2021 – 2022

PhD in Robotics
GRADUATE
HANDBOOK

GEORGIA INSTITUTE of
TECHNOLOGY
January 2022
Robotics PhD Handbook

• Table of Contents
• Purpose of this handbook
• PhD Program in Robotics
• Admissions
 Transfer Admissions
 New Student Orientation
• Academic Advising
• Home Unit and Home Unit Requirements
 Teaching Apprenticeship and Extra-Curricular Requirements
• Course Requirements
 Program of Study
 PhD Candidacy Requirements
• RCR
• Minor Field of Study
• Qualifying Exam
• PhD Thesis
o Thesis Proposal
o Thesis Defense
o Additional requirements for Thesis Proposal and Defense
-Announcements
-Institute Thesis Forms

• Online Application for Graduation (OAG)

• Last Semester Registration Options
• Course Transfer Credit/Course Waivers
• MS on the way
• Appendix
 Administration and Governance
 Information, forms, and Links

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  Robotics PhD Program Home Units
 Core Area Course Listings
 Health and Wellness Resources

Purpose of this Handbook

The purpose of this handbook is to familiarize Robotics graduate students with degree program
requirements, policies, procedures, and the resources available to students and is intended to be a
supplement to the General Catalogs, Student Handbooks of Georgia Tech, and academic
departments. The info here does not replace nor supersede the materials in those resources.

As Robotics is an interdisciplinary program, students are responsible for understanding the policies
and procedures for both their major programs and their home department in addition to the General
Catalogs. The home department has ultimate decision-making responsibility for students assigned to
their “home school.”

Although students are encouraged to seek advice from the Robotics Program Director, faculty
advisors, home departments, and the Academic Advisor, the Georgia Tech Registrar's Office and
the Graduate Studies and other resources on campus, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to
know and meet the rules and regulations for degree completion
See the Appendix sections for additional various resources, including faculty and staff contact
information and important websites.

PhD Program in Robotics

Offered jointly by the College of Computing and the College of Engineering, the Ph.D. program in
Robotics is the first truly multidisciplinary robotics degree of its kind in the world—and only the
second robotics doctorate offered in the U.S. The program involves the schools of Interactive
Computing, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
and Aerospace Engineering.
We educate a new generation of robotics researchers who are prepared to be impactful contributors
upon entering the high-tech workforce. The Institute for Robotics & Intelligent Machines
(IRIM) serves as the flagship for Tech’s robotics efforts; therefore, IRIM has an integral relationship
with the program, and many IRIM faculty members serve as research advisors to students pursuing
the degree. The Robotics program supports Tech’s mission to provide instruction in disciplines
related to science, technology, and interdisciplinary areas.

Admissions
Final admission decisions will be made by the Robotics Ph.D. Program Committee in coordination
with the home units. They are based on a combination of factors, including academic degrees and
records, the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, and relevant work
experience. Also considered is the appropriateness of the applicant’s goals to the Robotics Ph.D.

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Program, their expected abilities in carrying out original research, and the faculty research interests.
Particular efforts are made to recruit women and members of underrepresented minority groups.
For questions regarding admissions, please contact school representatives of the Robotics faculty
coordinators (see Personnel Info on this handbook).
Announcements and other important information is sent via the mailing list: phd-robo-official, so be
sure to read these emails and mark them as safe in your inbox. All new students are added to this
list before phase 2 registration.

Transfer Admissions

Students can transfer into the Robotics PhD if they are currently enrolled in another graduate
program at Georgia Tech.
Submit following items to the Robotics Program Director:

• Student cover letter/personal statement stating the reasons for transferring to Robotics.
• Current GT and undergraduate transcripts.
• A recommendation email letter from each the advisor/co-adviser.

Each transfer case is reviewed and voted on by the ROBO PhD committee. If approved,
a Change of Major Form will be completed by the student’s current program and the Robotics
Program Director.

New Student Orientation

There will be a new student orientation for all new Robotics PhD students the week before classes
start in Mid-August. It will consist of a short presentation by the director on the degree requirements,
and several events organized by the RoboGrads student organization. This will be in addition to the
orientation the incoming students may have with their home schools.

Academic Advising
For advice on which courses to take and when to take them, students should turn to the home
school representative to the Robotics faculty coordinators (see personnel info on this handbook)
and/or their thesis advisor.
Advising on non-academic issues can be sought through the Robotics PhD Academic Advisor
including:

• Program and curriculum Info

• General advising and CoC registration Info
• Institute policies and procedures
• Quals, proposal, and thesis defense information
• Transfer credit requests
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 • Change of majors (including add a MSCS degree)
• Minor form approvals (with faculty advisor signature)

Note the Robotics PhD Academic Advisor may sign documents requiring a signature from the
Robotics Graduate Coordinator, such as thesis and minor forms.
Contact information for the PhD Academic Advisor can found in the Personnel Info section of this
handbook.

