General informations

The Study Program in Automation Engineering trains professionals who will catch the opportunities and tackle the challenges of artificial intelligence for real-world systems – Physical AI. 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”).

Admission: application assessment and general informations

The Admission Committee reviews the application and may:

  • assign curricular integrations (courses to be completed before enrolment);
  • assign formative obligations (mandatory courses to be included in the MSc study plan);
  • validate attendance or grades of courses already taken;
  •  indicate any tutoring requirements or restrictions.

It is recommended that your Bachelor’s curriculum includes courses in the following areas:

  • Automatic Control and System Theory (in the Italian system, scientific-disciplinary sector IINF/04);
  • Electrical Machines;
  • Applied Mechanics.

No. The evaluation takes place only after the official submission of the application through the Online Services of Politecnico di Milano.

You may contact the Committee only for specific clarifications not covered in the Academic Regulations or these FAQs.

Admission: entry requirements

Requirements may vary from year to year and are specified in the Academic Regulations of the relevant academic year, available at:
https://www.ingindinf.polimi.it/formazione/regolamenti-didattici

According to the current regulations (link), for the academic year 2025–2026 a GPA ≥ 22/30 is necessary and sufficient for automatic admission. If this condition is not met, admission is not possible.

 According to the current regulations (link), for the academic year 2025–2026 a GPA ≥ 23/30 guarantees admission. If this requirement is not met, admission is not possible.
If admitted, the Committee may assign formative obligations and/or restrictions (see next question).

According to the current regulations (link), for the academic year 2025–2026 a GPA ≥ 23/30 is required. If this requirement is met, the Committee will assess each application individually based on the academic curriculum.

No. If the GPA is below the required threshold (e.g., 23/30), the application will be rejected even in the presence of additional experience. This rule cannot be waived.

For foreign qualifications, the Admission Committee evaluates the full academic record and the corresponding grades regardless of the GPA. There is no minimum GPA requirement, but it will be considered along with other aspects such as the awarding institution and the curriculum.

No, curricular integrations are not assigned. However, the Committee may assign formative obligations—courses to be included in the MSc study plan instead of elective courses, to address potential gaps. These courses count towards the 120 ECTS required for the degree and contribute to the calculation of the GPA and final grade.
The Committee may also assign restrictions, meaning that certain courses cannot be included in the MSc study plan if their content has already been covered in the Bachelor’s degree.

It depends. If the Bachelor’s programme does not include a sufficient amount of coursework in system theory and control, the Committee may assign a formative obligation requiring the course “Fundamentals of Automatic Control.”
For candidates with an Italian Bachelor’s degree, the ECTS earned in courses classified under the scientific-disciplinary sector IINF/04 (Automatic Control) must exceed a minimum threshold (typically 5 ECTS).

Admission: course validation and early exams

Yes. You may include up to 30 ECTS of MSc courses in excess of the 180 ECTS required for the Bachelor’s degree.
At the time of MSc enrolment, you may request validation of either the grade (if obtained during the Bachelor’s) or the attendance.
This is useful, for example, if you graduate in the March session and enrol in the MSc in the second semester.

Validation of attendance allows you to take the exam of a course you have already attended, even if you enrol in the MSc later.
For instance, if you attended the course in the first semester and submit your MSc application in the second semester, validation allows you to sit the exam during the summer exam session (if the exam is taken during the winter session, you may instead request validation of the grade — see previous question).

Yes. You may enrol in individual MSc courses (paying for each course individually) for up to 30 ECTS.
Upon enrolment in the MSc programme, you may request validation of the attendance or the grade obtained in these courses.