Introduction
The MSc Robotics and Artificial Intelligence programme is designed for students with a background in engineering, computer science, or a related subject who are interested in pursuing a career in the rapidly growing field of robotics and AI.
Start in September or January and take advantage of the high demand for robotics and AI engineers.
Study Information
Study Options
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- January or September
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
The convergence of robotics and AI is revolutionising industrial automation and has led to a high demand for robotics engineers who have the knowledge and skills needed to design, develop and evaluate systems to help companies improve their processes and operations.
This master’s programme covers the fundamental concepts and skills of robotics and AI including robot manipulator arms and mobile robots, bioinspiration, machine (deep) learning, simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), swarm robotics, computer vision and AI. You will also gain hands-on experience through practical projects and lab work in our dedicated robotics laboratory.
We place a particular focus on handling uncertainties in industrial processes, machine learning methodologies and algorithms, autonomous systems and the application of advances in robotics and AI to the optimisation of manufacturing and industrial operations (Industry 4.0).
Your individual project will focus on a problem confronting industry today, providing you with an excellent opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge to solving a practical 'real-word' problems and demonstrate your capabilities to particular organisations or industry sectors.
The programme is supported by cutting-edge research from the Artificial Intelligence, Robotics And Mechatronic Systems (ARMS) group in the School of Engineering and the AberdeenML (Machine Learning) group based in the School of Natural and Computing Sciences.
Ultimately, the MSc Robotics and Artificial Intelligence is designed to empower students from a range of engineering, computer science, physics, maths and bioinformatics to design, build and test systems that will enhance operational efficiency and productivity.
Available Programmes of Study
- MSc
-
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Qualification Duration Learning Mode Study Mode Start Month LocationMSc 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time September Aberdeen MoreMSc 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time January Aberdeen MoreProgramme Fees
Fee information Fee category Cost EU / International students £27,000 Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year UK £11,100 Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year Semester 1
Compulsory Courses
- Kinematics and Dynamics of Industrial Robot Arms (EG554V)
-
15 Credit Points
Robotics is an essential component of Industry 4.0. The adoption of robots in industries worldwide is on the rise and robotic arms are the most successful robotic platform.
The course introduces students to the analysis and use of robot arms, by exposing them to the theoretical basis of robotics as well as their practical implementation. This course focuses on the kinematics, dynamics and control of robotic arms.
- Industrial Robot Programming and Learning (EG554W)
-
15 Credit Points
The aim of the course is to give an overview of the different approaches to specify motions of industrial and mobile robots, up to autonomous robots that learn from their experiences. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of machine learning, which are relevant for robotics research and practice.
- Data Mining with Deep Learning (CS552J)
-
15 Credit Points
This course aims to make students familiar with basic data mining and visualisation techniques and software tools. Students will learn how to analyse complex datasets by applying data pre-processing, exploration, clustering and classification, time series analysis, and many other techniques. This course will also cover text mining and qualitative modelling. Through this course students will be able to analyse real-world datasets in various domains and discover novel patterns from them. This course is particularly suitable for those who are interested in working as data analysts or data scientists in the future.
- Software Agents and Multi - Agent Systems (CS551K)
-
15 Credit Points
The global autonomous systems market is expected to be valued at over £13 billion by 2025, involving both software systems and robots. Such autonomous systems act to achieve goals with no human intervention, and are already found in Tesla's self-driving cars, NASA space probes and systems such as Amazon's Echo. This course provides the student with a solid grounding in the theory and tools which underpin such systems, teaching them both how to develop such systems, and use them effectively as part of a larger product.
Semester 2
Compulsory Courses
- MSc Individual Project (EG59F1)
-
60 Credit Points
The MSc Individual Project is an independent piece of research based on a topic related to a student’s degree programme. Students are encouraged to focus on a problem confronting industry or a related area. The individual project provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate how the in-depth skills and knowledge they have gained during the taught courses can be used to provide solutions to practical problems. The individual project should contain a degree of original research.
Semester 3
Compulsory Courses
- EG505P Intelligent Robotics for Energy Infrastructure
- Introduction to Mobile Robotics and Bioinspiration (EG504M)
-
15 Credit Points
Mobile robots can be used in a range of applications, including warehouses, agriculture, and other real-world environments. One of the main challenges for robots operating in the real world is that this is an unstructured environment. Nature has found clever solutions for the design of intelligent and effective systems operating in the unstructured environment hence biology is an obvious source of inspiration for robotics. In this course we take inspiration from nature to engineer intelligent systems for real-world applications as, for example, locomotion.
