Robotics Stream Freshman Research Initiative

CNS students apply to and are admitted to the FRI prior to their Freshman year at the university. Through this program, students attend a research seminar and complete a guided research project. (There were a limited number of seats available in the Robot Learning stream for CSE students majoring in ASE, COE, ECE, and ME to enter a lottery for a spot.)

If you are interested in the Freshman Research Initiative, learn more here.

Texas Robotics Undergraduate Research Program

Through the Texas Robotics Undergraduate Research Program, current undergraduate students in the University of Texas are able to apply to research assistant positions offered by current Texas Robotics graduate students. 

Learn more about open positions and apply. 

Minor in Robotics

Minor Applications are closed for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Students who applied for the 2024-2025 cycle will hear back by April 2. Please check back in Spring 2025 for the next application cycle.

Admissions Overview

The Minor in Robotics is intended for undergraduate students who wish to develop proficiencies in the interdisciplinary field of robotics while pursuing a major in a related field. Admissions will be held annually in the Spring for the next academic year. 

• The minor must be completed in conjunction with an undergraduate degree in one of the following supported majors: Aerospace Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering,  Computational Engineering, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering.
• Students must have completed 24 hours or more in residence by the end of the current semester at the University of Texas at Austin to apply. (The minor is intended for students to begin in their second or third year.) 
• Students must be able to attend RBT 350 Gateway to Robotics, which meets TTH 9:30 am to 11:00 am. 

Overview of Application Components
This application cannot be saved and completed later. All required components must be submitted in one sitting. Applications will open on February 1 and are due on March 1.

• Required: Resume
• Required: A potential 4-year degree plan (See an example here)
  • This should include future major courses and robotics minor courses you hope to take. Please include courses you have already taken from past semesters in bold. (This is a tentative plan and can be changed in the future.)
• Required: Video Essay (a maximum of 2 minutes)
  • Prompt: Tell us about yourself. Why are you interested in robotics? How will this minor help you achieve your personal and/or career goals? What impact do you hope to make in the field of robotics?

Minor Requirements
The Minor in Robotics requires a completion of 15 credit hours (5 courses) which must include the following:

• One 3-credit hour Gateway to Robotics Course: RBT 350 
  • Note that you must be accepted into the minor to enroll in this course. This course will prepare students to take robotics minor courses in areas outside of their declared major.
• The remaining 4 courses must be from different content areas and 2 out of the 4 courses must be from outside of the student’s major
• There are 5 content areas: hardware; programming; modeling & control; sensing, perception & planning; and machine learning. See course options here.
  • Note that a single course can only fulfill a single content area. Ex. CS 378: Autonomous Driving could fulfill either a programming course, a modeling & control course, or a sensing, perception & planning course

RBT 350: Gateway to Robotics FAQs
RBT 350 is the gateway course for the minor in robotics, and must be taken the first year of enrollment in the minor. This course will prepare students to take robotics minor courses in areas outside of their declared major.

• At this time, students must be accepted into the minor to enroll in this course. 
• There are currently no official prerequisites for RBT 350, however, it is highly encouraged to complete linear algebra prior to enrolling in RBT 350 or to be enrolled in it concurrently.
• RBT 350 will be offered in the Spring and the Fall, and it can be taken either semester.
• RBT 350 must be completed prior to beginning courses for the minor that are outside of the student’s major. 
• For the purposes of creating the 4 year course plan for the application, students can assume that RBT 350 will serve as an alternative prerequisite for approved Robotics Minor Courses. 
  • It is still undetermined for which courses RBT 350 will serve as a prerequisite.
  • Students may still require the consent of the instructor for courses that RBT 350 serves as an alternative prerequisite.

Questions? 

Please talk to your advisor or email robotics@utexas.edu if you have any questions.