Robotics Ph.D. Degree – Robotics Center
Skip to content
Robotics PhD Degree
Requirements
Overview
Admission
Advising
Suggested Plan
2026_4.6_PhD Requirements
Post-BS PhD
Complete all of the following:
30 course credits (
6000 and 7000 level coursework)
; AND
3 seminar credits; AND
14 PhD dissertation credits
Milestone Master's option
Minimum total of 47 credits
Post-MS PhD
Students with a qualified MS (Master's) degree or other completed graduate credits should consult with the
Director of Robotics Studies
or
Robotics Graduate Student Coordinator
regarding a potential requirement waiver (on a course-by-course basis).
Students stacking upon a University of Utah MS (including Milestone Master's) degree can
waive
up to 33 credits (30 coursework, 3 seminar), subject to meeting all Robotics PhD categories and requirements. Remaining course requirements will still be subject to Supervisory Committee approval and recommendations.
Students stacking upon an MS degree from a university besides the University of Utah should contact the Graduate Student Coordinator. All coursework is subject to Supervisory Committee approval and must satisfy the program requirements indicated below.
Click on each section below for more details.
Core Course Requirement - 12 Credits
Complete at least one course from each core area:
Robotics Mechanics Core Area (Required)
ROBOT 6000 |
Robotics I: Mechanics |
3 Credits
(Also offered as CS 6310
or
ECE 6650
or
ME EN 6220)
Robot Control Core Area (Required)
ROBOT 6100 |
Robotics II: Control
3 Credits
(Also offered as CS 6330
or
ECE 6651
or
ME EN 6230)
Cognition Core Area (Pick One)
ROBOT 6200 |
Motion Planning
3 Credits
(Also offered as CS 6370
or
ME EN 6225)
CS 6300 |
Artificial Intelligence
3 Credits
Perception Core Area (Pick One)
CS 6640
or
BME 6640
or
ECE 6532 (cross-listed) |
Image Processing
3 Credits
CS 6320 |
Computer Vision
3 Credits
Required Core Area Credit Hour Sub-Total: 12 Credits
Elective Course Requirement - 9 Credits
Select 3 classes total from at least two different categories.
Core courses listed above that are not used to fulfill a core area requirement may also be considered.
ROBOT Special Topics courses (6960/7960) may be considered as electives.
Robot Mechanics Category Electives
ROBOT 7000 |
Manipulation and Mobility
| 3 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 7230
or
CS 7310)
ROBOT 7010 |
System Identification for Robotics
| 3 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 7220
or
CS 7320)
Robot Control Category Electives
ME EN 6200
or
ECE 6615 (cross-listed) |
Classical Control Systems |
3 Credits
ECE 6670 |
Control of Electric Motors |
3 Credits
ME EN 6210
or
ECE 6652
or
CH EN 6203 (cross-listed) |
State Space Control
| 3 Credits
ME EN 7200 |
Nonlinear Control
| 3 Credits
ME EN 7210 |
Optimal Control |
3 Credits
ECE 6570 |
Adaptive Control
| 3 Credits
Cognition Category
CS 6350 |
Machine Learning |
3 Credits
ROBOT 6960 |
Robot Learning
| 3 Credits
ROBOT 6960 |
Advanced Artificial Intelligence
3 Credits
Perception Category
CS 7640 |
Advanced Image Processing
| 3 Credits
CS 6353 |
Deep Learning for Image Analysis |
3 Credits
ECE 6530 |
Digital Signal Processing
3 Credits
ROBOT 6960 |
Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics
3 Credits
Human-Robot Interaction Category
ROBOT 7400 |
Haptics for VR, Teleoperation, and Physical Human-Robot Interaction |
3 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 7240)
ROBOT 6400 |
Neural Engineering and NeuroRobotics
3 Credits
(Also offered as BME 6440
or
ECE 6654)
ROBOT 6960 |
Intro to Human-Robotic Interaction
3 Credits
Robot Design Category
ROBOT 6500 |
Advanced Mechatronics |
4 Credits
(Also offered as ME EN 6240)
ROBOT 6960 |
Wearable Robotics |
3 Credits
ECE 6780
or
CS 6780 |
Embedded System Design |
4 Credits
ECE 6960 |
Robotic Millisystems |
3 Credits
ROBOT 6960|
Medical Robotics
| 3 Credits
ROBOT 6960 |
Advanced
Design in Robotics
3 Credits
Elective Course Sub-Total: 9-10 Credits
Seminar Requirement - 3 Credits
ME EN 6890
or
ECE 6900-001
or
CS 7930-001 |
Department Seminar
| 1 Credit (enroll in the seminar associated with your dissertation advisor)
AND
ROBOT 6800
or
ECE 6868
or
ME EN 6890 (cross-listed) |
Robotics Seminar
| 2 Credits (enroll in 2 semesters for 1 credit each semester)
Allied Courses - 9-10 Credits
Remaining courses to reach the 30-credit hour coursework minimum requirement may be chosen from core courses and pre-approved electives above, supporting electives below, lecture-based engineering/science courses (e.g., excluding seminars, projects, thesis), or approved non-engineering/science courses. Subject to supervisory committee approval.
