Program Overview

Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, Master of Science

The Master of Science in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering degree program is designed to prepare students for a multi-disciplinary engineering specialty needed in its ever-growing applications in consumer products, manufacturing, transportation systems, security systems, defense systems, aerospace, sports engineering, biomedical systems, and automotive systems.

Program Description

The curriculum offers strong offerings in the areas of robotics, autonomous vehicles, automotive mechatronics, controls, microelectromechanical systems, embedded systems, mechanical design, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. The Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering masters program has been designed to support stackable certificates. A student on the way to completing this program will receive a Certificate in Mechatronics and Robotics Fundamentals, and a Certificate in their Professional Area of focus.

Admission Terms and Application Deadlines

• February 15 (early) April 15 (regular) and July 15 (late) for fall semester
• October 1 (early) and November 15 (regular) for winter semester
• March 1 (regular) for summer semester
• International applicants

Application Requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

1. Graduate Application Requirements
2. Additional department application requirements

• Requirements for recommendations: Two recommendation forms must be from faculty members of the undergraduate major department or professionals in the field who can evaluate the scholarly achievement and potential of the applicant.
• Applicants must submit official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if they graduated from an institution not accredited by a regional accrediting agency of the USA.
• Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, systems engineering, or an equivalent degree.
• Admission to masters program is selective; applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or better for regular admission.

Admission Review and Assessment

Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses, and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.

Degree Requirements

To fulfill the requirements for a Master of Science degree in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, a student must:

• Complete at least 32 credits of graduate-level work, of which at least 24 credits must be in approved courses offered by the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
• Earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in courses applied toward the degree.
• Complete the requirements specified for the program.
• Satisfy all requirements concerning academic progress.

Course Requirements

a. Core Requirements (12 credits) - Mechatronics and Robotics Fundamentals

• Choose 12 credits from the following:
  • ECE 5140 - Instrumentation and Measurements (4 credits)
  • ECE 5500 - Robotic Systems and Control (4 credits)
  • ECE 5520 - Automotive Mechatronics I (4 credits)
  • ECE 5731 - Fundamentals of Embedded System Design (4 credits)

b. Professional Areas - Complete the 12 credits for one of the areas below:

1. Automotive Mechatronics (12 credits)
   • Required: ECE 5520 - Automotive Mechatronics I (4 credits), ECE 6520 - Automotive Mechatronics II (4 credits)
   • Elective: ECE 5415 - Microcomputer-Based Control Systems (4 credits), ME 5230 - Automotive Driveline Dynamics (4 credits)
2. Autonomous Vehicle Systems (12 credits)
   • Required: ECE 5532 - Autonomous Vehicle Systems I (4 credits)
   • Elective: ECE 5415 - Microcomputer-Based Control Systems (4 credits), ECE 5520 - Automotive Mechatronics I (4 credits)
3. Automotive Electrification (12 credits)
   • Required (at least one): ECE 5630 - Electric and Hybrid Drive Systems (4 credits), ME 5535 - Introduction to Electric Drive Vehicle Engineering (4 credits)
   • Elective: ECE 5600 - Fundamentals of AC Motor Design (4 credits), ECE 5640 - Battery Management Systems (4 credits)
4. Robotic Systems (12 credits)
   • Required: ECE 5510 - Machine Vision (4 credits)
   • Elective: ECE 5500 - Robotic Systems and Control (4 credits), ECE 5520 - Automotive Mechatronics I (4 credits)
5. Human-Robot Interactions (12 credits)
   • Required: ECE 5551 - Human Robot Interaction (4 credits)
   • Elective: ECE 5500 - Robotic Systems and Control (4 credits), ECE 5510 - Machine Vision (4 credits)
6. Systems and Controls (12 credits)
   • Required: ECE 5404 - Linear Systems and Control (4 credits)
   • Elective: ECE 5415 - Microcomputer-Based Control Systems (4 credits), ECE 6400 - Estimation and Control Theory (4 credits)
7. Systems Dynamics (12 credits)
   • Required: ME 5200 - Dynamics (4 credits)
   • Elective: ME 5260 - Acoustics and Noise Control (4 credits), ME 6215 - Noise, Vibration and Harshness (4 credits)

c. Depth Requirement (8 credits - Thesis or additional coursework)

1. Thesis Option
   • Students electing a thesis option need to select a thesis supervisor and take 8 credits of either ECE 6998, ISE 6998, or ME 6998.
2. Non-Thesis Option
   • Students not electing a thesis option must take one additional course from any professional area listed above AND one graduate-level CSI/ECE/ISE/ME/SYS course.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a students successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Good Academic Standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program.

Related Program Information

Plan of Study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements.

Course Approval

Approval by the masters degree adviser and the department chair is required for independent study, engineering projects, masters thesis, or special topics courses that are used toward the degree.

Course Credit

Course credit will not be awarded for work applied toward another degree. Students who have received credit for the 4000-level version of a cross-listed senior/graduate course cannot receive credit toward a graduate degree for the 5000-level version of that course.

Transfer Credit

Students transferring from other institutions are allowed to transfer a maximum of 9 credits of graduate coursework with the approval of the department.

Workload and Scheduling

Full-time students must register for 8 to 12 credits per semester. Graduate assistants must be full-time students and commit 20 hours per week toward their research or teaching assistantship assignment.

Masters Adviser

The progress of each regular student toward the Master of Science degree is directed by the students adviser, a faculty member of the School of Engineering and Computer Science who is assigned at the time of admission.

Masters Project or Thesis

Although the masters degree requirements may be satisfied by taking only coursework, either a graduate engineering project (ECE/ME 6996) or a directed masters thesis research (ECE/ME 6998) may be included as part of the program. Students electing a thesis option must accumulate a minimum of 8 credits of (ECE/ME 6998). Successful completion and defense of a thesis is a prerequisite for earning thesis credits.