Coursework Requirements
PhD
The graduate school does not impose coursework requirements for a PhD (see: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/requirements/enrolling-in-courses/).
All three MAE-associated fields impose require PhD students to register for the department colloquium (MAE 7999) at least twice. (see, e.g., ME field rules here). In addition, all MS and PhD students in MAE are required to register for the first semester seminar (MAE 6949).
Your Special Committee will presumably impose a number of course requirements chosen to equip you to effectively complete your research. Minor committee members may also, if they choose, specify course requirements to satisfy their expectations for study in those minor areas of study.
It is expected that in your first semester, prior to matching with your primary advisor, you will take courses that will help you prepare for your Q exam. The various Q exam guidelines list relevant courses, and you may solicit additional suggestions from your DGS and field faculty.
Robotics
The robotics program has its own specific course requirements. Any student whose special committee chair represents the robotics subject/concentration must select courses to fulfill the robotics curriculum requirements. Robotics Ph.D. students will need to take classes in the following categories:
| 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 minor advisor. | Before B exam | B or better in classes, at the discretion of the minor committee member |
| Community engagement | One credit Community engagement seminar | By the end of the second year | “satisfactory” (grading is S/U) |
| Ethics | Ethics class (from a list) | By end of first year | B or better |
| Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) – online training | First semester | completion of the online modules |
Technical breadth in robotics: Students will be 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 three existing courses:
- CS 5750: Foundation of Robotics (cross-listed with MAE and ECE)
- MAE 5180: Autonomous mobile robots (cross-listed with CS and ECE)
- MAE 6710: Human-robot interaction: algorithms and experiments (cross-listed with CS)
- ECE 5160: Fast Robots (cross-listed with MAE)
- MAE 5810: Robot Perception (cross-listed with ECE)
- CS 5756: Robot Learning
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 requirement: 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), and FSAD 6800 (Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change). Students may choose another suitable course and have it approved by their special committee.
Exceptions: Any deviation from the requirements above requires the written approval of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of the field and the director of the robotics Ph.D. For example, a student lacking the background to take the required Ph.D. courses may enroll in an appropriate preparatory course, or a student demonstrating (through prior course work) that they covered the material of a required course may be exempt from a course requirement.
At the time of the A exam, the student must submit to the DGS a summary of the courses used to satisfy all program requirements or to specify intended courses in cases that such coursework has not yet been completed.
MS
The ME field imposes course requirements for the MS degree. The specific requirements can be found in the field rules, here. Course selections in your first semester should be informed by your interests and you may solicit additional suggestions from your DGS and field faculty. Course selections for subsequent semesters should be made in consultation with your advisor.
Enrollment
You must be enrolled each semester until you finish your degree or withdraw from the program. More information on enrollment is available from the graduate school here: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/requirements/enrollment-in-your-program/
You must also enroll for the summer term if, during the summer, you will receive financial aid, fellowships, loans, assistantships, travel grants, or tuition awards (even if not on campus), or if you use any campus facilities over the summer. To enroll for summer terms, enroll in the Graduate School’s Graduate Summer Research course, GRAD 9016 (class numbers 1047, 1048, 1049, 1050), through Student Center. Enroll in only one of the class numbers; if it is full, go to the next number. You will not be automatically enrolled by the Graduate School. Enrollment typically opens in mid-April, and the deadline to enroll for the summer term has historically been around May 20.
Many MAE students do summer internships. If you are on a summer internship (and not planning on coming on campus), you should not enroll for the summer term. You should discuss all internships with your advisor before committing to them.