Home Units and Home Unit Requirements

A home unit (or home school) is an academic unit (Department, Division, or School) at Georgia Tech
that has agreed to formally participate in the Robotics programs. Each home unit has a home unit
coordinator, who is a faculty member in that unit. Students and the home unit must mutually agree
on home unit affiliation. An initial home unit is determined during either the admissions process or in
the process of transferring to a Robo program from another PhD academic program at Georgia
Tech. Once admitted, students may change to a new home unit if that unit agrees, which requires
some paperwork to finalize the change, available through the Robo Academic Advisor.
Each academic unit determines admission requirements (deadlines, GRE, etc), rules for allocation of
space and financial assistance (e.g., teaching and research assistantships) for students applying to
and who are homed in that unit. Home units may also have additional departmental requirements
such as teaching apprenticeships (see more info below).
Ph.D. students’ dissertation advisors should have an appointment in their home unit, in addition to
being a member of the Robo programs faculty. Students are welcome to explore research
opportunities with faculty in other units beyond the home unit. If a faculty member in another home
unit becomes the advisor, students may change their home unit accordingly, but is not required.
Regardless of home unit, students must fulfill the Robotics degree requirements specified in this
handbook to complete their program.

Home Unit Teaching Apprenticeship and Extra-curricular Requirements

Robotics Ph.D. students are subject to their home unit's teaching apprenticeship
requirements (e.g., a certain number of semesters serving as a TA) and other the extra-
curricular requirements such as seminar attendance or annual review process. For example,
students with home units in BME, IC, and ME are required to do two semesters of teaching
practicum or apprenticeship and register for the corresponding courses. Students should
contact their home units for details for any departmental requirements that are in addition to
the Robotics degree requirements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they
understand and satisfy any home unit requirements as well as the Robotics program and
Institute requirements.

See appendix for more details on home units.

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Course requirements

Program of Study
The Ph.D. curriculum makes extensive use of existing courses in the College of Computing and the
College of Engineering. Three additional courses provide a one-semester introduction to robotics
topics and a two-semester multidisciplinary robotics research experience. Students are required to
complete 36 semester hours of coursework in core robotics areas: Mechanics, Controls, Perception,
Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Autonomy.
The main emphasis of the Ph.D. program is the successful completion of an original and
independent research thesis. The degree requirements are designed around this goal.

Minimum Requirements
• Completion of 36 semester hours of courses with a letter grade
• Passing a comprehensive qualifying exam with written and oral components.
• Successfully conducting, documenting, and defending a piece of original research
culminating in a doctoral thesis.

Ph.D. Robotics Degree Requirements – 36 semester hours with a letter grade

Hours
Component Courses Required

Intro to Robotics CS/AE/ECE/ME 7785, Introduction to

Research Robotics Research. 3

Three foundation courses, each selected

from distinct core areas: Mechanics,
Controls, Perception, Artificial
Intelligence, and Human-Robot
Foundation Courses Interaction (HRI). 9

Three targeted elective courses, each

selected from the same three core areas
Elective Courses used for the foundation courses. 9

Two courses CS/AE/ECE/ME 8750 and

Multidisciplinary CS/AE/ECE/ME 8751, Multidisciplinary
Robotics Research Robotics Research I and II. 6

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 Courses Outside the Three courses outside the major area to
Major (Doctoral Minor provide a coherent minor in accordance
Field of Study) with Institute policies. 9

TOTAL 36

See Appendix for course listings details.

Program of Study Coursework Plan

Students must submit a coursework plan via a Program of Study (POS) to the Program Director via a
Canvas site for the Robotics program, throughout their program including:

• End of the first semester

• Before Quals
• Before Thesis Proposal
• Anytime there is a significant change to coursework
Note students will be sent an invitation to the Robotics Canvas site during the fall semester after
which time they may upload their PoS (also available for download on the site).

Ph.D. Candidacy
Admission to PhD Candidacy requires that the student:
• Complete the requirements for training in Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR);
• Complete all course requirements (except the minor);
• Achieve a satisfactory scholastic record;
• Pass the comprehensive examination;
• Submit a formal statement naming the dissertation reading committee and delineating the
research topic for approval to the school chair and Graduate Students (on behalf of the Vice
Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs).

Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR)

All doctoral students at Georgia Tech are required to complete a two-step RCR
training process.

• The first step is an online training course that must be completed within 90 days of a student
starting the Ph.D. program.
• The second step is an in-person training course. There is a general PHIL 6000 as well as
courses offered by specific academic units, such as BME 7004. Check with your home school to
see if the PHIL 6000 or a specific RCR course is required. This 2-credit hour course is taken on
a pass/fail basis, and all students must pass the course to receive the RCR credit. Students are
not able to be admitted to candidacy without completing the RCR courses.

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Minor Field of Study
The Robotics Ph.D. Minor consists of three related courses (nine semester credit hours) outside of
robotics that forms a coherent field of study in accordance with the Institute’s policies. The minor
courses must be distinct from any of the robotics core areas (i.e., are not listed under any of the 5
core areas on this website) but can be taken from the student’s home school as long as they are
distinct from robotics courses (e.g., ECE-ROBO student can take ECE circuits courses or ME
students can take fluid mechanics courses).
• To officially declare your minor with the Institute, there is a required form, The Doctoral Minor form,
which is available through the GT Office of Graduate Studies via docusign:
https://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-forms
This form must be signed by your faculty advisor and the Robotics Graduate Coordinator. Generally,
this form is submitted at the time of the thesis proposal, but must be completed before graduation.
• Students must also submit an internal form, the ROBOTICS PH.D. PROGRAM MINOR
JUSTIFICATION, to the Robotics Program Director with updated Program of Study form:
http://phdrobotics.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/PhD_ROB_Minor_Justification.pdf

Qualifying Exam

The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to:

· Assess the student's general knowledge of the degree area

· Assess the student's specialized knowledge of the chosen research area

The comprehensive examination provides an early assessment of the student's potential to

satisfactorily complete the requirements for the doctoral degree. As such, it requires that
fundamental principles be mastered and integrated so that they can be applied to solving problems
relevant to robotics.

