software, graduates will apply the core concepts of sensing, acting, and reasoning to create smart machines that improve safety, enable what was considered unachievable, increase quality of life, reduce burdens, and inspire others to do the same.

Align your Interest

A ROB 590 directed study project, required for the master’s degree, is research supervised by a robotics faculty member, that fall into many focus areas:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Autonomous Vehicles
  • Deep Learning
  • Human-robot Interaction
  • Legged Robots & Exoskeletons
  • Manufacturing Robots
  • Motion Planning
  • Rehabilitation Robotics
  • Perception & Manipulation
  • Robot Teams & Swarms
  • Simultaneous Localization & Mapping (SLAM)
  • Safe Autonomy

Requirements & Offerings

Individualized plans of study will be developed by students in consultation with an advisor. Click on the Bulletin link for a description of each course.

Practice your purpose

Apply the skills you are learning in class to the real world. There is a rich variety of experiential learning opportunities to help you find your niche, connect with people who share your passion, and gain hands-on experience that’ll set your resumé apart from the stack.

Graduate Student Involvement

Robotics Graduate Student Council

Robotics Graduate Student Council

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Professional Development

Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC)

Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC)

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MedLaunch logo
MedLaunch

MedLaunch

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Research

artificial intelligence robot
Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

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Mcity driving track in Ann Arbor.
Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicles

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AI deep learning with robots.
Deep Learning

Deep Learning

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professor interacting with a robot
Human-robot Interaction

Human-robot Interaction

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Legged robot walking in the U-M Robotics lab
Legged Robots

Legged Robots

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Vineet Kumat and students with caulking robots in CEE's research lab
Manufacturing Robotics

Manufacturing Robotics

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Done flown by Ella Atkins in Mair facility
Motion Planning

Motion Planning

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Prosthetic, robotic leg.
Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation

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perception vision robot in the ARM lab
Perception & Manipulation

Perception & Manipulation

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2 robots working together as a team. Teams and swarms research.
Teams & Swarms

Teams & Swarms

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SLAM
SLAM
two people working on the software for an autonomous vehicle
Safe Autonomy

Safe Autonomy

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Research Videos

Alumni Bios

Each of these alumni were once in your shoes, deciding on a master’s degree. Explore their educational path and how it set their life in motion.

Image of Asheesh Ranjan

Asheesh Ranjan

MS Robotics, 2017

May Mobility Inc.

Senior Robotics Engineer

Image of Fu-Chun Yeh

Fu-Chun Yeh

MSE Robotics Engineering, 2017

Qualcomm Autonomous Driving Research

Senior Perception Algorithm Engineer

Image of Laura Chrobak

Laura Chrobak

MS Robotics, 2019

Tidal | X, the Moonshot Factory

Research Scientist

Image of Mia Stevens

Mia Stevens

MS Robotics, 2016 | PhD 2019

Aurora Flight Sciences

Autonomy Engineer

Image of Theodore Nowak

Theodore Nowak

MS Robotics, 2018

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Data Scientist

Image of Asheesh Ranjan

Asheesh Ranjan

Delhi Technological University, B.Tech Computer Software Engineering , 2015

University of Michigan, MS Robotics, 2017

May Mobility Inc.

Senior Robotics Engineer

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Career Summary

During my Master’s at UM, I got the opportunity to work at APRIL lab guided by Professor Edwin Olson. This role gave me exposure to field robotics with broad exposure to the full ecosystem of building and operating robots in diverse conditions. This experience and my projects during my Master’s directly contributed to my ability to contribute to May Mobility as it was founded out of the university.

How does your Master’s degree differentiate you from others?

The MS Robotics program allows a diverse range of specializations with a number of course choices. My course choices and experience as an RA in APRIL allowed me to get experience as a generalist in the domain of robotics with exposure to a broad range of specializations which is unique to the UM Robotics program structure and emphasis.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

Don’t try to over-specialize too early. Being a generalist and broad exposure across software engineering and robotics has been an advantage in my career and has contributed to my professional growth by enabling me to take opportunities to apply myself to system wide and organization wide challenges and develop solutions that connect various aspects of the ecosystem. 

Image of Fu-Chun Yeh

Fu-Chun Yeh

National Chiao Tung University, BSE Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 2009

National Chiao Tung University, MSE Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 2011

University of Michigan, MSE Robotics Engineering, 2017

Qualcomm Autonomous Driving Research

Senior Perception Algorithm Engineer

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Career Summary

I did my directed study in professor Matthew Johnson-Roberson’s lab. The topic is about 3D semantic segmentation and it’s highly correlated with autonomous driving. It’s very helpful for you to show some works on the resume when a company wants to find a candidate who has a relevant background.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

Build a good network with your classmates. Try to find a specific area you like and do more projects on that. Try to join a professor’s lab and work on state-of-the-art projects. By doing so, you can show many experiences on your resume.

Image of Laura Chrobak

Laura Chrobak

University of California, BSE Mechanical Engineering, 2017

University of Michigan, MS Robotics, 2019

Tidal | X, the Moonshot Factory

Research Scientist

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Career Summary

I started at Umich having just finished a BSE in Mechanical Engineering at Cal. In my undergrad, my particular focus was in Marine Engineering; I spent a term my senior year as a visiting student at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute through their joint program with MIT. Through my masters work, I primarily focused on computer vision and autonomous systems for the underwater environment. My coursework, as well as my work in the Deep Robot Optical Perception (DROP) lab, aided in my success in this focus. After I graduated from Umich I joined Tidal, a team at X, the Moonshot Factory. Tidal’s mission is to protect the ocean while feeding humanity sustainably. As a research engineer at Tidal, my job involves a lot of field experimentation- collecting the data we need to train computer vision and machine learning algorithms that work to improve fish health. The project based courses I took during my robotics masters and the field work experiences I gained through my work in the DROP lab have both proved extremely valuable in my role at X. 

