Additional Major in Robotics
Immerse yourself in the world of robotics through the Additional Major, a dynamic fusion of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary exploration. Open to students across all majors and colleges at Carnegie Mellon University, this program provides a gateway to mastering the essence of robotics.
Begin your journey with a comprehensive introductory robotics overview, laying the groundwork for your exploration. The cornerstone of this major is motion and control, serving as the bedrock upon which the layers of sensing, cognition, and action are artfully assembled.
Guided by the principle that robotics involves crafting tangible embodiments of these core principles, a ‘hands-on’ course requirement enhances your understanding. These focal points converge under the distinct systems perspective that defines robotics, adding an exceptional dimension to your education.
Admission to the Additional Major Program
The Additional Major in robotics is designed for students who want to explore the field more than is possible through the Minor in Robotics.
Although students can come from any department on campus, the nature of the courses required for the Additional Major makes it ideal for students already pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science through the School of Computer Science, or in engineering through the College of Engineering.
How to Apply
The application period is January 7 – February 3. Admission decisions will be sent via email no later than the Friday before Fall Registration Week.
Required application materials include:
- Full name, email address and Andrew ID
- Home college, GPA (3.0 or higher), year you intend to graduate, and list of all declared Majors and Minors
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1st year students please put the major you plan on declaring.
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- Proposed schedule of required courses (This is just the list the courses you intend to take to fulfill the Additional Major requirements which is a part of the application itself)
- Statement of purpose (1-2 page, single spaced, to articulate why the student wants to pursue the robotics major)
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a current CMU undergraduate student and possess a valid CMU email address to complete the application.
Rules and Policies for the Robotics Additional Major
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A minimum 3.0 QPA in the Additional Major curriculum is required for graduation.
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Courses taken Pass/Fail or audited do not count toward the Additional Major.
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Students may double count up to six courses from their Primary Major (excluding General Education requirements) toward the Additional Major.
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CS Majors may double count up to five courses from their Primary Major toward the Additional Major.
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Courses used for any minor/other additional major cannot be double counted toward the Robotics Additional Major.
Prerequisites
Successful candidates for the Robotics Additional major will have prerequisite knowledge of C language, basic programming skills, and familiarity with basic algorithms. Students can gain this knowledge by taking 15-122 Principles of Imperative Computation
Curriculum Requirements
The curriculum for the Additional Major in Robotics is outlined below.
The following requirements are subject to change.
| Requirements | Choose 10 courses total |
|---|---|
| Overview / Introductory (choose 1) | 16-280 Intelligent Robot Systems 16-281 General Robotics (formerly 16-311 Introduction to Robotics) |
| Controls (choose 1) | 06-464 Chemical Engineering Process Control 16-299 Introduction to Feedback Control Systems 18-370 Fundamentals of Control 24-451 Feedback Control Systems 24-773 – with instructor and Program Director’s permission |
| Mechanisms & Manipulation (choose 1) | 16-384 Kinematics and Dynamics OR 15-462 – Computer Graphics AND 33-141 – Physics I for Engineering Students (must take both to satisfy this requirement) |
| Sensing and Perception (choose 1) | 15-387 Computational Perception 15-463 Computational Photography 16-322 Modern Sensors for Intelligent Systems 16-385 Computer Vision 16-421 Vision Sensors 16-423 Designing Computer Vision Apps 16-722 Sensing and Sensors 16-886 Embodied Artificial Intelligence Safety 16-xxx Upper-level RI course with instructor and Program Director’s permission 85-413 Perception |
| Ethics (choose 1) | 16-161 Artificial Intelligence and Humanity 16-735 Ethics and Robotics |
| Robot Building Practices (choose 1) | 16-220 Intro to Robotic Building Practices 16-362 Mobile Robot Algorithms Laboratory 16-423 Designing Computer Vision Apps 16-778 Mechatronic Design (ROB) 18-349 Introduction to Embedded Systems 18-578 Mechatronic Design (ECE) 18-500 ECE Design Experience 24-671 Electromechanical Systems Design 24-778 Mechatronic Design (MEG) |
| 2 Electives | 16-3xx and 16-4xx are pre-approved. Students may count up to 12 units of either 16-597 Undergraduate Reading and Research or 99-270 Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship towards the major requirements. Graduate-level Robotics courses and electives outside the Robotics Institute may be used to fulfill elective requirements with prior approval from the RI Undergraduate Program Director. |
| Systems Engineering (to be taken in senior fall) | 16-450 Systems Engineering (Can be taken concurrently with the Controls requirement for easier scheduling.) |
| Capstone Course (to be taken in senior spring) | 16-474 Robotics Capstone 24-441 Product Design (for MechE Students) |
Rules and Policies for the Robotics Additional Major
-
A minimum 3.0 QPA in the Additional Major curriculum is required for graduation.