Procedure

The Robotics Ph.D. qualifying has to components and the student is required to pass both to
continue in the program:

1). Course-based GPA requirement

2). Comprehensive Oral Examination

Course-based GPA requirement

To pass the course-based part, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher in 4 courses taken
at Georgia Tech from exactly 2 distinct core areas form the 5 core areas of robotics curriculum. Two
of these courses must be foundation courses (1 course from each core area, say core area, C1 and
core area, C2). The remaining two courses may be either elective or foundation with one course
from the first core area, C1, and the second course from the second core area, C2. Two Foundation

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courses from the same core area are accepted only if credit is allowed for both courses
simultaneously (i.e., only if they cover different subject areas). The student must complete the four
courses for the GPA requirement by the end of the 6th semester (which includes summer
semesters) of starting in the program.

Comprehensive Oral Examination

At the beginning of each fall semester, the Program Director will send an email to all Robo PhD
students and Robo faculty with information regarding the quals and how to initiate the process for the
upcoming academic year.

The 2nd component of the ROBO qualifying exam is a comprehensive oral examination
administered by an exam committee of at least three (3) Robotics faculty members. The committee
must include the student’s primary advisor. Goals of the oral exam include the following:

• Determine student’s ability to understand and apply fundamental concepts in the general area of
Robotics

• Determine the student’s ability to conduct independent research and review, synthesize, and
evaluate previous work from the literature

• Identify areas of weakness that the student may need to improve upon.

The oral exam committee consists of at least three (3) and at most five (5) Robotics faculty members
assembled in consultation with the student and his/her advisor. The committee must include the
student’s advisor and will exceed three (3) robotics faculty members only in the event when a
student has more than one advisor and NOT OTHERWISE.

**It is the advisor’s responsibility to recommend a list of 4-6 non-advising faculty members with a
brief justification for each recommended member to the Program Director within the first four weeks
of the Fall Semester of the academic year during which the student wishes to take the oral exam.
Your faculty advisor will make a request for their students to take the qualifying exam for the
academic year (Fall or Spring) in early September.

The student will prepare for the examination based on a specific research topic assigned by the
exam committee in consultation with the student three weeks in advance. The first attempt for the
comprehensive oral exam must be made before the end of the student’s 5th semester (which
includes summer semesters) in the program. If the student fails the oral exam the first time, he/she is
allowed only 1 re-take and passing of the exam in order to remain in the Ph.D. program. The re-take
of the oral exam must be on the same general topic and be administered by the same Committee as
the original exam barring any unforeseen or extraneous circumstances. The exam must be
completed by the end of the 8th semester (which includes summer semesters) of starting in the
Ph.D. program.

Quals Appeals Process

If a student fails the oral exam on his/her second attempt, he/she has the right to appeal the decision
to the Program director who will refer the matter to the Program faculty to confirm or override the
outcome of the qualification examination process. The Program faculty may hear from only the

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voting-eligible student’s advisor and the Chair of the exam committee before reaching a decision of
whether the student can remain in the program by secret ballot.

Ph.D. Thesis
The Ph.D. dissertation describes the results of a research project and demonstrates that the
candidate possesses powers of original thought, talent for research, and ability to organize and
present findings.
Dissertation Advisory Committee
The student presents and defends a written Ph.D. proposal to a Dissertation Advisory Committee of
at least five faculty members approved by the Robotics Program Committee. The Dissertation
Advisory Committee consists of five or more members where:
• At least three members must be faculty affiliated with the Robotics Program or from the
student's Home School (CoC, AE, BME, ECE, ME).
• At least two members must be from outside of the student’s Home School

Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal

The objective of the Ph.D. Proposal is to allow an early assessment of your chosen topic of research
for the satisfactory completion of the doctoral degree. The proposal should delineate your specific
area of research by stating the purpose, scope, methodology, overall organization, and limitations of
the proposed study area. The proposal must include a review of the relevant literature and indicate
the expected contribution of the research.
The proposal should be organized as follows:
• Summary - limited to 200 words.
• Table of Contents
• Project Description - a clear statement of the work to be undertaken. Limited to 15 pages
single-spaced (30 pages double spaced) and including all graphic elements and tables.
• Bibliography
Pages should be of standard size (8½" x 11"; 21.6 cm x 27.9 cm) with minimum 1" or 2.5 cm margins
at the top, bottom, and on each side. The minimum type font size is 10 to 12 points.
Submit the following documents to the Chair, Robotics Ph.D. Program:
• One copy of the dissertation proposal as detailed above;
• An up-to-date Program of Study showing all classes taken so far;
• Ph.D. Proposal Review Request form – signed by both student and advisor

After the thesis proposal, students must submit the Graduate Studies "Request for Admission to
Ph.D. Candidacy" to formally become a PhD candidate at Georgia Tech. See details below
under “Institute Thesis forms.”
More information and form on the thesis proposal guidelines available at:
http://phdrobotics.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/Phdproposal_guidelines_v5.pdf

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Dissertation Defense
The dissertation, when completed, must be publicly defended before an Examination Committee
approved by the Graduate Studies office. In most instances, the Examination Committee is expected
to be the same as the Dissertation Advisory Committee. If a candidate should fail to pass the final
oral examination, the Examining Committee may recommend permission for one additional
examination. It is expected that the dissertation results will be published in peer-reviewed journals
and conferences.

