A robotics engineering major is one academic program that can lead to a career as a robotics engineer. It is the one degree specifically focused on the robotics discipline. Few universities offer a degree focused specifically on the robotics engineering discipline. Because the field of robotics is highly interdisciplinary in nature, a robotics engineering major is only one of several options to enter this field. Universities that offer a robotics engineering major like Worcester Polytechnic Institute attempt to provide students with the broadest level of knowledge possible in the discipline because other related disciplines may only cover one aspect of robotics. Most robotics programs require multiple courses in advanced mathematics and science as well as courses in areas like introductory robotics, robotics theory and practice, industrial robotics and systems modeling and analysis.
Mechanical engineering degree programs are far more common among American colleges and universities than robotics engineering. Mechanical engineering applies the principles of materials science and physics to the development of various mechanical systems. Because robots are dependent upon mechanics to operate, a broad understanding of mechanical engineering can be beneficial to the robotics engineer. Traditional mechanical engineering programs may not suffice for work in this field; instead, it may be necessary to pursue a degree from a university like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that offers mechanical engineering as part of a broadly based interdisciplinary program where you can take additional coursework in a field such as robotics. Some universities offer the mechanical engineering degree with an emphasis in robotics rather than simply offering a robotics major.
Biomechanical engineering is a third major related to the field of robotics. Biomechanical engineers apply the principles of mechanical engineering to the field of biological knowledge to improve people's quality of life. Biomechanical engineering is usually taught as a sub-discipline of biomedical science at most universities. Stanford University, however, offers the discipline as a standalone major. Degree programs in biomechanical engineering tend to be interdisciplinary in nature and require courses from a wide range of disciplines like mechanical engineering, biomedical science and robotics. Courses can include areas of study such as modeling and simulation of human movement, form and function of animal skeletons and the biomechanics of movement.