Beginning in April, Penn Engineering and the GRASP Laboratory will offer a new series of online courses in robotics as part of edX’s “MicroMasters” program.

Students who earn the Robotics MicroMasters credential are eligible to apply to the accelerated M.S.E. in Robotics program at Penn Engineering. If accepted, that credential will count towards 3 of the 10 required courses in the on-campus Master’s program. 

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“For the first time, students from around the world can take rigorous, full-length, graduate level Penn Engineering courses online,” said Kostas Daniilidis, director of Penn Engineering Online and Ruth Yalom Stone Professor. “The Robotics MicroMasters provides global access to one of the top robotics research centers in the world and provides a credential that can be used for career enrichment or advancement.”

Robotics MicroMasters instructors include Camillo J. Taylor, the director of the M.S.E in Robotics, Dan Lee, the director of the GRASP Lab, Dan Koditschek, Alfred Fitler Moore Professor, Kostas Daniilidis, Mark Yim, Jianbo Shi and  Vijay Kumar, the Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering.

“The field of robotics has changed dramatically over the past 50 years,” said Kumar. “It’s changing the way we think about manufacturing, it’s revolutionizing healthcare, it’s disrupting the transportation industry, and it’s sure to impact the food and agriculture industry in the years to come.”

The four 12-week courses comprising the Robotics MicroMasters are: Robotics Fundamentals , Vision Intelligence and Machine Learning, Dynamics and Control, and Locomotion Engineering. They each cost $349.

“Innovation is at the heart of Penn’s engagement in online learning,” said Beth Winkelstein, Penn’s Vice Provost for Education and a professor in Penn Engineering’s Department of Bioengineering. “We are very excited about this educational partnership between edX and Penn Engineering, which will bring aspects of graduate education to even more students.  This initiative embodies the mission of Penn’s faculty and Schools to drive forward new ways of teaching and learning — and to understand the new technologies that will shape our collective future.”

Penn’s MicroMasters in Robotics builds on the University’s online courses offered via Coursera and edX. To date, Penn’s Online Learning Initiative has reached more than 3 million learners in 195 countries. 

More information on Penn’s Robotics MicroMasters program is available: https://www.edx.org/micromasters/pennx-robotics