The “Certificate of Thesis Approval” form and additional paperwork is required after the
defense. See details on preparing and submitting a dissertation and all associated requirements
and deadlines according to institute guidelines at: https://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations

Students should also follow the policies and procedures for the thesis of their home school; some
may have additional requirements (ie, CoC requires a gap semester between the thesis proposal
and defense).

Additional requirements for Thesis Proposal and Defense

Announcements

Students are responsible for announcing their thesis proposal and defense presentations 10-14 days
before the event. Please send emails to the following listservs and "CC" your thesis committee
members:
• Home unit listserv
• phd-robo-official@lists.gatech.edu
• announcements@grad.gatech.edu
• phdprogram@robotics.gatech.edu

Institute Thesis Forms

After the thesis proposal and defense presentations, students are responsible for initiating the
DocuSign process for the appropriate Institute forms.

• After the thesis proposal, student must submit the "Request for Admission to Ph.D.
Candidacy" to formally become a PhD candidate at the Georgia Tech.

• The “Certificate of Thesis Approval” form is required after the defense.

Both forms can be found here, under the `Doctoral Students’ header.

In each form, the Grad Coordinator should be the name and email of the Robo Program Director or
the Robo Academic Advisor, while students should list the School Chair of their home school and all
committee members. Note under "School," please list as "ECE - Robotics, AE – Robotics, etc." so
both major and home school are recorded.

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Online Application for Graduation OAG

Students should refer to the Registrar’s Online Application for Graduation (OAG) and submit
a petition to graduate the semester before they plan to graduate. (e.g. if planning to graduate in
Spring 2021, then the OAG is due in Fall 2020). This allows time to correct any unfulfilled
requirements identified by the Office of Graduate Studies. See the GT academic calendar for
OAG deadlines: https://registrar.gatech.edu/calendar. If a student has previously applied but
did not graduate, they must repeat the same process to graduate.

To view graduation status, login to DegreeWorks. Near the top of the audit, under a section
titled Student View, there will be a field for Graduation Information. The text that appears in
that field is the current graduation application status. To review missing requirements, see the
section Degree Requirements.

NOTE: The status “lacks thesis” may appear on OSCAR for several weeks after the thesis or
dissertation has been accepted by the Graduate Thesis Office as both the Graduate Thesis
Office and the Registrar must do some processing of records. Acceptance by the Graduate
Thesis Office, documented either by an approval e-mail for the ETD or a copy of the signed
Certificate of Thesis Approval, is assurance that everything is all right.

Last semester Registration Options

Students that are completing their Ph.D. may find that the timing of their defense, graduation, and
start of their subsequent employment leads to an ambiguity in how they should register for their final
semester at Georgia Tech. There are, in general, three options (see Pages 5-6 of the Thesis
Manual for more details and rules).

• Register as normal (i.e., 9000 & 8997/8). This works fine if the final version of your thesis is
submitted in time for graduation in your last semester (see the deadlines), and there are no
funding limitations.
• The 1-credit hour option. Students in their graduating semester can register for only 1 hour of
9000. Such students are, of course, not full-time and will therefore not receive a tuition waiver or
be able to be paid as a GTA or GRA. These students must therefore pay the 1-hr of tuition and
fees (~$1800/in-state and ~$2400/out-of-state). Students may be hired as a Graduate Assistant
(GA) by their advisor and paid hourly, depending on advisors and their department. [NOTE:
Students who are US citizens are ineligible for student health insurance if they are registered for
less than 4 credit hours. Such students should contact STAMPS Health Services and consider
their options before registering for 1-credit hour.] Students can use the 1-credit hour option only
once while at Georgia Tech.
• Enrollment Waiver. This is for students who missed the final submission deadline for their target
graduating semester, but have successfully defended, submitted their thesis, and are ready to
start their job. They therefore have to stay 'on the books' at Georgia Tech to graduate the
following semester, even though they may not ever be on campus during the semester. The
Enrollment Waiver allows a student to stay 'on the books' and not register for any hours or pay
any money. To use the Enrollment Waiver, complete the form via Grad Studies DocuSign. Note
that all thesis-related forms must be completed and submitted for the Enrollment Waiver to be
approved.
If none of these seem to fit, students should discuss their case with the Registrar's Office.
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Transfer credit and Course Waivers
There is no formal transfer of credit for the Ph.D. degree where classes taken at another institute
would appear on the Georgia Tech transcript. However, graduate coursework completed at other
schools can be used toward the Ph.D. coursework requirement.
To request course waivers, students should send an email to the Robo Academic Advisor with the
transcripts and syllabus from the other school. Please include the name of the course(s) from the
other school and which course at GT it is most equivalent to (for instance, “I believe CICS 5746 is
equivalent to CS 7630”) and if it is a foundation or elective requirement. Website links to other
schools and/or GT courses/syllabi are helpful.
Students may waive up to 6 courses (18 hours) from other schools. Courses must be graduate level
and not used to satisfy any undergraduate degree requirements.
Note CS/AE/ECE/ME/BME/PHYS 7785, CS/AE/ECE/ME 8750, and CS/AE/ECE/ME 8751 cannot
be waived.
Requests for course waivers may not be submitted during Phase II registration and will be reviewed
after the first two weeks of classes.

MS on the way
Ph.D. students can obtain an MS degree “on the way.” Generally, the MS degree is completed
through a student’s home unit, so please check with your home unit for specific requirements.

