What can I expect from Automation Engineering?

If you are considering studying Automation Engineering, you should know that it is based on a balanced combination of computer science (software management for intelligent systems and programming), electronics (sensors, actuators, microcontrollers), automatic control (algorithms and logic for autonomous system operation), and core engineering subjects governing the physical systems to be controlled. You will learn how to make robots, production lines, self-driving cars, drones, trains, and much more operate autonomously. The automation engineer designs intelligent and autonomous systems, ensures that machines and plants work independently through safe and efficient software, and uses artificial intelligence to optimize algorithms. It’s important to clarify that automation engineers focus on making devices or machines autonomous and generally do not design individual components. Studying Automation Engineering is certainly challenging but also highly stimulating. It requires logical and analytical skills, as well as a desire to solve interdisciplinary problems.

If you like to understand how things work, are fascinated by making things move or evolve on their own, and are motivated by the idea of a dynamic and creative job, then Automation Engineering is for you.
Here are 5 strong reasons to study Automation Engineering:

  • You can “bring things to life.” Want to make a robot, a car, a robotic arm, or even a smart greenhouse move? Automation is the field that enables you to design systems that think and act independently.
  • It’s everywhere, and it’s the future. Self-driving cars, drones, automated warehouses for e-commerce, driverless trains, smart cities—everything revolves around automation. Automation Engineering is at the core of the digital transition and the industry of the future.
  • Countless job opportunities. Companies in all sectors are looking for automation engineers. You can work in Italy or abroad, in large companies or startups, enter the world of technological and scientific research, or find a job in services.
  • It combines theory and practice. It’s not just a “bookish” degree: you will gain experience through labs, projects, software, real robots, and, if you wish, internships in companies.
  • You’ll truly change the world. From intelligent healthcare systems to green mobility, from sustainable factories to smart agriculture—working in automation means finding concrete solutions to today’s challenges. If you love technology, innovation, and have an open, interdisciplinary mindset, Automation Engineering could be your natural path.

All kinds. Mathematics and basic engineering subjects (such as calculus, geometry, physics, chemistry) are covered during the first years (see also the next answer), alongside the first courses on engineering topics not taught in high school.

A top-level background in STEM is not essential, but a solid foundation in mathematics and physics, and a strong interest in these subjects, are an advantage. Basic computer science knowledge is also useful. In addition, an interest in experimentation, creativity, curiosity, and abstract thinking skills are required. Social skills are also important, as students often work in teams.

The entire program lasts five years: the Bachelor’s Degree is completed after six semesters, and the Master’s Degree after four semesters. Some students undertake an industrial internship at the end of the Bachelor’s Degree before entering the workforce.

On average, there are about 20 in-person class hours per week. Each course is assigned a certain number of CFU (Crediti Formativi Universitari – University Credits). Each CFU corresponds to about 10 hours of lectures or laboratory activities and 15 hours of individual study. The Bachelor’s Degree timetable is generally distributed over 4 or 5 weekdays. In the first two years, the study plan is fixed, but starting from the third year, you can choose, for example, between an internship (in a company) or preparatory courses for the Master’s Degree. Therefore, the weekly schedule depends on the choices you make. In general, attendance at both lectures and exercises is strongly recommended, but for working students or those who are temporarily unable to attend, video recordings of the lessons are available online.

It depends on the specific subject. Matlab is widely used in various courses, but Python has recently become increasingly popular and useful.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation are not the same, but there is a significant intersection, and the program offers specific courses on this topic.

The program provides a strong theoretical and practical foundation and offers a wide range of specializations. Excellent career prospects and opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research are further motivations for these studies. An automation engineer generally finds work in companies and organizations of all sizes and with a wide variety of products and services: Industry 4.0 and automated factories, robotics and artificial intelligence, automotive, energy, aerospace, logistics, and also in technology startups. Even banks and insurance companies are interested in automation engineers and employ them, for example, as analysts or data scientists. Many automation engineers have taken on leadership and management roles in companies or have founded their own businesses.

Yes, the Master’s program “Automation and Control Engineering” exists and is the natural continuation of the Bachelor’s program, with many opportunities for specialization and an interdisciplinary orientation. The Master’s Degree courses are almost entirely taught in English.

The aim of the Master’s program is to enable students to deepen their knowledge and interests, obtaining a qualification for a high-level career. The structure of the Master’s Degree curriculum is the opposite of the Bachelor’s: while the Bachelor’s aims to ensure that students build a solid foundation by seeing some possible applications, during the Master’s Degree, students can choose from a wide range of courses covering different applications of Automation Engineering, in addition to consolidating their foundational knowledge.

The answer to this question is provided on the program’s website and in the official regulations accessible from this page (see Article 6 “Enrollment in the Degree Program”).