Graduate Students
Current Cornell graduate students interested in conducting research in robotics are encouraged to explore the work done in robotics faculty labs and reach out directly to faculty members about possible collaborations.
Prospective doctoral students can apply to any PhD program represented by the robotics faculty. Cornell also offers a Robotics Ph.D. program through the Aerospace Engineering (AE), Computer Science (CS), Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and Mechanical Engineering (ME) graduate fields.
Robotics Ph.D. Program
Cornell offers a Ph.D. in Robotics through four fields in the Graduate School: Aerospace Engineering (AE), Computer Science (CS), Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and Mechanical Engineering (ME). This program has two broad educational goals. First, the program trains students in interdisciplinary research in robotics, enabling them to perform cutting-edge research. Second, the program trains students to be aware of the societal implications of their work, the methodologies and approaches that involve stakeholders in the research, and ethical considerations.
For questions regarding the Robotics Ph.D. program, please contact robotics-phd@cornell.edu
Applying
If you are interested in the Robotics Ph.D. program, you must apply through the Graduate School. When applying, you will need to choose a field of study (AE, CS, ECE, or ME). The choice of field is up to you; we recommend choosing a field that matches both your background and your interests.
The field you choose determines:
- Which faculty can serve as your advisor – only faculty who have field membership in your chosen field can be your advisor
- One of the minors you will need to complete
- Your deadline for the application:
- Dec. 1: AE and ME
- Dec. 15: CS and ECE
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate School Ph.D. requirements, the following are the Robotics Ph.D. specific requirements:
| Requirement | Timing | Evaluation | |
| Technical breadth in robotics | Two foundational courses chosen from an approved list | First year | B or better in class. |
| Technical depth in discipline | Minor in the student’s field. At least one special committee member (apart from the chair) must be in the field. Typically 2-3 classes as defined by your minor advisor.
| Before B exam | B or better in classes |
| Research skills | Qualifying (Q) exam | By the end of the summer of the first year | Evaluated using a rubric by the program-appointed exam committee |
| Community engagement | Community engagement seminar | By the end of the second year | B or better |
| Ethics | Ethics class (from a list) | By the end of the second year | B or better |
Technical breadth in robotics: Students are required to take two foundational courses in robotics during their first year. These courses will be chosen from an approved list. Currently, the list consists of: foundation of robotics (offered by CS, cross listed with MAE and ECE), autonomous mobile robots (offered by MAE, cross listed with CS and ECE), human-robot interaction: algorithms and experiments (offered by MAE, cross listed with CS), fast robots (offered by ECE, cross listed with MAE), robot perception (offered by MAE, cross listed with ECE), robot learning (offered by CS).
Research skills: The qualifying (Q) exam, to be taken by the beginning of the third semester, includes a presentation on state-of-the-art topics in robotics, chosen by the student and approved, ahead of time, by the qualifying exam committee. During the qualifying exam, the student presents a literature review, and is asked questions on the broader implications of the research papers they studied.
Community engagement seminar: All students in the program will be required to take the community engagement seminar during their second year. This seminar examines principles, frameworks, and methodologies for addressing societal problems arising from robotics research. By participating, students will gain a deeper appreciation of the ways their research can serve a public purpose, and learn methods to be responsive to community needs.
Ethics: Students will choose one of an approved list of existing classes. Examples include INFO 4301 (Ethics in New Media, Technology, and Communication), ECE 2750 (Ethical Issues in Intelligent Autonomous Systems), and INFO 4270 (Ethics and Policy in Data Science), INFO 1260 (Choices and Consequences in Computing), FSAD 6800 (Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change). Students may choose another suitable course and have it approved by their special committee.
Events and Mailing List
Join robotics-l@cornell.edu
View current and past robotics seminars