PITTSBURGH TECHNICAL COLLEGE TEAMS UP WITH CARNEGIE MELLON ROBOTICS ACADEMY

Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) finalized its articulation agreement with the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (CMRA), as PTC President/CEO Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith took part in a ceremonial signing with Vu Nguyen, Co-Director of the CMRA.

The signing finalized a fast-track partnership that will provide a 12-credit exemption for CMRA graduates who matriculate into PTC’s new Robotics & Autonomous Engineering Technology (RAET) associate degree program. The 12-credit exemption amounts to over $4,000 in savings.

“At PTC, we continue to strive toward expanding access to education for a wide range of students,” said Dr. Harvey-Smith. “Our new partnership with the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy not only opens up an exciting new pathway into our new Robotics & Autonomous Engineering Technology program, but it also enables students to enter the workforce faster and with a reduced cost.”

An educational outreach of Carnegie Mellon University, and part of the university’s world-renowned Robotics Institute, the CMRA features a high school program designed to develop a mathematically competent and technologically literate workforce. Additionally, part of its mission is to influence children to become interested in robotics and related technologies as an area of study for future employment.

PTC’s new RAET program — developed in partnership with Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation, LLC, a leader in autonomous driving innovation — is a multi-disciplinary approach tailored to train service engineer technicians — the skilled “doers” required to build, maintain, service and customize robotic and autonomous systems. The six-quarter program is designed to professionally prepare and support students’ futures in a wide range of applications, as robotics innovation is becoming more commonplace in industries such as healthcare, education and manufacturing.

The hands-on, 18-month multi-disciplinary program specifically geared toward service engineer technicians is a combination of PTC’s electronics, mechanical engineering, electrician and information systems technology curriculum that leverages robotics, electronics and CAD technology for a comprehensive education. As part of the curriculum, all students partake in an internship program, or capstone project, in the final quarter before entering the workforce.