- Applied Artificial Intelligence (CS5079)
-
15 Credit Points
This course will allow students to use cutting-edge AI technologies to investigate the creation and application of AI systems. Such tools include deep learning libraries and simulation environments.
- Machine Learning (CS5062)
-
15 Credit Points
This course will deliver the most sophisticated Machine Learning methodologies and algorithms which would be illustrated across a wide range of applications including but not limited to images, videos, health, time series data, language processing, etc. This course provides students with the Machine Learning principles for continuing learning and working in the area of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Fee Information
Additional Fee Information
- Fees for individual programmes can be viewed in the Programmes section above.
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our Tuition Fees page.
Scholarships
Self-funded international students enrolling on Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programmes for January 2025 will receive one of our Aberdeen Global Scholarships, ranging from £3,000 to £8,000, depending on your domicile country. Learn more about these Aberdeen Global Scholarships here.
From September 2025 all eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students will receive an £8,000 scholarship. Learn more about this Aberdeen Global Scholarship here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Group Projects
- Individual Projects
- Lab Work
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Why Study Robotics and Artificial Intelligence?
- This programme combines robotics and AI - two of the most important emerging technologies in industry and society today.
- You will learn both the theoretical underpinnings and the specific tools and techniques of robotics and AI to solve real-world problems.
- You will learn the key skills in the use of Symbolic AI, Machine Learning, Data Mining and Natural Language Processing in order to be able to engineer, develop and evaluate AI systems
- Your research project gives you the opportunity to further enhance your problem-solving and communication skills and apply the skills and knowledge you obtain throughout the programme.
- There has been a huge increase in demand for AI specialists across almost every industry, from energy and manufacturing to healthcare and cybercrime. This recent LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise report listed Machine Learning Engineer as one of the fastest-growing jobs in the UK.
- The University of Aberdeen has a strong history and worldwide reputation in Data Science, Natural Language Generation and Artificial Intelligence and is home to the research success of ARRIA NLG - the global leader in the field of natural language generation (NLG).
- Our close industry links mean you will have opportunities to apply your skills through training and networking events and industrial placements organised through our partner organisations.
- Students have access to our dedicated robotics laboratory, including Pepper: used for human-robot interaction; Panda robot arm: used for machine learning for manipulation; Soft robots: used for wearable devices for rehabilitation and advanced control; Dingo robot: used for machine learning and artificial intelligence; Kilobots and arena: used for swarm robotics; Epuck: used for mobile robotics
- Delivered by specialist staff drawn from electrical and mechanical engineering as well as computer science, this MSc in Industrial Robotics offers a true interdisciplinary education.
- The University of Aberdeen is a member of the Turing University Network, a network of UK universities engaged in cutting-edge teaching and research in data science and AI.
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
- 2:1 (upper second class) UK Honours degree, or an Honours degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth in Engineering or Computer Science is preferred.
- Those with a 2:2 Honours degree may also be considered if they can demonstrate 1+ years of relevant experience.
- Applicants from other academic backgrounds are strongly urged to contact the Admissions Team with their academic transcript listing all the courses they have studied, in order to discuss suitability.
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
English Language Requirements
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Document Requirements
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
- Degree Certificate
- a degree certificate showing your qualifications
- Degree Transcript
- a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
- Personal Statement
- a detailed personal statement explaining your motivation for this particular programme
- Reference
- a reference letter from your university discussing your academic ability. If you have been out of education for a long time you may wish to use your current or most recent employer, or another professional person
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
Eligible self-funded Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Explore our Global Scholarships, including eligibility details, on our dedicated pages.
January 2025 September 2025Careers
Advances in robotics and AI are transforming almost every industry sector from manufacturing and healthcare to fintech, retail and autonomous vehicles.
During the Covid pandemic, many organisations stepped up their use of robotics and automation and this trend is set to continue resulting in an increasing demand for qualified robotics technicians, engineers and computer scientists.
Typical roles this programme will prepare you for include:
- Artificial Intelligence Engineer/Specialist
- Design Engineer
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Natural Language Processing Engineer
- Robotics Engineer
- Software Engineer
According to the careers website talent.com, the average robotic engineer salary in the United Kingdom is £40,000 per year. Entry-level positions start at £35,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to £60,344 per year.
Our Experts
- Associate Director
- Dewei Yi
- Director
- Dr Sumeet Sunil Aphale
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX