Robotics Engineering Minor

Description

This interdisciplinary minor prepares students to understand, design, develop, and implement robotic systems. Robotic systems are composed of embedded systems, motor, sensors, actuators, and interfaces requiring an understanding of dynamics, control, sensing, artificial intelligence, human-robot interaction, and embedded computing and programming. Students will prepare for careers in robotic systems and related automated vehicle design, and for related graduate studies. This minor is available to all majors. Consult with your advisor before declaring this minor.

The robotics engineering minor is jointly administered by the:

  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE)
  • School of Computing
  • Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department (MME)

Note that the College Entrance Requirements shown below apply only to students in the College of Engineering.

 

College Requirements

College Admission

College Entrance Requirements

Students must have high school credit for (one unit is equal to one high school year):

  1. Mathematics – 4 units: 2 of algebra, 1 of geometry, and 1 of precalculus and trigonometry
  2. English – 4 units
  3. Natural sciences – 3 units that must include 1 unit of physics and 1 unit of chemistry (chemistry requirement waived for students in construction management or computer science)
  4. Foreign language – 2 units of a single foreign language
  5. Social studies – 3 units
  6. Students having a composite ACT score of 28 or greater (or equivalent SAT score) will be admitted to the College of Engineering even if they lack any one of the following: trigonometry, chemistry, or physics. Students without test scores who are missing a full unit of trigonometry/pre-calculus/calculus or chemistry or physics will be evaluated through College Review.

A total of 16 units is required for admission.

Engineering requires that student performance meet one of the following standards: composite ACT of 24, SAT of 1180, ACT Math subscore of 24, SAT Math subscore of 580, or a 3.5 cumulative GPA. 

 

Any domestic first-year student who does not gain admission to Engineering but does gain admission to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will be reviewed through College Review. College Review is conducted through the College Review Committee which considers factors beyond standardized testing. Any first-year student who is not admitted through college review is placed in Pre-Engineering (PENG) with the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center (Explore Center). Students in the Explore Center can transfer to the College of Engineering once college admission requirements are met. 

Students for whom English is not their language of nurture must meet the minimum English proficiency requirements of the University. 

Students who lack entrance units may complete precollege training by Independent Study through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Office of On-line and Distance Education, in summer courses, or as a part of their first or second semester course loads while in the Explore Center or other colleges at UNL. 

Students should consult their advisor, their department chair, or Engineering Student Services (ESS) if they have questions on current policies. 

Other Admission Requirements

Students who transfer to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from other accredited colleges or universities and wish to be admitted to the College of Engineering (COE) must meet COE first-year student entrance requirements, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, and be calculus-ready. Students not meeting either of these requirements must enroll in the Explore Center or another University college until they meet COE admission requirements. Students transferring from UNOUNL, or UNK to the College of Engineering must be in good academic standing with their institution. 

The COE accepts courses for transfer for which a C or better grade was received. Although the University of Nebraska–Lincoln accepts D grades from the University of Nebraska Kearney and the University of Nebraska Omaha, not all majors in the COE accept such low grades. Students must conform to the requirements of their intended major and, in any case, are strongly encouraged to repeat courses with a grade of C- or less.

Students who were previously admitted to COE and are returning to the College of Engineering must demonstrate a cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be readmitted to COE.

College Degree Requirements

Grade Rules

Grade Appeals

In the event of a dispute involving any college policies or grades, the student should appeal to their instructor, and appropriate department chair or school director (in that order). If a satisfactory solution is not achieved, the student may appeal their case through the College Academic Appeals Subcommittee. 

Catalog Rule

Students must fulfill the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year in which they are first admitted at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a subsequent catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Nebraska in the College of Engineering. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. The catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation. 

Students who have transferred from a community college may be eligible to fulfill the requirements as stated in the catalog for an academic year in which they were enrolled at the community college prior to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  This decision should be made in consultation with the student’s College of Engineering academic advising team (e.g., ESS professional advisor and the chief faculty advisor for the student’s declared degree program).  The chief faculty advisor has the final authority for this decision. Eligibility is based on a) enrollment in a community college during the catalog year the student wishes to utilize, b) maintaining continuous enrollment of at least 12 credit hours per semester at the previous institution for at least 2 semesters, and c) continuous enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within 1 calendar year from the student’s last term at the previous institution.  Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year and within the timeframe allowable for that catalog year. 

Grade Rules

Pass/No Pass

No course taken Pass/No Pass will be counted toward the minor.

Requirements

The robotics engineering minor consists of three core courses and three elective courses. When selecting electives, the student must take two courses outside of their major area of study. For example, a student in mechanical engineering might take an elective from the School of Computing and one from the Department of Electrical Engineering.

Core Requirements
Select one course from each of the three following topic areas:9
Topic Area: Core Programming
CSCE 155
COMPUTER SCIENCE I (version A or E)
CSCE 156
COMPUTER SCIENCE II
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I (UNO course) 1
Topic Area: Controls
MECH 350
INTRODUCTION TO DYNAMIC AND CONTROL OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
ECEN 444
LINEAR CONTROL SYSTEMS
ECEN 491
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ELECTRIC AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING IV
Topic Area: Embedded Systems
ECEN 106
MICROPROCESSOR APPLICATIONS
INTRODUCTION TO EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
CSCE 336
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
MECH 457
MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS
Elective Requirements
Select three of the following; two must be outside your department:9
ECEN 400
ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION
ECEN 428
POWER ELECTRONICS
ECEN 444
LINEAR CONTROL SYSTEMS
ECEN 460
LABVIEW PROGRAMMING
ECEN 462
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
ECEN 498
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IV
CSCE 436
ADVANCED EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
CSCE 439
ROBOTICS ALGORITHMS APPLICATIONS
CSCE 473
COMPUTER VISION
CSCE 476
INTRODUCTION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 1
CSCE 4XX
(SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES ON ROBOTICS)
ECEN 345
MOBILE ROBOTICS I
ECEN 433
MICROPROCESSOR SYSTEM DESIGN
ECEN 435
EMBEDDED MICROCONTROLLER DESIGN
MECH 342
KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS OF MACHINERY
MECH 450
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CONTROL SYSTEMS DESIGN
MECH 442
INTERMEDIATE KINEMATICS
MECH 444
INTERMEDIATE DYNAMICS OF MACHINERY
MECH 449
ADVANCED DYNAMICS
MECH 453
ROBOTICS: KINEMATICS & DESIGN
MECH 458
DIGITAL CONTROL OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
MECH 488
KINEMATICS AND MACHINE DESIGN LABORATORY
Total Credits18
1

On the Scott Campus in Omaha, similar courses being offered by CIST could be substituted.