Complete the Graduate Change of Major form. Fill out the top part of the form, select 'Add A
Master's Degree Level' and bring the form to the Robo Academic Advisor and then to the academic
department of the MS degree. Submit this form to the registrar before Phase I registration of the
semester preceding the semester in which a student expects the degree. This allows time to correct
any unfulfilled requirements identified by the Graduate Office or Registrar.

During the semester preceding the semester when the MS degree is expected, a student must
submit an Online Application for Graduation.

To add MSCS, please see the Robo Academic Advisor. If you are from outside of the CoC, current
CS courses will need to be reviewed by the CoC Associate Dean.

For other Master’s degree (MSME, MSECE, etc.), please contact the academic department for
further details on their options and application process.

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Appendix

Administration and Governance

Program Director
Dr. Nader Sadegh

Director of Graduate Program Services

Rebecca Wilson

Academic Advisor (for Machine Learning and Robotics PhD students)

Stephanie Niebuhr

Faculty Coordinators
For questions about academic and research components of the program, contact the faculty member
for your area. All questions about application procedures and processes, as well as additional
contact information, may be found on the schools’ websites.
Mechanics: Frank Hammond, ME/BME
Control: Patricio Vela, ECE
Perception: Jim Rehg, IC
HRI: Karen Feigh, AE

Additional Information, forms, and Links

RoboGrads student organization: http://robograds.gatech.edu/
Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM): https://robotics.gatech.edu/
Program of study form:
http://phdrobotics.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/PhD_ROB_ProgStudy_2012.pdf
General Catalog: http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/
Catalog Information for Grad Students: http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/academics/graduate/
Registrar’s Office: http://www.registrar.gatech.edu • Registration, Graduation, Commencement,
Degree Completion Verification • Enrollment Certification • Letters of Completion • Institute Academic
Policy
Office of International Education: www.oie.gatech.edu • Visa and Immigration Matters • Optional
Practical and/or Curricular Practical Training Matters
Bursar’s Office: http://www.bursar.gatech.edu • Student financial accounts, Fee Payments • Refunds
Center for Career Discovery: http://www.careerdiscovery.gatech.edu/ • Internship Opportunities
GT Graduate Studies Office: http://www.grad.gatech.edu • Thesis Deadlines, Thesis Submission
Procedures and Forms
Student Financial Assistance: http://www.finaid.gatech.edu • Loans • Tuition Waivers • Fellowships

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Robotics PhD Program Home Units
**Note this guide is to be used for general purposes only and is not comprehensive and therefore
should not be used in place of direct advisement from your home unit**

For full and up-to-date details, please contact your home unit directly to confirm any
requirements and request advising regarding their departmental requirements as they may
have specific conditions and are subject to change.

• Aerospace Engineering (AE)

o AE Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Mitchell Walker
o Contact: Brittany Hodges, Academic Program Manager:
brittany.hodges@aerospace.gatech.edu
o AE Handbook:
https://ae.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/images/2021_graduate_student_handbook_08
252021_1.pdf

• Biomedical Engineering (BME)

o GTA and seminar requirements: https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/graduate-curriculum
o BME Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Manu Platt
o Point of Contact: Mitchell Everett, Academic Program Manager:
mitchell.everett@bme.gatech.edu

• Interactive Computing (IC)

o GTA requirements: https://www.ic.gatech.edu/content/policies-regarding-gtas-and-tas
o Annual Ph.D review: http://www.ic.gatech.edu/current/phdreview
o IC Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Rosa Arriaga
o Point of Contact: Lorette Garcia, Academic Program Coordinator:
lgarcia60@gatech.edu

• Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)

o ECE Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Mathieu Bloch
o Point of Contacts:
 Daniela Staiculescu, Senior Academic Professional: daniela@ece.gatech.edu
 Tasha Torrence, Academic Advising
Manager: tasha.torrence@ece.gatech.edu
o https://www.ece.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/documents/grad/current_grad_handboo
k.pdf

• Mechanical Engineering (ME)

o Teaching Practicum requirement: https://www.me.gatech.edu/teaching-practicum-0
o Seminar requirement: https://www.me.gatech.edu/seminars-4
o ME Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Andrei Fedorov
o Contact: Glenda Johnson, Academic Advising
Manager: glenda.johnson@me.gatech.edu

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 Course listings
Core Area Courses
The following courses are in the robotics core areas of Mechanics, Control, Perception, Artificial
Intelligence, and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). They are used to select three foundation courses
and three targeted elective courses.
Foundation courses are in bold and marked by an asterisk (*).
Component Courses

Mechanics Students may take two foundation courses – one in Robotics (BME 8813 or ME 6407) and one
in Dynamics (AE 6210 or ME 6441) and use the second foundation class in place of a
mechanics elective course.

• AE 6210*, Advanced Dynamics I – Kinematics of particles and rigid bodies, angular