How does your Master’s degree differentiate you from others?

During my robotics masters, I had the opportunity to do a lot of field work. I worked on a project employing cameras and inertial measurement units (IMUs) to track bovines in pasture; on RobotX, a student lead team to build an autonomous catamaran; and collected camera imagery of corals in Hawaii required for photomosaics. These experiences were excellent ways to showcase how I applied the mathematical theories and algorithms I learned in the classroom to real world problems that I was passionate about solving. 

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

My favorite part about the Umich robotics program is the freedom that students have to shape their own curriculum. For my particular graduate school experience, I wanted to learn more about marine robotics and computer vision, so I chose to take several courses both with the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department as well as in the EECS department. This kind of bespoked education allowed me to tailor my coursework to my career path. One piece of advice for future students: explore Michigan in your time off! Drive up north to kayak at Pictured Rocks; hike the Sleeping Bear Dunes; and, if you’re willing to go a little further out, scuba dive at Tobermory. The nature in Michigan and the surrounding region is truly spectacular and a very welcome respite to the stresses of student life. 

Image of Mia Stevens

Mia Stevens

MIT, BS Aerospace Engineering with Information Technology, 2014

University of Michigan, MS Robotics, 2016

University of Michigan, PhD Robotics, 2019

Aurora Flight Sciences

Autonomy Engineer

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Career Summary

I’m in my first job out of grad school, so it was a straight line from graduate school to my current position.

How does your Master’s degree differentiate you from others?

A degree in Robotics shows that you have experience in writing software and in working with physical systems, that diversity is appreciated in industry.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

Grad school is an opportunity to both dive deeper into what you studied in undergrad and to broaden your understanding of the systems you’re working with and designing. Take advantage of it.

Image of Theodore Nowak

Theodore Nowak

Case Western Reserve University, BS Electrical Engineering, 2015

University of Michigan, MS Robotics, 2018

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Data Scientist

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Career Summary

After undergrad, I first came to the University of Michigan as a full-time Engineer in Research, where I built robots and developed software for Jason Corso’s Computer Vision lab. Being surrounded by brilliant PhDs and professors, I quickly realized there was a lot more to learn, and so, after a year in that role, I transitioned to the Masters program in the year old Robotics Institute at UMich. During the program I taught grad-level courses, worked as a GSRA in Corso’s lab, and additionally studied AI Ethics and Policy with the help of the Ford School. Upon graduation, I saw through the allure of big tech, and wanted to find a way to combine field robotics, machine learning, and public policy. I ended up at Pacific Northwest National Lab in hopes of working on meaningful, public sector projects and touching on all of my diverse interests. Currently, as a Data Scientist at PNNL, I do basic research in Machine Learning, Robotics, and Public Policy. While I enjoy my job, and the perks of working it, in the future, whether at the lab or elsewhere, I’d like to transition more towards applying my research expertise to environmental and maritime problem spaces.

How does your Master’s degree differentiate you from others?

While at the end you come out with a degree, graduate school – such as a Masters program – is also an extremely formative experience. More so than undergrad, your peers are motivated and have had more time to learn more about themselves and the world. You learn from them, and their diverse experiences and come out a much better version of yourself. In addition to the expertise, and further specialization, this sense of self shows when you choose to pursue jobs.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

In my experience, those who were able to make the most out of a Masters or PhD are those who explore the world a little first, and then come back to it. Doing so will give you the direction and resolve to come back and make the most out of a graduate degree. The strength across nearly every graduate degree program at UMich made graduate school there an awesome experience. You’ll likely meet the most interesting people of your life during it.

Industries & Companies

Mcity autonomous vehicle

Industries & Occupations

Mcity autonomous vehicle
  • Software engineer
  • Engagement manager
  • Ph.D. student
  • Application consultant
  • Research engineer
  • Research scientist
  • Controls engineer
  • Applied scientist
  • Automated driving engineer
  • Computer vision engineer
  • Technical program manager
  • Artificial intelligence engineer
  • Data scientist
  • Robotics controls engineer
  • Machine learning specialist
  • Autonomy engineer
  • Feature development engineer
  • Software developer
  • Perception algorithm engineer
robotic hand

Companies

robotic hand
  • iRobot
  • McKinsey & Co.
  • Harvard University
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Akervall Technologies
  • Honda R&D
  • X, the moonshot factory, formally Google X
  • Magna Autonomous Systems
  • Waymo
  • Naval Research Lab
  • Wing
  • TuSimple
  • Toyota Research Institute
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Dephy Inc.
  • Amazon Robotics AI
  • Delphi Ottomatika
  • Voxel51
  • Rutgers University
  • Ford Motor Company
  • Brigham Young University
  • SoarTech
  • May Mobility
  • Northwest National Laboratory
  • IHMC
  • Zoox
  • Treetown Tech, LLC
  • Aurora Flight Sciences
  • Delphi Automotive
  • CapSen Robotics
  • Qualcomm Autonomous Driving Research
  • UCLA
  • HOVER Inc.
  • Aptiv
Mcity autonomous shuttle bus
NSBE conference and U-M recruiting

Salaries

Discover the value of a master’s degree! On average, U-M graduates with a master’s degree in an engineering field can earn 15-25% more than those with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Use the link below to research average salaries based on a U-M engineering master’s degree, experience level, and desired work location. Engineering Career Resource Center reports the median salary at $111,000, and the range $80,000-160,000.