The Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering (MRE) program at Smith Engineering is a direct-entry undergraduate program. Beginning in the first year, the MRE program addresses the need for a truly integrated approach to mechatronics and robotics across four years of study, incorporating elements of computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering, with key focus on automatic control, mechanics, electronics, intelligent systems, signal processing and telecommunications systems.
The program employs a multidisciplinary approach and recognizes the ever-increasing complexity of engineering systems and the societal need for skilled mechatronics engineers. A four-year sequence of experiential project-based design courses progressively build your foundational knowledge and culminate in a capstone design project that could lead to participation in an external design competition.
Engineering thrives on diversity. Thinking differently means embracing viewpoints, cultures, and perspectives from all angles. When teams are diverse, they have better potential to create more opportunities for everyone and find solutions to challenges.
At Queen’s MRE, we know that we cannot realize our greatest achievements without the ability for each of us to bring our complete selves without hesitation to every aspect of our work and learning. The ability to cultivate an environment that supports this is inherent to our core mission, vision, and ultimate success. We are committed to continuously challenge established norms that discriminate, exclude, or oppress individuals or groups throughout our program and Faculty.
Please visit “Engineering for Everyone”, the Smith Engineering platform detailing equity, diversity and inclusion in the Faculty, for more information on our Diversity and Inclusiveness Framework.
MRE is part of the Stephen J.R. Smith Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University. Smith Engineering is changing the face of engineering education, so future engineers can be leaders in the face of complex and multidisciplinary global issues, building on four key pillars:
Problem-based, experiential learning oriented toward the world’s grand challenges.
A transformative approach to engineering education needs to incorporate problem-based learning across the program to ensure students engage with others and develop novel, technically sound solutions to a broad range of societal challenges in an ethical, sustainable, and humanistic way.
A humanistic approach to engineering.
A human-centered mindset will be cultivated in students and faculty to frame problems, ensuring that knowledge and creativity are brought to solutions that will have the greatest impact, recognizing and driving “problem-solution” fit through observation, insight and empathy.
Alongside students’ grounding in fundamental and applied sciences, Smith Engineering needs to incorporate a systematic inclusion of social science and humanities knowledge.
Competency-based education to ensure subject mastery.
Program-wide competency-based education must communicate progression to students on their competence, allow students to articulate their abilities to employers and ensuring that all graduating students possess the required knowledge and skills.
This fundamental shift can provide ongoing feedback to students on their progress toward meeting all program requirements, and repeated opportunities to improve at an individualized pace, and will significantly help students articulate their skills to employers.
Experiential learning where students learn through practice.
A new model of education must provide all our students with innovative professional development and experiential learning opportunities and ensure that community and industry insight is embedded into curricular and extra-curricular experiences.
What is needed is an approach that provides significant relationship and experience within industry.