Control Engineering

Master's Degree Course in
Control Engineering
(Master of Science in Control Engineering)
Class LM 25 Automation Engineering
Study Program 2025-26
Years activated: 1st and 2nd year

Specific educational objectives

The Master's Degree in Control Engineering, unique in its kind offered by Sapienza in the class of Automation Engineering (LM-25), stands out for its interdisciplinary nature and rigorous methodological approach. For this reason, this course is suitable for students with a bachelor's degree in various fields of information and industrial engineering, as well as for graduates in mathematics and physics.
Automatic control methodologies are pervasive in various fields of engineering and are often indispensable for improving the effectiveness of many advanced technologies in a multitude of application areas. In particular, for example, automation plays a strategic role in the design, control, and management of robotic systems, communication networks, transportation and conventional or alternative energy production and distribution networks, aeronautical and aerospace systems, mechatronics and automotive systems, bioengineering, healthcare systems, and critical infrastructure. These application sectors involve complex, hybrid, and uncertain processes with nonlinear and/or difficult-to-model dynamics, subject to exogenous and stochastic disturbances, which require command and control actions that are often distributed but mutually coordinated, carried out on the basis of incomplete and/or noisy information, all aspects that are addressed with the methods and techniques of automatic engineering.
The primary objective of the course is therefore to teach the fundamental methodologies of automatic control: modeling and identification of dynamic systems, measurement and filtering of sensory information in real time, the generalized use of feedback control to stabilize and optimize process performance, data-based feedforward learning, and the development of adaptive schemes to robustly manage large uncertainties and temporal variability, including the integration of artificial intelligence techniques. Secondly, the course aims to specify the above methodologies and implement them in appropriate devices and software, so as to make them usable and effective in the above application areas.
In other words, the methodological approach to the analysis and design of complex control systems and the ability to implement such systems taking into account the specific nature of the different application sectors are the two cornerstones of training in Control Engineering.
The course aims to provide students with interdisciplinary training and a mindset geared towards maximum versatility, which are fundamental factors for the success of master's degree graduates in most of today's and tomorrow's increasingly diverse work contexts. Other fundamental objectives of the program are the theoretical and scientific aspects necessary to describe and interpret engineering problems, such as: the development of skills in the conception, planning, design, and management of systems, processes, and services; the development of skills in experimentation and scientific innovation; and knowledge and fluent use of the English language.
Finally, it should be noted that the course has close links with the world of work, as evidenced by the large number and relevance of the applied research projects in which the teaching staff are involved, carried out in collaboration with national and international companies.
The preparation of a master's degree graduate in Control Engineering allows them to find employment in research and/or design and/or management contexts, both at universities and scientific research centers, and at companies (in the fields of research and development of systems and/or applications), both nationally and internationally. The international applicability of the master's degree is guaranteed by the fact that it is taught in English and by the quantity and quality of the international research relationships established by the course professors.

Structure of the study program and training program
The training activities offered by the study program relate to the following three areas of training.

Robotics and autonomous vehicles. This area of study aims to provide students with specialist knowledge and advanced skills to tackle the design and management of control systems in the fields of robotics, automated systems, automotive engineering, and space technology. Master's degree graduates in Control Engineering will gain an in-depth understanding of the problems and control techniques of advanced robotic systems, including manipulator and mobile robots for industrial automation and service applications, collaborative robots with human users, robots for medical applications and assisted surgery, humanoid robots, and autonomous land and air vehicles (drones).
Control of complex networks and systems. This area of study aims to provide students with a solid understanding of the fundamental aspects of control theory and methods in the application areas of networks (energy, communication, transport, etc.) and complex systems (critical infrastructure, health support systems, biomedical systems, emergency systems, etc.). Master's degree graduates in Control Engineering will acquire, on the one hand, the skills to model and analyze networks/systems composed of complex, heterogeneous, and interconnected physical phenomena, devices, and processes and, on the other hand, hybrid control methodologies, assisted by artificial intelligence techniques, capable of meeting specific design requirements based, depending on the case, on a complete, partial, or largely incomplete knowledge of the model of the system to be controlled.
Process automation and supervision. This area of training aims to provide students with the theoretical skills necessary to conceive and design advanced control and supervision systems, ensuring the correct functioning of complex and non-linear processes in uncertain environments. Master's degree graduates in Control Engineering will be able, based on the knowledge acquired in basic and advanced methodological courses related to this training area, to solve problems of modeling, design, management, and supervision of dynamic systems and processes, even in the presence of sampled data, disturbances, uncertainties, and delays.
Description of the Program
The program is structured in such a way that the core training activities cover all three of the above-mentioned areas of study. Master's degree graduates in Control Engineering will thus acquire a mindset oriented towards interdisciplinarity and versatility, one of the most important objectives of this program.
In particular, the course of study includes compulsory training activities related to the area of “Advanced Control Methods” (including the theory and control of nonlinear systems, optimal control, and identification), as these provide the theoretical and methodological foundation that is also essential to the other two areas of study.
Secondly, through the combination of core and related supplementary activities, the program allows students to place greater emphasis on a specific area of study or, at their discretion, to maintain a more balanced approach across the three areas of study. In other words, the training program offers degrees of freedom that allow students to modulate the emphasis on each of the three training areas, thus ensuring flexibility to adapt to individual interests and professional ambitions.
Finally, an essential element completing the training program is the master's thesis, which allows graduates to use the variety of methodologies and techniques acquired in an industrial or scientific field of application. Through the thesis, the graduate must demonstrate mastery of the topics covered in the thesis, the ability to propose engineering solutions that are valid, if not innovative, the ability to work independently, and a level of communication that allows them to present the results obtained clearly, both in writing and orally.
In particular, therefore, the curriculum can be freely defined by each student by choosing the courses offered by the degree program. These choices must be made in such a way that each student's curriculum complies with the following constraints and, in particular, is characterized by:
2 compulsory courses;
6 courses freely chosen from those in the optional group referring to “characterizing” credits;
3 courses freely chosen from those in the optional group referring to ‘related or supplementary’ credits;
courses freely chosen by the student for a total of 12 credits;
internship and final exam, to be carried out during the second year of the course.
By way of example only, three examples of curricula are provided at the link below. https://docs.google.com/document/d/16bLYKKqWzvqG7Un-e-e4azO9YWvmxppwNt0T...