-
Courses taken Pass/Fail or audited do not count toward the Additional Major.
-
Students may double count up to six courses from their Primary Major (excluding General Education requirements) toward the Additional Major.
-
CS Majors may double count up to five courses from their Primary Major toward the Additional Major.
-
Courses used for any minor/other additional major cannot be double counted toward the Robotics Additional Major.
Prerequisites
Successful candidates for the Robotics Additional major will have prerequisite knowledge of Calculus, Basic Math, and Programming in C. Calculus can be fulfilled with 21-259 or 21-254, while Basic Math options include courses 21-240, 21-241, 21-260, 18-202, or 24-311. C programming proficiency can be gained through 15-122, 16-311, 24-280 or similar courses based on experience level.
Curriculum Requirements
The curriculum for the Additional Major in Robotics is outlined below.
The following requirements are subject to change.
| Requirements | Choose 10 courses total |
|---|---|
| Overview / Introductory (choose 1) | 16-280 Intelligent Robot Systems 16-281 General Robotics (formerly 16-311 Introduction to Robotics) |
| Controls (choose 1) | 06-464 Chemical Engineering Process Control 16-299 Introduction to Feedback Control Systems 18-370 Fundamentals of Control 24-451 Feedback Control Systems 24-773 – with instructor and Program Director’s permission |
| Mechanisms & Manipulation (choose 1) | 16-384 Kinematics and Dynamics OR 15-362 – Computer Graphics AND 33-141 – Physics I for Engineering Students (must take both to satisfy this requirement) |
| Sensing and Perception (choose 1) | 15-387 Computational Perception 15-463 Computational Photography 16-322 Modern Sensors for Intelligent Systems 16-385 Computer Vision 16-421 Vision Sensors 16-423 Designing Computer Vision Apps 16-722 Sensing and Sensors 16-886 Embodied Artificial Intelligence Safety 16-xxx Upper-level RI course with instructor and Program Director’s permission 85-413 Perception |
| Ethics (choose 1) | 16-469 Innovation and Shared Prosperity: Community-Engagement for change 17-200 Ethics and Policy Issues in Computing 80-249 AI, Society, and Humanity |
| Robot Building Practices (choose 1) | 16-220 Intro to Robotic Building Practices 16-362 Mobile Robot Algorithms Laboratory 16-423 Designing Computer Vision Apps 16-778 Mechatronic Design (ROB) 18-349 Introduction to Embedded Systems 18-578 Mechatronic Design (ECE) 18-500 ECE Design Experience 24-671 Electromechanical Systems Design 24-778 Mechatronic Design (MEG) |
| 2 Electives | 16-3xx and 16-4xx are pre-approved. Students may count up to 12 units of either 16-597 Undergraduate Reading and Research or 99-270 Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship towards the major requirements. Graduate-level Robotics courses and electives outside the Robotics Institute may be used to fulfill elective requirements with prior approval from the RI Undergraduate Program Director. |
| Systems Engineering (to be taken senior fall) | 16-450 Systems Engineering (Can be taken concurrently with the Controls requirement for easier scheduling.) |
| Capstone Course (to be taken senior spring) | 16-474 Robotics Capstone 24-441 Product Design (for MechE Students) |
Rules and Policies for the Robotics Additional Major
-
A minimum 3.0 QPA in the Additional Major curriculum is required for graduation.
-
Courses taken Pass/Fail or audited do not count toward the Additional Major.
