Master's in Mechatronics
A postgraduate degree, usually one or two years after a bachelor's, that takes you deeper into one area of a field and often ends with a research project or thesis.
Overview
Why study a Master's in Mechatronics?
A master's in Mechatronics is for graduates who already hold a bachelor's in engineering and want to work on automated and robotic systems at a more advanced level. It suits students from mechatronics itself and from neighbouring branches such as mechanical, electrical, electronics and instrumentation engineering, who often join to add the disciplines their first degree lacked. Common awards are the MSc, MEng, MS, MASc or Master of Engineering, sometimes named Mechatronics and Robotics or Robotics and Automation. Programmes take one year in the UK and usually one and a half to two years elsewhere.
Master's programmes come in two broad forms. Taught or coursework degrees offer advanced modules, lab projects and a dissertation, and mostly lead into industry. Research master's degrees centre on a supervised project and are a usual route towards a PhD. Examples are the thesis-track MS in the United States, the MASc in Canada and the laboratory-based master's common in Japan. Research routes more often carry funding through assistantships, while taught students generally pay their own fees, so weigh both cost and purpose before applying.
Master's study goes well beyond bachelor's level in modelling and control. Expect modern and nonlinear control, robot dynamics, state estimation and sensor fusion, machine vision and real-time embedded design, often using ROS, MATLAB and Simulink and hardware-in-the-loop testing. Projects are frequently set with industry partners, and German students frequently complete the master's thesis inside a company. For UK BEng holders, an accredited master's can complete the academic requirement for chartered status, so check accreditation if professional registration matters to you.
Curriculum
What you may study
Master's programmes in Mechatronics commonly offer modules such as these.
- Advanced and nonlinear control
- Robot kinematics, dynamics and motion planning
- Machine vision and image processing
- Sensor fusion and state estimation
- Real-time embedded systems
- Autonomous mobile robots and navigation
- Machine learning for robotics and control
- Electric drives and power electronics
- Model-based design and hardware-in-the-loop testing
- Research methods and dissertation project
Published programmes for Mechatronics at Master's
No programmes for Mechatronics at Master's are published yet.
Not in our catalogue yet: that reflects what Universta lists, not what universities teach.
Programmes show each university’s published offering. Course guides describe the course across universities.
Admission
Getting into Master's in Mechatronics
Most programmes accept a bachelor's in mechatronics, mechanical, electrical, electronics and communication, instrumentation, production or computer engineering. Indian BE and BTech holders are routinely considered, with each university setting its own percentage or CGPA threshold. Admissions teams often check for coursework in control systems, electronics and programming, and some ask applicants from a single discipline to take bridging modules. IELTS, TOEFL or PTE scores, a statement of purpose, a CV and two or three references make up a typical application, and a minority of US universities still want GRE scores.
In Germany, universities often compare your transcript credit by credit against set requirements in mathematics, mechanics, electronics and control, and those with Indian degrees usually need an APS certificate, often applying through uni-assist. In Japan, graduate schools commonly expect you to approach a likely supervisor before applying, and some set an entrance examination or interview. A portfolio of projects, such as a robot, an automation rig or published code, can strengthen any application. Popular programmes and scholarships often close well before the intake, so start planning about a year ahead.
Careers
Career pathways
A master's often leads to specialist design, development and research roles such as the following.
- Robotics Engineer
- Control Systems Engineer
- Motion Control Engineer
- Embedded Software Engineer
- Machine Vision Engineer
- Autonomous Systems Engineer
- Perception Engineer
- Systems Integration Engineer
- Electromechanical Design Engineer
- Research and Development Engineer
- Applications Engineer
- Engineering Project Manager
Sectors
Industries
Robotics and Factory Automation
Master's graduates design robot cells, motion control and safety systems, and develop software for robot makers and system integrators.
Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility
Specialists work on control, sensor fusion and perception for electric and driver-assistance systems and for autonomous delivery robots.
Medical and Surgical Robotics
Graduates develop precise actuators, control software and safety testing for surgical robots, powered prosthetics and rehabilitation devices.
Aerospace, Defence and Drones
Engineers work on flight control, gimbals, actuation systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, though some roles are open only to citizens.
Semiconductor and Precision Equipment
Master's graduates design high-precision motion stages, wafer-handling robots and inspection systems for chip and electronics manufacturing.
Corporate and Public Research
Research centres hire master's graduates to prototype new machines and test control methods before products reach the market.
Who hires
Employers
- KUKA
- Yaskawa Electric
- Omron
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Intuitive Surgical
- Continental
- ASML
- Honeywell
- Tata Elxsi
- Bharat Electronics Limited
Named for illustration only; not a ranking, endorsement or partnership.
Outlook
Looking ahead
Robots are moving out of fenced cells into shared spaces, which raises demand for engineers who understand perception, safe human-robot interaction and functional safety standards. Autonomous mobile robots, surgical systems, agricultural machines and electric aircraft all need advanced control and sensor fusion. Machine learning is also being combined with classical control, for example in learned grasping or adaptive controllers, and master's graduates who can judge when these methods are safe to rely on are likely to be valued.
Digital engineering is changing how mechatronic products are developed. Model-based systems engineering, simulation with digital twins and hardware-in-the-loop testing let teams check designs before building them, and employers increasingly expect master's graduates to work this way. Choosing a dissertation in an area with lasting demand, such as robotics software, electrified drives or industrial automation, and showing a working result, can help in job applications. Those drawn to research may continue to a PhD in a related field such as robotics or control engineering.
Specializations
Other Engineering specializations at Master's
Subject
Engineering at Master's
Questions
Questions about Master's in Mechatronics
Can I apply for a Mechatronics master's with a Mechanical or Electronics degree?
Usually yes, and many students do. These programmes are designed for engineers who want to add the disciplines missing from their first degree. Mechanical graduates may need to strengthen electronics and programming, and electronics graduates their mechanics and machine design. Some universities set bridging modules or list prerequisite subjects, so compare your transcript with the stated requirements and address any gaps in your statement of purpose.
How is a Mechatronics master's different from a Robotics master's?
A robotics master's tends to concentrate on perception, planning, autonomy and artificial intelligence, often with a heavy software focus. A mechatronics master's usually keeps more hardware, covering actuators, drives, precision mechanisms and industrial automation alongside robotics. If you mainly want to write robot software, a robotics programme may suit you better, and if you want to design whole electromechanical products and machines, mechatronics may fit more closely.
Is a research or a taught master's better in Mechatronics?
It depends on where you want to go next. A research route, with a thesis built around lab work, prepares you for a PhD or an advanced development role and gives you a supervisor who knows your work well. A taught route covers a wider spread of modules and usually leads straight to employment. Assistantships in the United States and Canada go more often to research students, which can change the overall cost.
How much programming is involved at master's level?
A good deal. Most programmes expect you to write control and robotics code in C++ or Python, work with the Robot Operating System, and use MATLAB and Simulink for modelling and code generation. Embedded and real-time programming is common, and machine vision or machine learning modules add more. If your first degree included little coding, a short course before you start will ease the first term.
Plan
Plan your Master's
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