velocity, inertia properties, holonomic and nonholonomic constraints, generalized
forces. Prerequisite: AE 2220. 3 credit hours
• AE 6211, Advanced Dynamics II – A continuation of AE 6210. Equations of motion,
Newtonian frames, consistent linearization, energy and momentum integrals, collisions,
mathematical representation of finite rotation. Prerequisite: AE 6210. 3 credit hours
• AE 6230, Structural Dynamics – Dynamic response of single-degree-of-freedom systems,
Lagrange's equations; modal decoupling; vibration of Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko
beams, membranes and plates. Prerequisites: AE 3120, AE 3515. 3 credit hours
• AE 6263, Flexible Multi-Body Dynamics – Nonlinear, flexible multi-body dynamic systems,
parameterization of finite rotations, strategies for enforcement of holonomic and non
holonomic constraints, formulation of geometrically nonlinear structural elements, time-
integration techniques. Prerequisites: AE 6211, AE 6230. 3 credit hours
• AE 6270, Nonlinear Dynamics – Nonlinear vibration methods through averaging and multiple
scales, bifurcation, periodic and quasi-periodic systems, transition to chaos,
characterization of chaotic vibrations, thermodynamics of chaos, chaos control.
Prerequisite: AE 6230. 3 credit hours
• AE 6520, Advanced Flight Dynamics — Reference frames and transformations, general
equations of unsteady motion, application to fixed-wing, rotary-wing and space vehicles,
stability characteristics, flight in turbulent atmosphere. 3 credit hours
• BMED 8813*, Robotics — Robot kinematics, statics, and dynamics. Open-chain
manipulators and parallel manipulators as well as an understanding of trajectory
planning and non-holonomic systems. 3 credit hours
• CS 7496, Computer Animation — Motion techniques for computer animation and interactive
games (keyframing, procedural methods, motion capture, and simulation) and principles
for storytelling, composition, lighting, and interactivity. 3 credit hours
• ME 6705, Introduction to Mechatronics – Modeling and control of actuators and electro-
mechanical systems. Performance and application of microprocessors and analog
electronics to modern mechatronic systems. Prerequisites ME 3015 or equivalent, or
with the consent of the instructor. 4 credit hours
• ME 6407*, Robotics – Analysis and design of robotic systems including arms and
vehicles. Kinematics and dynamics. Algorithms for describing, planning,
commanding and controlling motion force. Prerequisites ME 3015 or ECE 3085. 3
credit hours
• ME 6441*, Dynamics of Mechanical Systems – Motion analysis and dynamics modeling
of systems of particles and rigid bodies in three-dimensional motion.
Prerequisites: ME 3015 or equivalent, or with the consent of the instructor. 3
credit hours
• ME 6442, Vibration of Mechanical Systems – Introduction to modeling and oscillatory
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 response analysis for discrete and continuous mechanical and structural systems.
Prerequisites: ME 3015 and ME 3201. 3 credit hours
• ME 7442, Vibration of Continuous Systems – Equations of motion and oscillatory response of
dynamic systems modeled as continuous media. Prerequisites: ME 6442 or equivalent,
or with the consent of the instructor. 3 credit hours
Control • AE 6252, Smart Structure Control – Modeling smart sensors and actuators, development of
closed loop models, design of controllers, validation of controllers, application to
vibration control, noise control, and shape control. Prerequisite: AE 6230. 3 credit hours
• AE 6504, Modern Methods of Flight Control – Linear quadratic regulator design. Model
following control. Stochastic control. Fixed structure controller design. Applications to
aircraft flight control. Prerequisite: AE 3521. 3 credit hours
• AE 6505, Kalman Filtering – Probability and random variables and processes; correlation;
shaping filters; simulation of sensor errors; Wiener filter; random vectors; covariance
propagation; recursive least-squares; Kalman filter; extensions. Prerequisite: AE 3515. 3
credit hours
• AE 6506, Guidance and Navigation – Earth's shape and gravity. Introduction to inertial
navigation. GPS aiding. Error analysis. Guidance systems. Analysis of the guidance
loop. Estimation of guidance variables. Adjoint analysis. Prerequisite: AE 3521. 3 credit
hours
• AE 6511, Optimal Guidance and Control – Euler-Lagrange formulation; Hamilton-Jacobi
approach; Pontryagin's minimum principle; Systems with quadratic performance index;
Second variation and neighboring extremals; Singular solutions; numerical solution
techniques. Prerequisite: AE 3515. 3 credit hours
• AE 6530*, Techniques for analysis and description of multivariable linear systems.
Tools for advanced feedback control design for these systems, including
computational packages. Credit will not be awarded for
both AE 6530 and ECE 6550 or AE 6530 and ME 6401. 3 credit hours.
• AE 6531, Robust Control I – Robustness issues in controller analysis and design. LQ
analysis, H2 norm, LQR, LQG, uncertainty modeling, small gain theorem, H-infinity
performance, and the mixed-norm H2/H-infinity problem. Prerequisite: ECE 6550. 3
credit hours
• AE 6532, Robust Control II – Advanced treatment of robustness issues. Controller analysis
and design for linear and nonlinear systems with structured and non-structured
uncertainty. Reduced-order control, stability, multipliers, and mixed-mu. Prerequisite:
ECE 6531. 3 credit hours
• AE 6534, Control of AE Structures – Advanced treatment of control of flexible structures.
Topics include stability of multi-degree-of-freedom systems, passive and active
absorbers and isolation, positive real models, and robust control for flexible structures.
Prerequisite: ECE 6230, ECE 6531. 3 credit hours
• AE 6580, Nonlinear Control – Advanced treatment of nonlinear robust control. Lyapunov
stability theory, absolute stability, dissipativity, feedback linearization, Hamilton-Jacobi-
Bellman theory, nonlinear H-infinity, backstepping control, and control Lyapunov
functions. Prerequisite: ECE 6550. 3 credit hours
• AE 8803 THE, Nonlinear Stochastic Optimal Control 3 credit hours
• ECE 6550*, Linear Systems and Controls – Introduction to linear system theory and
feedback control. Topics include state space representations, controllability and
observability, linear feedback control. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing. 3 credit
hours
• ECE 6551, Digital Controls – Techniques for analysis and synthesis of computer-based
