AUSTIN, Texas — Freshmen honor students enrolling at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) will have a chance to get a head start on studying robotics.
On Thursday, the university announced that it will begin allowing high school students to apply directly to its undergraduate robotics program, and enter the program as soon as they arrive on campus.
The program will allow students to immediately be integrated into the curriculum, which includes hands-on research, engineering and computer science coursework and participation in UT’s Texas Robotics’ events and programs, which are ranked among the best in the country.
Texas Robotics is the university's primary robotics program that is made up of 16 primary faculty members and 40 affiliated faculty members, as well as 200 students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars and research engineers from four of UT's engineering and computer science departments.
UT officials say they believe the university is the first in the country to allow incoming freshmen to apply directly to its robotics program, and that it will give younger students experiences that they wouldn't typically have until entering a Master's Degree-level curriculum.
“The University of Texas is already recognized for its leadership and expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, and by pairing these disciplines with our top-10 programs in engineering and computer science, we are creating a first-class, unique educational and experiential program for students seeking to enter this exciting and evolving field,” UT President Jay Hartzell said in a Thursday news release. “With unmatched curricular and research opportunities, combined with access to our internationally renowned faculty and network of employers, these students will experience — from day one — the academic excellence and real-world preparation for which our University is known.”