Final Exam

Admission requirements

In line with the objective of training professionals capable of applying automation methodologies in all fields of engineering, the knowledge required for admission is that which characterizes the typical course of study of an engineering student who has obtained a bachelor's degree.
Specifically, in addition to a knowledge of the fundamentals of mathematics, with particular reference to linear algebra and analysis, and physics, in order to be admitted to the Master's Degree in Control Engineering, students are required to have acquired familiarity with the basic concepts and notions of dynamic systems analysis and control systems design in the domain of linearity. The various areas of study offered within the Control Engineering program will then allow students to deepen their theoretical knowledge and put it into practice in various fields of application, as detailed in Table A4.a.
Finally, given the international nature of the engineering sector and the fact that the Master's Degree in Control Engineering is taught in English, students are required to have a command of written and spoken English equivalent to at least level B2.

Specifically, to be admitted to the master's degree program, applicants must meet the necessary curricular requirements and have adequate personal preparation, which includes verification of adequate language skills.
The curricular requirements are as follows:
hold a bachelor's degree or a three-year university diploma, or another qualification obtained abroad that is considered equivalent;
have at least 96 university credits in the areas listed below;
have knowledge of English at level B2 or higher.

Verification of adequate personal preparation is mandatory and will be carried out by a special commission that will take into account the entire previous career, with particular attention to the knowledge acquired in the fields of Automatic Engineering.
For information on how to verify curricular requirements, English language proficiency, and personal preparation, please refer to the Course Regulations.
Graduates who have earned at least 96 credits in the following areas are eligible for admission to the Master's Degree program in Automatic Engineering:
MATH-01/A (formerly MAT/01), MATH-02/A (formerly MAT/02), MATH-02/B (formerly MAT/03), MATH-03/A (formerly MAT/05), MATH-03/B (formerly MAT/06), MATH-04/A (formerly MAT/07), MATH-05/A (formerly MAT/08), MATH-06/A (formerly MAT/09);
PHYS-01/A (formerly FIS/01), PHYS-02/A (formerly FIS/02), PHYS-03/A (formerly FIS/03);
CHEM-01/A (formerly CHIM/01), CHEM-02/A (formerly CHIM/02), CHEM-03/A (formerly CHIM/03), CHEM-04/A (formerly CHIM/04), CHEM-06/A (formerly CHIM/06), CHEM-07/A (formerly CHIM/07);
IINF-01/A (formerly ING-INF/01), IINF-02/A (formerly ING-INF/02), IINF-03/A (formerly ING-INF/03), IINF-04/A (formerly ING-INF/04), IINF-05/A (formerly ING-INF/05), IINF-06/A (formerly ING-INF/06), IINF-07/A (formerly ING-INF/07);
IIND-01/C (formerly ING-IND/03), IIND-01/D (formerly ING-IND/04), IIND-01/E (formerly ING-IND/05), IIND-01/F (formerly ING-IND/06), IIND-01/G (formerly ING-IND/07), IIND-06/B (formerly ING-IND/09), IIND-07/A (formerly ING-IND/10), IIND-02/A (formerly ING-IND/13), IIND-05/A (formerly ING-IND/17), IIET-01/A (formerly ING-IND/31), IIND-08/A (formerly ING-IND/32), IIND-08/B (formerly ING-IND/33), IBIO-01/A, IEGE-01/A (formerly ING-IND/35).
Within the aforementioned 96 credits, it is strongly recommended that students have acquired at least 15 credits during their bachelor's degree in subjects from the scientific-disciplinary sectors IINF-04/A (formerly ING-INF/04) (Automatics), IIND-02/A (formerly ING-IND/13).
Career and professional opportunities for graduates
Career opportunities for graduates with a master's degree in Automatic Engineering include advanced design of automatic control systems for complex processes; management of industrial systems, production, and services; design of control systems in various contexts, such as energy management, communication and transport networks (smart grids); optimal exploitation of alternative energies; automotive, mechatronics, aerospace (embedded systems); environmental monitoring and control; biomedical applications; robotics. These design functions are necessary in manufacturing and service companies, public administrations, and freelance professions.
The English-language delivery and international character of the Master of Science in Control Engineering provide master's graduates with training that is suitable for employment in both national companies operating in international contexts and international companies.
The rigorous methodological approach facilitates the integration of master's graduates into both basic and applied research contexts, both at universities and research centers.

By way of example, a master's degree allows graduates to find employment with:
- companies that manufacture components and systems for automation (automation and control systems, machine tools and robotic systems, automotive, aerospace) and users of automation products, such as public administration, consumer goods manufacturers, and transportation systems;
- companies for the design, control, and management of communication networks (e.g., telecommunications operators, manufacturing companies, service and content providers), energy distribution networks, and transport networks;
- universities and research centers operating in the fields of information and automation;
- engineering companies for integration and business consulting;
- companies or entities managing content and services.
Examples of corresponding professional profiles include:
- control system design engineer for energy, communication, or transport networks;
- engineer responsible for the management of automated systems;
- design engineer for robotic, mechatronic, and space systems;
- engineer specializing in process optimization;
- engineer specializing in biomedical systems.