A small robot being display on a table.

BEng(Hons) Robotics

Entry year
2024/25
Course code
H671
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
School of Engineering
Tariff points
112
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Four years sandwich; three years full-time
Delivery
Full-time; sandwich
Programme leader
Dr Gary Atkinson

This course is open for applications

Page last updated 2 February 2024

Introduction

Learn in the world-renowned Bristol Robotics Laboratory, using our state-of-the-art equipment to make and test your own inventions.

Accreditations and partnerships:

Why study robotics?

In the future, robots will be part of our everyday lives, helping our society in areas such as healthcare, education and entertainment. Industry forecasters predict that the service robot market will increase in value to an annual $66 billion by 2025.

We're becoming increasingly reliant on intelligence systems to perform tasks. They're found in a wide range of goods, from unmanned vehicles in aerospace, robots and sub-sea exploration, to consumer products, domestic appliances and the creative arts.

Why UWE Bristol?

Our new inclusive, problem-based curriculum will broaden our engineering audience, enabling students from a wider range of backgrounds to pursue a career in engineering. To date, we're the first university in the UK to transform our curriculum alongside constructing a new engineering building.

BEng(Hons) Robotics is taught by world-class researchers from one of Europe's largest robotics labs. You'll gain plenty of hands-on experience building and testing your inventions, using the latest industry-standard equipment in our state-of-the-art facilities.

Our robotics degree at UWE Bristol is suitable for anyone interested in understanding and developing robots. You'll study an engineering-based course, which also extends into areas such as artificial life, biology-inspired robotics, swarm intelligence and human-robot interaction.

Where can it take me?

As a student engineer, you'll start your professional journey towards becoming an incorporated or chartered engineer from day one. You'll learn by doing, applying and revisiting your early skills through embedded project weeks and development of digital and physical prototypes, just as you would in practice.

There is an increasing demand for graduates with the technical and creative abilities to work in this industry. You'll be prepared for a rewarding career devising, developing and managing intelligent systems in sectors such as manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare, leisure and the creative arts.

Take a look at the Engineering building

Step inside our new School of Engineering building at UWE Bristol

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

Year one

You will study:

  • Engineering Practice 1
  • Mathematical Modelling for Electronics and Robotics
  • Fundamental Robotics Principles
  • Applied Electronics
  • Programming for Engineers.

Year two

You will study:

  • Engineering Practice 2
  • Engineering Research
  • Microcontroller Applications Group Lab
  • Robot Control Systems
  • Signal Theory
  • Introduction to Machine Vision.

Placement year (if applicable)

If you study on the four year sandwich course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after Year two.

You'll complete a placement learning module.

See the placements and fees sections for more information.

Final year

You will study:

  • Engineering Project
  • Group Design and Integration Project
  • Advanced Vision for Localisation and Mapping
  • Human Robot Interaction Technologies
  • Professionalism for Engineers.*

*You will not study this module if you have completed the placement year.

Plus, one optional module from:

  • Robotic System Architectures
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Intelligent and Adaptive Systems. 

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.

"After volunteering on an engineering project, I was offered an internship at Bristol Robotics Lab. I conducted research published in IEEE Xplore and presented at the International Conference of Mechatronic Technology in Singapore, preparing me for my engineering career." Steve, 2020 Robotics graduate

Learning and Teaching

We place a strong emphasis on a hands-on approach and you'll start building robots from your very first week at UWE Bristol.

Learn through a mixture of lab sessions, lectures, tutorials and projects. Robotics students are encouraged to support each other and you will easily find somebody to help you understand difficult concepts or learn new skills.

Attend regular sessions where students teach each other. Some students say it's the competition to build the fastest or best-performing robot that drives them to success.

Attend regular presentations from visiting professionals to give you an inside track on the challenges and rewards of the profession.

Showcase work at the annual degree show

See examples of students' work on YouTube, including Heart Robot.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Percentage of time you'll spend in different learning activities, each year: 

YearScheduled learning and teaching studyIndependent studyPlacement study% check
129%71%0%100%
226%74%0%100%
319%81%0%100%

Network and compete

Take part in annual competitions with our Robotics Society.

Volunteer for experience

We encourage you to take on work outside your studies and many students do voluntary work with local artists, businesses and charities.

Past students have won prestigious awards while developing skills teaching robotics in after-school clubs. Others have started businesses around ideas discovered through collaborations.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through a mix of examination and coursework.

Learn more about assessments.

Percentage of time you'll spend on different assessment methods, each year: 

YearWritten exam assessmentCoursework assessmentPractical exam assessment% check
147%53%0%100%
237%55%8%100%
325%65%10%100%

Features

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Placements

Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you a sought after graduate.

