Note: this is a preliminary description of the Robotics Q. It is subject to change, and will be updated as the robotics program is fully established.
A qualifying exam will be administered by a committee composed of the robotics faculty. The committee will typically include at least two faculty members appointed by, or approved by, the program director. The goal of the qualifying exam is to assess the student’s ability to acquire, synthesize and present scholarly knowledge, to demonstrate competence of the student in fundamental knowledge in the field, and to assist the special committee in developing a follow-up program of study for the student. For the qualifying exam, the student will compose a reading list on a robotics topic of their choosing, synthesize the knowledge, and present an overview of the topic based on the readings in an oral presentation. The qualifying exam committee will provide a justified ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ recommendation based on this presentation. The qualifying exam will be taken within one year of enrolling in the program, unless given an extension by the director of the program.