Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng
London, Stratford (UCL East)
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng (2024)
Intelligent robots will form a part of any conceivable future for society. The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng draws together teaching from Computer Science, AI and Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, combining theory with practical experience. Our goal is to help you become future engineers, leaders and researchers in intelligent robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology, engineering, and finance.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
Programme starts
September 2025Application deadline
29 Jan 2025UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- A*A*A
- Subjects
- A* in either Mathematics or Further Mathematics required.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Contextual offer information
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Contextual offers are typically one to two grades lower than the standard offer. Grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published in Summer 2024.
- Points
- 40
- Subjects
- A total of 20 points in three higher level subjects including grade 7 in Mathematics. The programme will accept either 'Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches' or 'Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.
Contextual offer
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Contextual offers are typically one to two grade boundaries (equivalent to A levels) lower than the standard offer. IB Diploma grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published in Summer 2024.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
D2,D2,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, to include either Mathematics or Further Mathematics at D2.
A1,A1,A at Advanced Highers (or A1,A1 at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher), to include Mathematics at Advanced Higher A1.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades A*A*A, to include either Mathematics or Further Mathematics at A*.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
If you do not meet the entry requirements for direct entry to this undergraduate programme, you may be eligible to apply for the Engineering Foundation Year at UCL. Designed for individuals from non-traditional educational backgrounds who do not meet standard entry requirements for UCL's undergraduate engineering degrees, this pre-degree programme helps you develop confidence, academic and study skills, and subject specific knowledge. On successful completion of the Engineering Foundation Year, you can gain access to a selection of the engineering undergraduate degree programmes at UCL. Find out more about the Engineering Foundation Year.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.
For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 1
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Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
We believe that computers should interact with, shape and change the world for the better. The emerging field of intelligent robotics will have a profound effect on humanity, just as its component parts of Computer Science, AI, and Engineering have done and continue to do.
In this programme, you will learn from our world-leading AI and robotics experts and gain access to our large suite of mobile manipulators and specialist robots.
The syllabus provides a solid foundation in theory with a focus on mathematics, engineering, programming, machine learning, and AI. Interwoven with theory is a range of practical work, enabling you to apply your knowledge and create practical solutions to problems using AI and a variety of real and simulated robots.
The programme is taught at the new, purpose-designed UCL East campus in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, bringing you a modern learning environment in an exciting location.
What this course will give you
UCL is ranked 9th globally in the latest QS World University Rankings (2024), giving you an exciting opportunity to study at one of the world’s best universities. UCL was also named The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2024.
UCL was ranked first in England and second in the UK for research power in Computer Science and Informatics in the UK’s most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). You will learn from leading academic experts at the forefront of computer science innovation.
As a graduate of this programme, you will acquire an outstanding theoretical basis and be equipped with practical engineering skills that can be applied to practical situations.
You will tackle issues by applying algorithms to data, get to grips with debugging, designing and running experiments, and understand the complexities of the practical application of these skills.
Alongside project work, you will get involved in the many ethical debates that run throughout the MEng, distinguishing between the technologies that can be developed and the ones that should be developed.
You will also have opportunities to solve real-world problems facing industry via the Department’s Industry Exchange Network, preparing you as a practice-ready expert in Artificial Intelligence and intelligent robotics.
Teaching and learning
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Upon successful completion of 480 credits, you will be awarded a MEng (Hons) in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
Modules
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
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The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng is a four-year programme. Because it develops skills across a range of traditionally distinct areas, much of the programme consists of compulsory modules.
Year 1:
The programme's first year provides you with a firm foundation in mathematics, computer science and general engineering. You will take modules that cover the basics of computer, mechanical and electronic systems, and mathematics. The modules promote the practical application of theory and lead into practical project work in term 3, which requires you to synthesise learning from the foundational modules by exercising appropriate skills.
Year 2:
In the second year, you continue to develop basic skills but will be introduced both to higher-level engineering concepts aimed at building, testing and optimising systems. You will also begin learning about Artificial Intelligence and the role of machine learning. These skills are exercised in an industrial project run using the IXN framework, working with real clients from external bodies (including charities, healthcare providers and others as well as industry and those elsewhere in academia).
Year 3:
In the third year, you will start to develop the integration of fundamental skills in systems and machine learning, examining how robots perceive and understand their environment, how they plan actions in pursuit of a higher-level goal and how they work together. The year also includes a group project in which the ability to exercise these considerations alongside technical development is developed.