control systems. Design projects provide an understanding of the application of digital
control to physical systems. Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit
hours
• ECE 6552, Nonlinear Systems and Control – Classical analysis techniques and stability
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 theory for nonlinear systems. Control design for nonlinear systems, including robotic
systems. Includes design projects. Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum Grade of D. 3
credit hours
• ECE 6553, Optimal Control and Optimization – Optimal control of dynamic systems,
numerical optimization, techniques and their applications in solving optical-trajectory
problems. Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ECE 6554, Adaptive Control – Methods of parameter estimation and adaptive control for
systems with constant or slowly varying unknown parameters. Includes MATLAB design
projects emphasizing applications to physical systems. Prerequisites: ECE 6550
Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ECE 6555, Optimal Estimation – Techniques for signal and state estimation in the presence
of measurement and process noise with the emphasis on Wiener and Kalman filtering.
Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ECE 6559, Advanced Linear Systems – Study of multivariable linear system theory and
robust control design methodologies. Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum Grade of D. 3
credit hours
• ECE 6563 Networked Control and Multiagent Systems
• ME 6401*, Linear Control Systems – Theory and applications of linear systems, state
space, stability, feedback controls, observers, LQR, LQG, Kalman Filters.
Prerequisite: ME 3015 or equivalent, or with the consent of the instructor. 3 credit
hours
• ME 6402, Nonlinear Control Systems – Analysis of nonlinear systems, geometric control,
variable structure control, adaptive control, optimal control, applications. Prerequisite:
ME 6401 or equivalent, or with the consent of the instructor. 3 credit hours
• ME 6403, Digital Control Systems – Comprehensive treatment of the representation, analysis,
and design of discrete-time systems. Techniques include Z- and W- transforms, direct
method, control design, and digital tracking. Prerequisite: ME 3015 or equivalent, or with
the consent of the instructor. 3 credit hours
• ME 6404, Advanced Control System Design and Implementation – Analysis, synthesis and
implementation techniques of continuous-time and real-time control systems using
classical and state-space methods. Prerequisite: ME 6403 or equivalent, or with the
consent of the instructor. 3 credit hours
Perception • CS 6476*, Computer Vision – Introduction to computer vision including fundamentals
of image formation, camera imaging geometry, feature detection and matching,
stereo, motion estimation and tracking, image classification and scene
understanding. Credit not awarded for both CS 6476 and CS 4495 or CS
4476. Credit will not be awarded for both CS 6476 and ME 6406. 3 credit hours
• CS 7476, Advanced Computer Vision – Advanced topics in computer vision, which includes a
deep dive into both the theoretical foundations of computer vision to the practical issues
of building real systems that use computer vision. Credit not awarded
for CS 7476 and CS 7495. 3 credit hours
• CS 7616, Pattern Recognition – This course provides an introduction to the theory and
practice of pattern recognition. It emphasizes unifying concepts and the analysis of real-
world datasets. 3 credit hours
• CS 7636, Computational Perception – Study of statistical and algorithmic methods for sensing
people using video and audio. Topics include face detection and recognition, figure
tracking, and audio-visual sensing. Prerequisites: CS 4641 and (CS 4495 or CS 7495) 3
credit hours
• CS 7499, 3D Reconstruction and Mapping – Course focuses on multi-robot/multi-camera
mapping and reconstruction. Topics range from SLAM, graphical model inferences, and
understanding the practical issues regarding multi-platform reconstruction. 3 credit hours
• CS 7626 Behavioral Imaging – Theory and methods for measuring, recognizing, and
quantifying social and communicative behavior using video, audio, and wearable sensor
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 data. 3 credit hours
• CS 7643 Deep Learning, 3 credit hours
• ECE 6255, Digital Processing of Speech Signals – The application of digital signal processing
to problems in speech communication. Includes a laboratory project. Prerequisites: ECE
4270 Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ECE 6258, Digital Image Processing – An introduction to the theory of multidimensional
signal processing and digital image processing, including key applications in multimedia
products and services, and telecommunications. Prerequisites: ECE 4270 Minimum
Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ECE 6273, Pattern Recognition – Theory and application of pattern recognition with a special
application section for automatic speech recognition and related signal processing.
Prerequisites: ECE 4270 Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ECE 6560, PDEs in Image Processing and Computer Vision – Mathematical foundations and
numerical aspects of partial-differential equation techniques used in computer vision.
Topics include image smoothing and enhancement, edge detection, morphology, and
image reconstruction. Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ME 6406*, Machine Vision – Design of algorithms for vision systems for manufacturing,
farming, construction, and the service industries. Image processing, optics,
illumination, feature representation. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing in
engineering or related discipline. Credit will not be awarded for both CS 6476 and
ME 6406. 3 credit hours
Artificial • CS 6601*, Artificial Intelligence – Basic concepts and methods of artificial
Intelligence intelligence including both symbolic/conceptual and numerical/probabilistic
techniques. Prerequisites: CS 2600
• CS 7612, AI Planning – Symbolic numerical techniques that allow intelligent systems to
decide how they should act in order to achieve their goals, including action and plan
representation, plan synthesis and reasoning, analysis of planning algorithms, plan
execution and monitoring, plan reuse and learning, and applications. Prerequisites: CS
6601
• CS 7640, Learning in Autonomous Agents – An in-depth look at agents that learn,