Supporting Electives (Recommended allied classes that complement robotics curriculum)
ME EN 6035 |
Design of Experiments
| 3 Credits
ME EN 6250|
Object-Oriented Programming for Interactive Systems |
3 Credits
ME EN 6100 |
Ergonomics |
3 Credits
ECE 6540 |
Estimation Theory |
3 Credits
CS 6540 |
Human-Computer Interaction
| 3 Credits
ME EN 6410 |
Intermediate Dynamics
| 3 Credits
CS 6340 |
Natural Language Processing |
3 Credits
ME EN 6205 |
System Dynamics
| 3 Credits
Allied Course Total: 9-10 Credits
Dissertation Requirement - MINIMUM 14 Credits
ROBOT 7970 |
PhD Dissertation
| 14 Credits (enroll in your advisor’s section)
The Robotics PhD degree is the first of its kind in the Intermountain West. It allows students to build upon qualified bachelor's or master’s degrees. The Robotics PhD degree will provide knowledge for integrating hardware and software with algorithms to create the next generation of intelligent machines.
Robotics researchers are employed in a wide range of occupations that are creating the next generation of technological devices. Roboticists create assistive robots (prosthetics, wearable robots), autonomous vehicles (cars, mining equipment, underwater, and aerial), automated warehouses, manufacturing systems, medical devices, and consumer products (vacuums, 3D printers, craft machines). Interdisciplinary skills, namely hardware (electrical, mechanical, and computational), programming, and algorithms, obtained by our Robotics degrees and certificates are important for a wide range of products that a company may wish to develop.
Application Deadlines
Semester
Start
Application
Opens
Priority Deadline
(all applicants)
Domestic Students
Final Deadline
International Students
Final Deadline
Fall
August 1
January 1
April 15
January 15
Spring
August 1
N/A
November 1
Fall admission only
Summer
August 1
N/A
March 15
Fall admission only
Due to visa processing timelines, we are only able to admit new international students for Fall semesters. Current international graduate students at the University of Utah who wish to switch into the Robotics program can discuss this option with the Graduate Coordinator.
Admissions requirements are as follows:
Students pursuing a Robotics PhD degree typically have a bachelor's or master's degree in a STEM related area. Applicants with degrees from other areas will be considered, but students may need to complete additional work (e.g., math, physics, programming, etc.) to be prepared to take robotics courses.
Graduate degree applications will be considered holistically; therefore, specific GRE scores and GPAs are not required for admission. Admitted students typically have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 and the university requires a 3.0, but students with lower GPA's are encouraged to apply and explain their individual circumstances in their personal statement.
GRE scores are currently not required but may be considered if it will strengthen the student's application and are strongly recommended as another way to demonstrate English proficiency and academic preparation.
International students must also meet
University of Utah English proficiency requirement
for admission
Applicants should also provide:
Names and emails of 3 people that will provide recommendation letters
A resume or curriculum vitae
1-2 page personal statement
Transcripts from all institutions attended
One page writing sample of recent research or publication (optional but recommended for PhD applicants)
Application fee ($0 for Domestic PhD applicants with fee waiver code; $65 International PhD applicants). Domestic PhD applicants with a faculty advisor should email
Kelly Pearson
for the fee waiver code.