Year 4:
The fourth year continues the journey towards the programme aims in which you create and reason about learning, intelligent, rational, mobile agents and how they perceive, traverse, and manipulate the environment. Higher-level concepts in perception, learning and understanding are accompanied by courses that focus on interactions with humans and broader societal considerations, including the economic impact of robots on existing industries as well as the opportunities to create new ventures. An individual project runs throughout the entire year and provides you the opportunity to integrate all your knowledge in a research or industry-linked activity. There is a single optional module in this year, expected to be drawn from the wider UCL East offerings.
Compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Your learning
The programme's core curriculum is delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials, individual and group activities and lab classes. You will be expected to supplement material provided by lecturers with your own research by reading around the subject and by engaging with wider activities in robotics, for example by attending seminars. There is a focus on practical problem-based learning and group-based working. From the start of the programme, you will apply the theory you have learned and work with others to solve real and challenging problems of increasing complexity and open-endedness.
Contact time across your programme can take a variety of forms, for example, lectures, seminars, tutorials, question & answer sessions, project supervision, demonstrations, practical classes and workshops, visits, placements, office hours (where staff are available for consultation), interaction by email or other media, and situations where feedback on assessed work is given (one-to-one or in a group.)
The following are estimates for the number of contact hours you can expect in each year of study for the compulsory modules, based on our most recent planning. These figures are published a long time in advance and are subject to change.
Year 1: 160 hours of lectures; 150 hours of tutorials/ seminars/ problem classes; 120 hours of labs; and 150 hours of other digital learning/ tutor-led contact.
Year 2: 145 hours of lectures; 145 hours of tutorials/ seminars/ problem classes; 75 hours of labs; and 135 hours of other digital learning/ tutor-led contact.
Year 3: 145 hours of lectures; 105 hours of tutorials/ seminars/ problem classes; 160 hours of labs; and 60 hours of other digital learning/ tutor-led contact.
Year 4: 120 hours of lectures; 60 hours of tutorials/ seminars/ problem classes; 190 hours of labs; 85 hours of other digital learning/ tutor-led contact; and 10 hours of project supervision.
Contact hours in some years will vary depending on your optional and elective module selections. You will be able to review each module’s indicative timetable in advance of making and confirming your module selections each year.
Assessment
The programme's core curriculum is assessed through a range of methods that typically include individual and group coursework, lab demonstrations and reports, individual and group projects with associated presentations and project reports, tests and written examinations, and oral assessments.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.
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The foundation of your career
As this programme launched in 2023, there is no alumni information yet. However, you can expect to acquire skills that can be applied to a portfolio of career types that intersect with leading-edge technologies. You will be well equipped to work as a robotics engineer or work on robotics systems that exist within companies spanning all industries.
You will also have sought-after machine learning and AI expertise, where experts are in demand across many industries. Start-ups, spin-offs, finance, engineering, autonomous vehicles, and the world of film, TV and animation can also make excellent use of your skills.
As a graduate of the MEng, you will have a comprehensive understanding of AI and robotics, and you will be able to apply this knowledge in many sectors that are interested in how intelligent robots can help them.
Employability
As a graduate of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng, you will have key critical skills in mathematics, engineering, computer science, Artificial Intelligence and robotics. This core technical knowledge is underpinned by your experience in project work, practically applying knowledge and communicating these through report writing and presentations. By being able to combine theory with practice, you will find yourself equipped to work in the way that engineers work in teams in the real world.
A key principle of this programme is that machines cannot solve the world’s problems alone. They need humans to develop, manage and advance them. Your multidisciplinary knowledge and technical know-how will place you at the forefront of putting this concept into practice.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2024/25) | £9,250 |
| Tuition fees (2024/25) | £41,000 |
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
Students will require a modern computer (PC or Mac) with minimum specifications 8GB RAM and 500GB SSD storage. A computer with the stated specifications is estimated to cost £500 or greater.
A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding your studies
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Scholarships
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Next steps
Your application
In addition to academic requirements, we are looking for you to demonstrate a proven interest in computing and a clear understanding of what studying robotics and artificial intelligence entails. We are keen to admit students with an interest in subjects that relate to applications of computer technology.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
Once an offer has been made, applicants are invited to attend an Offer-holder Open Day (in person or virtual), where they can find out more about us and what it’s like to study Computer Science at UCL. Additionally, the Open Day gives you the opportunity to ask questions to the Admissions Tutor and students currently enrolled on the programme. The UCAS application is assessed by a central UCL team against the published entry criteria. Applicants with non-standard qualifications are referred to the Computer Science Admissions Tutor for review.
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