-
Students may double count up to six courses from their Primary Major (excluding General Education requirements) toward the Additional Major.
-
CS Majors may double count up to five courses from their Primary Major toward the Additional Major.
-
Courses used for any minor/other additional major cannot be double counted toward the Robotics Additional Major.
Prerequisites
Successful candidates for the Robotics Additional major will have prerequisite knowledge of Calculus, Basic Math, and Programming in C. Calculus can be fulfilled with 21-259 or 21-254, while Basic Math options include courses 21-240, 21-241, 21-260, 18-202, or 24-311. C programming proficiency can be gained through 15-122, 16-311, 24-280 or similar courses based on experience level.
Curriculum Requirements
The curriculum for the Additional Major in Robotics is outlined below.
The following requirements are subject to change.
| Requirements | Choose 10 courses total |
|---|---|
| Overview / Introductory (choose 1) | 16-280 Intelligent Robot Systems 16-281 General Robotics (formerly 16-311 Introduction to Robotics) |
| Controls (choose 1) | 06-464 Chemical Engineering Process Control 16-299 Introduction to Feedback Control Systems 18-370 Fundamentals of Control 18-474 Embedded Controls 18-475 Autonomous Control Systems 18-771 Linear Systems 18-776 Nonlinear Control 24-451 Feedback Control Systems 24-773 Special Topics: Multi-variable Linear Control |
| Kinematics | 16-384 Kinematics and Dynamics |
| Machine Perception (choose 1) | 15-387 Computational Perception 15-463 (15-862) Computational Photography 16-322 Modern Sensors for Intelligent Systems 16-385 (16-720) Computer Vision 16-423 Designing Computer Vision Apps (not offered regularly) 16-722 Sensing and Sensors 16-886 Embodied Artificial Intelligence Safety 18-793 Image and Video Processing 18-794 Pattern Recognition Theory 18-797 Machine Learning for Signal Processing 85-413 Perception |
| Cognition & Reasoning (choose 1) | 10-301 Introduction to Machine Learning 10-315 Introduction to Machine Learning (Undergrad) 11-344 Machine Learning in Practice 15-281 / 15-231 Artificial Intelligence 15-482 Autonomous Agents 15-494 Cognitive Robotics: The Future of Robot Toys 16-350 Planning Techniques for Robotics 16-831 Introduction to Robot Learning 18-495 Speech Processing 18-461 Introduction to Machine Learning 18-462 Principles and Engineering Applications of Ai 18-661 Introduction to Machine Learning for Engineers 18-448 Embedded Systems for AI Applications 18-786 Introduction to Deep Learning 24-480 – Special Topics: AI and Machine Learning for Engineering 85-395 Applications in Cognitive Science 95-828 Machine Learning for Problem Solving |
| “Hands-on Course” (choose 1) | 16-362 Mobile Robot Algorithms Laboratory 16-423 Designing Computer Vision Apps 16-778 Mechatronics 16-845 Insects and Robots 16-861 Space Robotics 16-865 Space Robotics Development 16-878 Special Topics: Advanced Mechatronic Design 16-879 Medical Robotics 16-880 Special Topics: Engineering Haptic Interfaces 16-888 Special Topics: Foldable Robots 18-349 Introduction to Embedded Systems 18-500 ECE Design Experience 18-578 Mechatronics 18-449 Distributed Embedded Systems 18-648 Real-time Embedded Systems 18-540 Rapid Prototyping of Computer Systems 24-671 Special Topics: Electromechanical Systems Design 24-775 Bioinspired Robot Design and Experimentation 24-778 Mechatronics |
| Two Electives | 16-3xx and 16-4xx are pre-approved. Students may count up to 12 units of either 16-597 Undergraduate Reading and Research or 99-270 Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship towards the major requirements. Graduate-level Robotics courses and electives outside the Robotics Institute may be used to fulfill elective requirements with prior approval from the RI Undergraduate Program Director |
| Systems Engineering (to be taken senior fall) | 16-450 Systems Engineering (Can be taken concurrently with the Controls requirement for easier scheduling.) |
| Capstone Course (to be taken senior spring) | 16-474 Robotics Capstone 24-441 Product Design (for MechE Students) |