These are minimum requirements and do not guarantee admission. The graduate admissions committee reviews all aspects of the application package before determining acceptance into the Robotics graduate program. Any student wishing to pursue a PhD must identify and be selected by a
faculty advisor
that will advise their dissertation research. Students that have completed the Robotics Master of Science or University’s Robotics Graduate Certificate program can be considered for admissions to the PhD program without providing all of the above information, but must complete a university admission application to formalize the process and may find it beneficial to provide the above information to help potential faculty advisors consider their application. Students must be admitted to the Graduate School of the University of Utah as well as the Robotics graduate program.
Kelly Pearson
Robotics Graduate Student Coordinator
kelly.pearson@utah.edu
Interested students may also contact the Director of Robotics Studies,
Dr. Stephen Mascaro
Robotics Faculty
Ph.D. (Post-M.S.)
M.S. Engineering graduates from the University of Utah may *waive up to all Ph.D. courses (33 course credits). Dissertation (7970) credits required @ 14 minimum. M.S. Graduates from outside the University of Utah may *waive up to 21 course credits. 6 transfer credits allowed by the Graduate School. *See
Robotics Graduate Student Coordinator
for initial credit evaluation.
Final waivers will be
per discretion of the
Director of Robotics Studies
Ph.D. (Post-B.S.)
Post-B.S. students may earn a Master’s Degree (referred to as a Milestone Master's) in Robotics on the way toward their Ph.D. Contact the Graduate Coordinator the semester
prior
to completing 30 graduate credits for the MS application instructions.
PhD Plan - Year 1
Year 1: Fall Semester
Title
Credits
Year 1: Spring Semester
Title
Credits
ROBOT 6000
Robotics I: Mechanics
ROBOT 6100
Robotics II: Control
ME EN 6200:
Classical Control Systems
(suggested if you have not
taken a similar course;
it is a pre-req for ROBOT 6100)
Elective Course #1
CS 6640 or
CS 6320
Perception (Core)
ROBOT 6800
Robotics Seminar
ROBOT 6800
Robotics Seminar
Department Seminar
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
PhD Plan - Year 2
Year 2: Fall Semester
Title
Credits
Year 2: Spring Semester
Title
Credits
ROBOT 6200 or
CS 6300
Cognition (Core)
Allied #1
Elective Course #2
Elective Course #3
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
PhD Plan - Year 3
Year 3: Fall Semester
Title
Credits
Year 3: Spring Semester
Title
Credits
Elective Course #3
Allied #3
Allied #2
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
PhD Plan - Year 4
Year 4: Fall Semester
Title
Credits
Year 4: Spring Semester
Title
Credits
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
PhD Plan - Year 5
Year 5: Fall Semester
Title
Credits
Year 5: Spring Semester
Title
Credits
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
ROBOT 7970
Dissertation Research
Graduate Handbook Index
General Information
Academic Misconduct
Advising
Financial Information
Health Insurance
Probation
Program of Study
Research Conduct
Student Involvement
Student Responsibilities
Supervisory Committee
Thesis/ Dissertation Help
Transfer Work
Robotics PhD
PhD Degree Requirements
Candidacy for the PhD
Dissertation Defense
Enrollment Requirement
PhD Milestones
Qualifying Exam/ Proposal
PhD Sample Plan
Robotics MS
MS Degree Requirements
MS-Thesis Milestones
MS-Project Milestones
Project
MS Sample Plan
Thesis Defense
The Graduate School
Continuous Registration
Course 7990 Limitation
Graduate School Events Calendar
Graduate School Policies
Graduate School Resources
International TA Policy
ITA Dates
Leave of Absence
Thesis Office Deadlines
Travel Funding
University Resources
Academic Calendar
Campus Safety
Class Schedule
Graduation Deadlines
International Student Scholar Services (ISSS)
Student Resources
Thesis Handbook
University IT Guides