Undergraduate Honors Program
About Us
Texas Robotics is a partnership between four Top 10 ranked departments. The Texas Robotics Honors Program is a multidisciplinary study of robotics, combining hands-on research, courses in engineering and computer science, an engagement in Texas Robotics events.
How to Apply
Step 1: Apply to one of the following majors:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Computational Engineering
- Computer Science
- X+CS Integrated Degree Program
- Mechanical Engineering
Step 2: Select yes for “Are you interested in being considered for the robotics program?”
Step 3: Submit an additional short answer essay on robotics program interest (max 500 words)
Want to learn more? Register for one of our virtual info sessions.
Info Session #1: September 17, 2026 6:00 PM CT
Registration link: https://utexas.zoom.us/meeting/register/o7pYK7urT5euOQouP2kDww
Info Session #2: October 29, 2026 6:00 PM CT
Registration link: https://utexas.zoom.us/meeting/register/MwgktUACRFGDEd47YLhI-g
Program Components
The Robotics Living and Learning Community (LLC)
The Robotics LLC, supported by Texas Robotics, is an immersive, year-long program where students live together in a tight-knit, interdisciplinary residential community at Jester West. Participants will have many exclusive benefits such as LLC events, mentorship, lab and research exploration, 1:1 advising, and connection with the robotics community. The Robotics LLC is reserved for the Texas Robotics Honors Program, meaning only students admitted into the honors program can join the Robotics LLC.
Students in the Robotics LLC will enjoy:
- More interactions with robotics faculty, staff, and the robotics community
- A unique small cohort experience only available to students in the new Texas Robotics Honors Program
- Access to exclusive events and opportunities
Learn more about the Living and Learning Community
Freshman Research Initiative (FRI)
During their freshman year, students will join the largest undergraduate research program in the country through the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) program. FRI empowers first-year students to engage in real-world robotics research with Texas Robotics faculty.
Students admitted into the Texas Robotics Honors Program will have a guaranteed admission to FRI and will receive a spot in one of the robotics FRI streams. You will not need to submit the general FRI application!
Students in the program will learn about the different robotics streams and make their selection in the fall semester and enroll in their preferred FRI robotics stream in the spring of their freshman year.
Our current robotics stream options: Robot Learning, Autonomous Driving, Medical Robotics & Haptics, Space & Robotics, Autonomous Robots:
https://fri.cns.utexas.edu/research-streams/texas-robotics-streams
Minor in Robotics
Upon admission, students are offered a reserved spot in the Minor in Robotics program (contingent on academic success and completion of the FRI). The 15-credit hour minor will include the Gateway to Robotics exclusive course (RBT 350) and four electives across five specialized content areas (Hardware, Programming, Modeling & Control, Sensing, Perception & Planning, Machine learning)
Texas Robotics Honors students will not need to apply for the Minor in Robotics general application for current UT students!
Students will be notified near their second year about registration for our intro course, “Gateway to Robotics” to officially enroll in the program.
Q&A Section
Yes. Current UT students can apply to the Minor in Robotics general application, and applications open every spring semester. For more information about the minor application and requirements, visit our website (link). Please note you must still be majoring in ASE, COE, CS, ECE, or ME to be eligible. Please note that due to capacity limitations, we are only able to accept a set number of students each year. Students are encouraged to apply more than once if not admitted the first time.
The Minor in Robotics is a 15-credit hour minor in which current UT students can apply to enroll. The Minor in Robotics application opens every spring semester and is only available for the following majors: Commuter Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computational Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering.
Texas Robotics Honors program is our newest undergraduate academic program, only available to incoming freshmen, and it includes a reserved spot in the Minor in Robotics.
High school students can apply to the Texas Robotics Honors Program using either the Common App or Apply Texas. Enrolled students gain access to a unique, three-part robotics journey featuring the Robotics Living Learning Community (LLC), the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), and a Minor in Robotics.
Yes, the Robotics LLC is an optional part of the program. Students admitted into the program are highly encouraged to opt into the The Robotics Living Learning Community, which will only be available to first-year students in the undergraduate robotics program. Students accepted into the program will be contacted in spring and allowed to opt in or out of the Robotics LLC.
The Minor in Robotics will kick off with RBT 350, our required introduction to robotics course. Students will be expected to start the minor their sophomore to junior year. Students are not required to take any robotics courses their first semester at UT Austin.
Students admitted into the Texas Robotics Honors Program will have a guaranteed admission to The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) and will receive a spot in one of the robotics FRI streams. You will not need to submit the general FRI application! Students will make selections for the stream of their choice their first semester in the program, and will need to enroll in the Robotics FRI Stream of their choice the second semester of their first year.