| Decision | What the evidence shows | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation | Arizona State University’s engineering robotics program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. | Treat ABET status as a first filter when you build a shortlist, and confirm it for each school. |
| Pay expectations | Robotics Engineer and Automation Engineer both list a median salary of $122,930 with growth of 3.7%. ASU notes that listed salaries are not necessarily entry level. | Use it as a benchmark for the role, not as a first-job offer. Experience, location and advanced degrees may move it. |
| Controls coursework | Columbus State requires ENGR 3275 Feedback Control Systems, worth 3 credit hours. | Check that a feedback control course is required, not just offered as an elective. |
| Workload | Columbus State lists 58 credit hours required for the major, alongside 42 core and 18 field-of-study hours. | Compare required-major hours across programs rather than judging by program name. |
Figures above come from the ASU engineering robotics degree page and the Columbus State robotics engineering catalog.
A robotics engineering degree is an undergraduate engineering program that blends mechanical, electrical and computer engineering so graduates can design, build and program robots. Accreditation and lab access matter most when you choose.
If you want to test your interest before enrolling, start with a small project; the how to build a robot guide shows how mechanics, electronics and code fit together.
What a robotics engineering degree covers
A robotics engineering degree trains you to work across several engineering disciplines instead of one. Columbus State describes its program as a blend of computer, mechanical and electrical engineering, and West Virginia University calls its program interdisciplinary, with a foundation across mechanical systems, computer science and general engineering systems. The University of Advancing Technology frames the degree as an engineering foundation for designing, implementing and analyzing embedded systems, with emphasis on autonomous robotic systems.
The bachelor’s degree is a four-year course of study at Columbus State, leading to robotics and automation careers or advanced study. The catalog also defines the work: a roboticist designs, constructs and programs wheeled mobile robots, drones, marine vehicles, space systems and industrial manipulators.
The practical consequence is breadth. This degree suits you if you like moving between hardware and code. If you want to specialize purely in software or purely in mechanical design, a traditional computer science or mechanical engineering degree may fit better, because a robotics program spreads your credit hours over every discipline a robot needs.
Pay and what to expect after graduation
The salary data supplied by ASU lists the same figures for two roles. Robotics Engineer and Automation Engineer each show a median salary of $122,930 and growth of 3.7%, drawn from O*NET data as cited on the ASU degree page. ASU adds that example job titles and salaries are not necessarily entry level, and that experience, location and advanced degrees may all matter.
Read the number as a reference point for these two titles, not as a starting salary. When you compare programs, ask each department for its own graduate outcomes instead of assuming the median applies to a first job.
- Job titles to search for: Robotics Engineer and Automation Engineer are the two roles with listed pay figures, so use them as search terms when you look at employer postings.
- Role choice shapes your electives: a robot-building job leans on the embedded and mechatronics courses described below, while automation work leans on integration of sensors and actuators.
- Advanced study changes the picture: because ASU names advanced degrees as a pay factor, weigh a graduate path if your target role is research-heavy.
Courses and the robot-building skills they build
Course titles matter less than the skill each one puts in your hands. The programs below show how typical coursework maps to the parts of a working robot.
Control systems and motion
Control systems courses teach you how a robot decides and corrects its motion. WVU’s Robotic Manipulators course covers forward and inverse kinematics, mechanics, modeling and control. Its Mobile Robotics course adds mobile robot sensors, state estimation, navigation algorithms, path planning and robot control processes. At Columbus State, feedback control is a required course rather than an elective, and the University of California, Riverside lists planning, navigation and control, and machine learning among its advanced methods.
Mechatronics and hardware
Mechatronics is the course group that joins mechanical and electronic parts into one system. WVU’s mechatronics course covers a selection of mechanical and electronic components and their integration into complex systems, with a lab. At UAT, the Mechatronics course teaches basic mechanical design, PCB layout and common mechanical control methods. ASU’s robotics concentration similarly covers electromechanical systems, sensor and actuator integration, and embedded digital systems application.
If you want to build chassis, mounts and custom circuit boards, choose a program where this material is taught with lab time. For a closer look at the sensing side, see Types Of Sensors: The Essential Guide To Sensor Technologies In 2026.
Embedded software and navigation
Embedded programming and navigation courses turn hardware into behavior. UAT’s RBT347 Robot Navigation has student teams design, implement and evaluate software for an autonomous mobile robotic platform. ASU’s coursework spans robotic systems design, kinematics, motion control, machine vision and embedded systems. A hands-on exercise such as how to build a line following robot previews the same loop from sensor reading to motor response, and the how to build a line following robot walkthrough is a low-cost way to test your interest.
How to choose a program
Choose on accreditation first, then on lab access, then on how much of the curriculum you can shape. ASU’s page states that its program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, applying the General Criteria together with the Engineering, General Engineering, Engineering Physics and Engineering Science Program Criteria. Use that as the model question for any school: which commission accredits the program, and under which criteria.
- Accreditation: ask for the ABET status of the exact program, not only the university. It is a quality filter that is easy to check before you apply.
- Lab capacity: WVU lists 7 robotics faculty research labs offering undergraduate research opportunities. UCR lists one research center, 10 research labs and multiple maker spaces. Ask any program how undergraduates get access to comparable facilities.
- Curriculum flexibility: UCR sets 72 lower-division units and 65 upper-division units. Compare unit totals and see how many are fixed and how many you can choose.
- Course depth: look for required controls, mechatronics and embedded courses with labs, as in the examples above, instead of a single overview course.
If you plan to work in industry straight after your bachelor’s, favor labs and team projects. If you may continue to graduate study, favor programs with research labs open to undergraduates.
Frequently asked questions
Can I join a robotics team in my first year?
At West Virginia University, one of four robotics competition teams can be joined as a freshman, according to the program page. Ask other schools how early students can join teams.
What do bachelor’s graduates usually do next?
Columbus State says bachelor’s graduates typically work in the robotics and automation industry, continue their studies or enter the armed services, as stated in its catalog.
Which hardware do embedded programming courses use?
It depends on the school. UAT’s RBT211 Embedded Programming emphasizes Arduino hardware, as shown in its degree listing.
How many classes can I pick from?
UCR students choose from more than 60 classes taught by faculty from three engineering departments, according to its undergraduate overview. Elective range varies by program, so compare catalogs.
