Program Overview
Program Overview
The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Robotics and Autonomous Systems is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to build intelligent machines and sophisticated autonomous devices that replicate human behaviors. This program is offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northwestern University.
Program Details
Core Courses
Students are required to select at least six courses from the following list:
- ECE 303 Advanced Digital Design
- ECE 346 Microprocessor System Design
- ECE 347-1 Microprocessor Systems Project I
- ECE 347-2 Microprocessor Systems Project II
- ECE 364, 464 Cyber-Physical Systems Design and Application
- ECE 366, 466 Embedded Systems
- ECE 395, 495 Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Challenges and Design
- ECE 395, 495 Modeling and Synthesis of Cyber-Physical Systems
- ECE 332 Introduction to Computer Vision
- ECE 360 Introduction to Feedback Systems
- ECE 372-1 Robot Design Studio 1
- ECE 372-2 Robot Design Studio 2
- ECE 373, 473 Deep Reinforcement Learning from Scratch
- ECE 374 Intro to Digital Control
- ECE 375, 475 Machine Learning: Foundations, Applications, and Algorithms
- ECE 390 Intro to Robotics
- ECE 410 System Theory
- ECE 432 Advanced Computer Vision
- ECE 470 Introduction to Nonlinear Control Theory
- ECE 495 Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Robotics
- ECE 495 Robot Design Studio
Elective Courses
Students can select up to six courses from the following list:
- BME 467 Biomedical Robotics
- ECE 355 ASIC and FPGA Design
- ECE 358 Intro to Parallel Computing
- ECE 361 Computer Architecture I
- ECE 362 Computer Architecture Project
- ECE 387 Real-Time Digital Systems Design and Verification with FPGAs
- ECE 392 VLSI Systems Design Projects
- CS 329 HCI Studio
- CS 330 Human Computer Interaction
- CS 343 Operating Systems
- CS 409 Swarms and Multi-Robot Systems
- CS 410 Quadrotor Design and Control
- CS 469 Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Robotics
- ECE 326 Electronic System Design I
- ECE 327 Electronic System Design II
- ECE 378 Digital Communications
- ECE 380 Wireless Communications
- ECE 395, 495 Geospatial Vision and Visualization
- ECE 422 Random Processes in Communications and Control I
- ECE 423 Random Processes in Communications and Control II
- ECE 495 Game Theory and Networked Systems
- ECE 495 Optimization and Learning in Stochastic Dynamic Environments
- ME 333 Introduction to Mechatronics
- ME 433 Advanced Mechatronics
- ME 449 Robotic Manipulation
- ME 450 Embedded Systems in Robotics
- ME 455 Active Learning in Robotics
- ME 495 Sensing Navigation and Machine Learning for Robotics
- ME 495 Soft Robotics
Specializations
The program offers various specializations, including:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Computer Vision and Image Processing
- Network and Communication Systems
- Quantum Computing, Sensing & Communications
- Cybersecurity
- Photonics & Optoelectronics
- Embedded Systems
- High-Performance Computing
- Internet-of-Things & Edge Computing
- Semiconductors
- Sustainable Energy and Low-Power Design
Program Description
The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Robotics and Autonomous Systems is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of robotics and autonomous systems. The program covers a wide range of topics, including embedded systems, signal processing, control systems, computer vision, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, and more. Through the intersection of AI, software programming, and hardware design, students will develop the technical skills to build intelligent machines and sophisticated autonomous devices that replicate human behaviors. The program is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing field and to make a positive impact in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, transportation, aerospace, defense, healthcare, and more.