A new automation engineering degree at UW-Oshkosh fills a significant manufacturing need in Wisconsin for engineering professionals with programming skills.

UW Oshkosh is the first in the UW System to offer the program, which complements UWO’s existing engineering technology offerings and boosts research, economic development, entrepreneurship and sustainability in northeastern Wisconsin and beyond.

“This is a great example of UW Oshkosh responding to the needs of the region and training our students for the future economy,” said UWO Provost Ed Martini. “This new program helps our students and their families reimagine what a career in today’s high-tech manufacturing sector looks like. The future of manufacturing will be driven by software, programming and automation, and this program will help students build those skills.”

Following approval by the UW System Board of Regents in early July, current students will begin taking classes in the 129-credit major this fall with the official launch set for fall 2024.

Automation engineering is the second engineering offering at UWO approved this year; Regents gave the green light to a biomedical engineering degree in March.

“The automation engineering major was borne out of a request from several of the companies on our Advisory Board. After talking about it for a couple years, recognizing the success and limitations of our engineering technology programs and listening to the feedback of local industry, it was an easy decision to pursue,” said Greg Kleinheinz, engineering and engineering technology department chair.

“The major dovetails nicely with our electrical and mechanical engineering tech majors and the mechatronics components of those programs.”

UWO’s engineering and engineering tech department, begun in 2013, also offers degrees in electrical engineering technology, environmental engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology.