MEng (Hons) Autonomous Robotics

Develop your engineering abilities and enhance your employability. Accelerate your learning by one year on this MEng degree, graduating in just three years (or four years with an optional Foundation Year). 

• Get a head start when you graduate, with specialist knowledge in autonomous robotics at master's level.
• Hone hands-on, practical skills throughout your study with experienced academics, and employers from industry to guide you along the way. 
• Develop the ability to integrate, synthesise, apply and gain knowledge, with an awareness of social and ethical responsibilities. 
• Learn to identify problems that need solving, and to find creative solutions to society’s challenges. 
• The final level of your MEng degree will allow you to take your knowledge to a greater depth, and to focus in on an area of your own interest, through project work.  
• The NMITE MEng has been designed to satisfy the necessary educational standards for the award of Chartered Engineer by meeting the requirements of the Engineering Council Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes.
• An MEng degree provides the most direct way of meeting the educational requirements for successive registration as a Chartered Engineer (subject to accreditation), and graduates typically command higher starting salaries than those with the equivalent BEng.
• Receive support, whenever needed - 1:1 support through your allocated Personal Tutor, use of the Academic Skills and Knowhow Centre, and Student Services.  
• Students can expect significant involvement from industry and community partners throughout the course, clearly differentiating NMITEs approach from other engineering courses. 
• The optional foundation year has been designed for those who don’t meet the entry requirements of the degree. On successful completion, students will be able to progress directly onto year one of the degree. 

At NMITE, we boost your employability through immersive, employer-engaged learning, developing your expertise, contextual understanding, work experience, employability skills and perspective.  

We prepare you for the engineering industry, which desperately needs graduates with subject knowledge and excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to apply these skills to real-world environments.   

The MEng degree provides the opportunity for you to develop your engineering and leadership skills further than the BEng degree, helping you to stand out from the crowd when you graduate. 

The accelerated pathway will speed up your learning, placing you one year ahead of your peers.

Your degree 

The industry focus of this degree is distinctive because we integrate commercial partners into every stage of your learning. Our unique model of working on real-world challenges brings you into contact with employers of varying sizes and from a multitude of sectors including security, health, energy, sustainability, food production and infrastructure, working on projects that enhance their business.  

Your learning will take place in partnership with industry, guaranteeing that it’s not only up to date, but reflects a real engineering environment. Your interaction with many partners will allow you to build an extensive network and demonstrate your engineering ability to a wide range of future employers. 

Your career 

This degree will equip you with the expertise and experience to make a real impact by applying your engineering and robotrics knowledge across a broad range of sectors, including energy, defence, transport, logistics, manufacturing, and consulting.  

Graduates will be prepared for a range of roles, including autonomous systems integration engineer, robotics software engineer, control systems engineer, or design engineer. Graduating with a MEng(Hons) in Autonomous Robotics can also allow you to progress onto further study, such as a specialised MSc or PhD. 

An MEng degree provides the most direct way of meeting the educational requirements for successive registration as a Chartered Engineer (subject to accreditation), and graduates typically command higher starting salaries than those with the equivalent BEng.

Did you know? 

The average salary for a graduate engineer in the UK is pretty impressive, currently sitting at £34,128 per year (Glassdoor, 2023). MEng graduates typically command higher salaries than BEng graduates. 

We welcome applications from students from all backgrounds. 

MEng (Hons) Autonomous Robotics

• Either: 112 - 144 UCAS points or equivalent
• Or: evidence of prior learning through alternative employment and education pathways
• GCSE Maths and English should be Grade 5 or above

MEng (Hons) Autonomous Robotics with Foundation Year 

• Either: two A-levels in any subject and at any pass grade (or equivalent qualifications such as a BTEC National Diploma or Level 3 Apprenticeship) 
• Or: demonstrable experience, interest in and flair for your chosen subject 
• GCSE English and Maths at Grade 4 or above
• Students must be at least 18 years of age by the time the course begins 

Current IELTS requirement for students whose first language is not English:

• Applicants with an existing English Language qualification (equivalent to FHEQ Level 2): IELTS band 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent)
• Applicants without an existing English Language qualification (equivalent to FHEQ Level 2): IELTS band 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent)
• Click here for a list of approved English language tests

Discover more about our admissions process via the link below.

Optional Foundation Year 

If you didn’t get the A-level results you were hoping for, are thinking of a change in career, or if you did not follow traditional routes into higher education, then starting your studies with a Foundation Year may be the right choice for you. You'll develop the key transferable skills and subject-specific knowledge needed to continue into the full BEng degree. 

Level 4

You'll be introduced to the fundamentals of engineering through challenge-based learning, beginning your journey with an orientation into the engineering profession and practice. You'll work in teams to analyse standard problems in a multi - and interdisciplinary way. You'll undertake focused activities to evaluate, interpret and present data in a clear and compelling way. 

Throughout the year you'll develop independent learning and team-building skills, with an emphasis on project management and communication (including rhetoric, effective writing, and deep and critical reading). Industry-focused communication assessment methods are included in those modules that have been created to instigate the development of the behavioural practices of an industry-ready graduate (the future you!) 

Level 5 

During this year you’ll explore the fundamental concepts, tools and technologies that underpin autonomous robotic systems, with, where appropriate, support in mathematics and sciences (we'll get you up to speed with exactly what you need to know). 

You'll begin Level 5 with a synoptic challenge that provides an opportunity to understand engineering in a social/community context, and to draw across all engineering learning from Level 4 to create value in that context.  

Level 6 

By the end of Level 6 you can expect to be self-motivated, efficient and organised in independent learning. Level 6 begins with a closer examination of formal project management approaches (People and Projects in Engineering). You'll also explore autonomy in the context of mobile robots and drones focusing on advanced control, perception, navigation, AI in real-world applications, flight dynamics and sensing.

Assessment methods at this stage are designed to include a combination of both academic and industrially focused formats. Focus will be given to assessing the development and attainment of the knowledge and understanding necessary to apply technology to engineering problems and processes, and to maintain and manage current technology (essentially we teach you the what, why and how!) 

Finally, you'll be undertake an individual Bachelor Project focused on robotics, where you'll develop technical and professional skills. 

Level 7 

Level 7 consists of two modules that have been designed to extend your engineering and robotics outlook to full lifecycle concerns (Lifecycle Performance of Engineering Infrastructure), and develop your awareness of robotics applications, through integratrion of robotic systems to address complex, real-world challenges across a range of domains.

Following this, you'll undertake an individual Master Engineering Project in the area of autonomous systems. You'll develop enhanced technical and professional skills, and specialist knowledge. You'll also be required to record and reflect on your accumulating experiences for later use in professional recognition.

Assessments at Level 7 are designed to assess engineering capability and industry readiness, and therefore adopt mechanisms which assess ability in application (learn it, apply it!)

Assessment methods include a combination of both academic and industrially focused formats. Including academic reports such as literature reviews, laboratory and experimental write-ups and project reports. Industry relevant assessment includes formats such as industry-based test report, design review presentation, and technical communication. Assessments provide a demonstration of the greater range and depth of specialist knowledge at Level 7, within a research and industrial environment, as well as a broader and more general academic base.

The foundation for leadership and a wider appreciation of the economic, legal, social, ethical, and environmental context of engineering are also included - setting you up for success following graduation.

Learning timetable 

Learning takes place within the hours of 9-5, Monday-Friday - modelling the real workplace. Your own time is just that, undisturbed for you to enjoy.

Academic calendar 

As an accelerated student you'll have a shorter summer break than traditional degree students. View term dates via the link below.

• Creativity and Fundamental Engineering Skills - Explore the range of technical and non-technical skills required within engineering and technology including laws of physics, principles mathematics, and communication, collaboration and digital skills.  
• Engineered Structures and Mechanisms - Investigate different types of engineered objects and how they work. You'll carry out tests, and work with models of real structures and moving artefacts such as buildings and transport. 
• Engineering and Technology as Problem-solving - Develop your understanding of how engineering and technology fit within a wider societal context, through the solving of a systems-based problem that would pose real-world repercussions. Along the way, you'll further develop your skills in maths, modelling, producing graphs and using digital tools. 
• Engineering and Technology Project - Apply your learning across the year to an individual project, finding out about various engineering and technology disciplines and the roles they play in different industries and business sectors, and considering your own future career options 

The 21st-Century Engineer - Start your study by building a physical and digital artefact. Along the way, you'll be introduced to the different disciplines of engineering, the influential role of the engineer in society, and the responsibilities we carry as professional engineers.   

Thermodynamics & Fluids - Here, you will analyse and improve a fluid flow system. You'll combine observation, an awareness of how energy is converted to be put to work, and a knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid dynamics, phenomena that underpin the engineer's understanding of how fluids and gases move in engineered and natural systems. 

Statics and Dynamics of Simple Mechanisms - You will design and validate a single-element mechanism under a straightforward load case. This includes consideration of static and dynamic behaviour, properties and selection of material(s), and awareness of material treatments.  

Fundamentals of Analogue and Digital Circuits - You will specify and build an open loop control system that meets the needs of a given application. You will be able to differentiate between analogue and digital electronics approaches, and apply circuit theory, circuit laws and principles of digital logic. 

Creating Social Value through Engineering - This is your opportunity to integrate your skills and knowledge from Level 4 to work on a community-based project that creates social value. You'll develop key mindsets relating to stakeholders, equity, inclusive design, prototyping, and new product development, as well as learning some basic project management tools.  

Systems Engineering for Robotics – Kickstart your journey into autonomous systems by exploring how hardware and software integrate. You will develop essential programming and mathematical skills while working with sensors, actuators, and modern robotics software ecosystems. Through simulation and practical challenges, you’ll implement your first control strategies and computer vision techniques to bring a robotic system to life.

Statics and Dynamics of Complex Mechanisms - You'll build on your knowledge from level 4 to design and model a more complex (multi-element) structure under differing load cases, including selection of appropriate material(s) from a wider, more specialist range. You will address more complex structures and load cases and explore the advantages of multi-component materials.  

Mechatronics and Control - This module is the second of a pair of engineering science-driven modules (the first at Level 4) that explore topics and applications associated with analogue and digital circuits, instrumentation, mechatronics and control. It allows integration of mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering to develop engineering solution. In Mechatronics and Control, students will apply understanding of mechatronics, open- and closed-loop systems, and feedback system design to enhance automation of engineering systems.

People and Projects in Engineering - You'll deliver an engineering project which you will design, plan and execute. You'll explore the project lifecycle as a way of understanding and breaking down projects, and you'll learn to use a range of tools to work within and manage projects effectively. 

Autonomous Mobile Robots – Take your robotics knowledge into the real world by mastering navigation in unpredictable environments. You’ll explore advanced AI for perception, probabilistic robotics to manage uncertainty, and Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM). By implementing high-level decision-making on physical platforms, you will solve complex navigation challenges designed alongside industrial partners.

Autonomous Drones – Elevate your expertise from ground-based robots to the three-dimensional world of flight. You will master drone kinematics and dynamics, developing the flight control systems and trajectory planning needed for autonomous aerial operation. Through a mix of simulation and practical flight testing, you’ll learn how to stabilise and navigate drones through complex 3D environments.

Bachelor's Project - This module builds on the knowledge, experience and skills you have gained in the course to date, and allows you to demonstrate your capability in a self-managed innovative project. 

Robotics Applications – You will synthesise everything you have learned to tackle complex, large-scale engineering challenges. Working with real-world scenarios from sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and defence, you will design and integrate complete robotic solutions. This is your opportunity to prove your capability in system integration and task planning for the next generation of industrial automation.

Lifetime Performance of Engineering Assets - In this module, your skillset and integrated approach is applied to a durable engineering application, providing an opportunity to explore the management of physical assets (e.g. structures, water/waste infrastructure, energy generation) with a firm eye on their lifecycle performance. You'll draw on engineering asset management frameworks that carefully integrate different engineering disciplines; nuanced financial treatments; maintenance, reliability, project, and risk mindsets; and critical perspectives on sustainability.   

Master's Project - You'll work individually on a demanding engineering challenge for an extended period, typically with an industrial or community partner on a research-based or self-defined challenge.  You'll address an industrial or social need by synthesising technical complexity, novelty, an integrated approach, and a requirement to meet the needs of varied stakeholders.