If you choose the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after Year two.

You'll apply your electronics and artificial intelligence knowledge for global brands or dynamic start-ups across the technology, aerospace, defence and manufacturing sectors.

Past students have done service engineering in microelectronics and developed automation systems for stock trading or productivity.

UWE Bristol students are in high demand, and many have been offered jobs while on placement.

You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from staff within the School and our award-winning careers service.

Study facilities

Build professional skills and bring inventions to life using our state-of-the-art robotics laboratories and facilities.

Create prototypes in our large open-access lab that includes metalworking machinery, rapid production tools like 3D printers and computer-aided design (CAD) plasma-cutters, oscilloscopes, test equipment and surface-mount soldering systems.

Develop and test software on our dedicated servers with Windows, Linux and Unix based operating systems.

Get technical assistance and advice from our skilled staff from the Bristol Institute of Technology.

A mix of traditional and hands-on learning environments helps you quickly take on essential knowledge and skills, standing you in good stead for your professional career.

See creations from Bristol Robotics Laboratory on Flickr.

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Take a Virtual Tour of the engineering facilities and see what's on offer here for you.

Start your dream career at UWE Bristol

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

On our BEng(Hons) Robotics, you'll learn about precision control of robots, how software systems and artificial intelligence integrate and how to make complex electronic systems communicate. You'll also discover advanced topics, from machine vision to digital signal processing.

The course will enable you to develop a unique combination of hardware, software and problem-solving skills. You'll also gain core professional skills that you'll take with you through your career, such as innovation, teamwork and creativity.

This blended skillset will make you valuable to employers, and you'll be in demand in a wide range of industries. Many of our graduates are employed by national and global companies, such as UK engineering and software business. Others pursue their creative ambitions by start their own businesses.

Find a job in an artificial intelligence (AI) consultancy on the London Stock Exchange, or develop robots for the world's biggest computer hardware companies. You could also go into research by progressing onto MSc Robotics, or studying a PhD at Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

Throughout your course, you'll benefit from many practical professional opportunities. Take part in European robotics competitions, where our students have excelled in the past, or design and build your own mobile robot to compete against your classmates.

You'll also have the chance to complete work placements with blue-chip organisations such as Intel, the London Stock Exchange and IBM, or dynamic start-ups or challenger brands.

If you have entrepreneurial aspirations, you could set up your own business based on your inventions, shaping how this new technology impacts societies in the future.

For example, see the Sentry Robot, which senses and shoots moving targets, and the Robot Spider, which uses inverse kinematics to create natural movement both built by our students.

Get inspired

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

Fees

Supplementary fee information

Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.

You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.

Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.

Learn more about funding.

Additional costs

This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.

Learn more about costs.

Entry

Typical offers

  • Tariff points: 112
  • Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
  • English Language Requirement:

    International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

    *The University accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.

  • A-level subjects: Grade C in Mathematics plus a pass in one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computing/Computer Science, Design and Technology, Electronics, Engineering, ICT, Further Maths, Music Technology, Physics, Statistics.

    Maths requirement can also be met by the Cambridge Pre-U Mathematics at Merit 3.

  • Relevant subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computing/Computer Science, Design and Technology, Electronics, Engineering, ICT, Further Maths, Mathematics, Music Technology, Physics, Statistics.
  • EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: You must be studying one of the following: Aeronautical Engineering, Construction and the Built Environment, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Engineering, Land-based Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Operations and Maintenance Engineering.

    To include Merit in one of the following units: Further Engineering Mathematics or Further Mathematics for Construction.

    Please list the units you are taking in your application. For further advice on acceptable units please email us.

    For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.

  • Access: 15 Level 3 credits at Merit in Mathematics and 15 credits at Pass in another Science or Technology subject.
  • Baccalaureate IB: To include a minimum grade of 5 in Higher Level Mathematics and a pass at Higher Level in one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design Technology, Physics, Environmental Systems and Societies.
  • Irish Highers: H2 in Mathematics plus a pass in one of the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Physics, Technology.
  • T Levels: Grade C in A-Level Mathematics, in addition to your T Level qualification. If you have or are looking to partially complete your T-Level, you are still required to have the equivalent to 2 full A-Levels as part of our minimum entry requirements. As a result, if you are applying with only the core or occupational specialism, this may be insufficient as a stand-alone qualification.

Entry requirements

If you don't meet the entry requirements, you may be eligible for BEng(Hons) Robotics (with Foundation Year).

International applicants

For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.

If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

Read more about undergraduate applications.

Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.

For further information

Unistats

UWE Main Campus

Full Time