including intelligent systems, robots, and humans. Design and implementation of
computer models of learning and adaptation in autonomous intelligent agents.
Prerequisites: CS 3600 or CS 4641
• CS 7641 Machine Learning – Machine learning techniques and applications. Topics
include foundational issues; inductive, analytical, numerical, and theoretical approaches;
and real-world applications. Credit not awarded for CS 7641 and ME 8813.
Prerequisites: CS 6601
• CS 7643 Deep Learning, 3 credit hours
• CS 7648 Interactive Robot Learning, 3 credit hours.
• CS 8803, Mobile Manipulation – The objective of the course is to gain knowledge of
methods for design of mobile manipulation systems. The course covers all aspects of
the problem from navigation and localization over kinematics and control to visual and
force based perception.
• CS 7649, Robot Intelligence Planning (previously CS 8803, Robot Intelligence: Planning
in Action) – Course covers methods for planning with symbolic, numerical, geometric
and physical constraints. Topics will range from classical and stochastic planning to
continuous robot domains and hybrid control of dynamic systems.
• CS 8803, Robot Motion Planning, 3 credit hours.
• CS 8803, Computation and the Brain
• CS 7642 Reinforcement Learning
• CS 8803, Statistical Techniques in Robotics
• CS 7751/ECE 7751, Graphic Models in ML (previously CS 8803, Probabilistic Graph
Models and ML in High Dimensions)
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 • ECE 6254, Statistical Machine Learning
• ECE 6556, Intelligent Control – Principles of intelligent systems and their utility in
modeling, identification, and control of complex systems; neuro-fuzzy tools applied to
supervisory control; hands-on laboratory experience. Prerequisites: ECE 6550 Minimum
Grade of D. 3 credit hours
• ME 8813*, Machine Learning Fundamentals for Mechanical Engineering -
Introduction of machine learning methods and computational algorithms to solve
mechanical engineering problems. Credit not awarded for CS 7641 and ME 8813. 3
Credit hours.
Human- HRI includes two core courses. Students are encouraged, but not required to take both
Robot HRI core courses. Students taking both core courses may use their second core class in
Interaction place of an HRI elective course.
(HRI)
• AE 6721*, Evaluation of Human Integrated Systems – Evaluation of human
integrated systems including translating research questions into measurable
objectives, overview of evaluation methods and data analysis techniques
applicable to such systems. 3 credit hours
• CS 7633*, Human-Robot Interaction – Survey of the state of the art in HRI
research, introduction to statistical methods for HRI research, research project
studio. A petition has been filed for this to be added to the permanent CS
curriculum and have permanent course number. 3 credit hours
• CS 6455, User Interface Design and Evaluation – Qualitative empirical methods for
understanding human-technology interaction. 3 credit hours
• CS/PSYC 6750, Human-Computer Interact – Describes the characteristics of interaction
between humans and computers and demonstrates techniques for the evaluation of
user-centered systems. 3 credit hours
• CS 7648 Interactive Robot Learning, 3 credit hours.
• CS 8803 CSR, Computational Social Robotics 3 credit hours
• ISYE 6215, Human-Machine Systems – The development and use of mathematical
models of human behavior are considered. Approaches from estimation theory, control
theory, queuing theory, and fuzzy set theory are considered. 3 credit hours
• ISYE 6224, Human-Integrated Systems – State-of-the-art research directions including
supervisory control models of human command control tasks; human-computer interface
in scheduling and supervision of flexible manufacturing systems. 3 credit hours
• PSYC 6011, Cognitive Psychology – Survey course on human cognition including
pattern recognition, attention, memory, categorization, problem solving, consciousness,
decision making, intention, and the relation between mind and brain.
• PSYC 6014, Sensation & Perception – This course examines how sensations and
perceptions of the outside world are processed by humans, including physiological,
psychophysical, ecological, and computational perspectives. 3 credit hours
• PSYC 6017, Human Abilities – Theory, methods, and applications of research on human
abilities, including intelligence, aptitude, achievement, learning, aptitude treatment
interactions, information processing correlates, and measurement issues. 3 credit hours
• PSYC 7101, Engineering Psych I – Basic methods used to study human-machine
systems including both system analysis and human performance evaluation techniques.
These methods will be applied to specific systems. 3 credit hours
• PSYC 7104, Psychomotor & Cog Skill – Human capabilities and limitations for learning
and performing psychomotor and cognitive skills are studied. 3 credit hours

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 Health and Wellness Resources

• Questions about Student Health Insurance should be directed to Jennifer White at STAMPS
((404) 894-0633).
• Graduate school can be a stressful time for students. The Georgia Tech Counseling
Center and STAMPS health services offer a wide range of programs and services that can help
students who may need assistance. The Georgia Tech Health Initiatives site includes information on
many stress-management services available on campus (e.g., yoga, mindfulness), as well as diet
and lifestyle resources.
• If you just need to talk to another graduate student who knows what you are going through, the Peer
Coaching Program provides students with another way to receive support with their academic,
social, and other concerns. Students are matched with a fellow Tech student who has been
extensively trained to navigate mental health conversations and who is knowledgeable about
campus resources.
• Additional resources on campus that are there to assist graduate students include the Women’s
Resource Center, the LGBTQIA Resource Center and the Veteran’s Resource Center.
• Put the Georgia Tech Police number in your phone (404-894-2500) to call for any safety
concerns. Call 911 for emergencies.
All these links (and more!) are collect at one site: GT United. Please bookmark this site! The
bottom line: if you need help with anything, please ask! There are many resources available to
ensure your Ph.D. experience is all you want it to be.

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