Course in Ethical History of Drone Development
300-hour online course in the ethical history of drone development. 6 modules covering the Chicago Convention (1944), Article 8 (pilotless aircraft), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Zotero. Personal tutor assigned and enrolment open.
Course in Ethical History of Drone Development — studying from Australia
Defence is one of Australia's largest engineering employers, with major programmes in land systems, naval platforms, aircraft and integrated systems managed through the Department of Defence. Land systems engineering supports armoured vehicles, weapons and logistics equipment, often through prime contractors and local industry partners. Industry involvement is strongly encouraged through the Defence industry policy framework. Engineers work on sustainment, capability development, systems integration and safety assurance, typically in Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne and regional defence precincts.
Fees for Australia: A$1,180 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
How does defence engineering recognition work in Australia?
Defence engineering in Australia is largely run through the Department of Defence and its industry partners, which set their own security clearance and qualification requirements. Engineers Australia is the professional body for accreditation. SEIUM's private qualifications are not accredited by these bodies, so recognition is for employers or the relevant body to decide.
Which Australian employers hire in defence and land systems?
Australia has defence prime contractors, the Department of Defence, and specialist land systems firms. Many of these roles require Australian security clearances, which depend on citizenship and background checks rather than course completion. Ask employers how they weigh private qualifications against experience and clearance requirements.
Is the course manageable with a job, and does it need a visa?
The programmes are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from Australia without a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. An assigned technical tutor supports you, fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe the origins of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Analyse the role of unmanned reconnaissance during the Cold War.
Explain the emergence of armed drones and their legal implications.
Evaluate the proliferation of drones and the entry of new actors.
Debate the arguments on autonomy and meaningful human control.
Relate the history of drones to current control regimes.
Produce a historical and ethical analysis of drone development.
Who it's for
- Researcher in aviation history who wishes to specialise in the Ethical History of Drone Development.
- Arms control analyst who wishes to specialise in the Ethical History of Drone Development.
- Ethics adviser for autonomous systems who wishes to specialise in the Ethical History of Drone Development.
- Lecturer in history of technology who wishes to specialise in the Ethical History of Drone Development.
- Security policy analyst who wishes to specialise in the Ethical History of Drone Development.
- Journalist specialising in defence who wishes to specialise in the Ethical History of Drone Development.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter academia and research.
What you'll work with
- Chicago Convention (1944), Article 8 (pilotless aircraft)
- Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
- Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)
- Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 36
- DoD Directive 3000.09 (autonomy in weapon systems)
- Arms Trade Treaty (ATT, 2013)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Nineteenth-century aerial balloons and torpedoes1.2Kettering Bug and Hewitt-Sperry1.3Tesla's radio control and his patent1.4Aerial targets: Queen Bee and Radioplane1.5V-1 and automation in the Second World War1.6Operation Aphrodite1.7First debates on unmanned weapons1.8Technological context of the period1.9Historical sources and archives1.10Workshop: annotated timeline of the first UAVs
2.1Ryan Firebee and Lightning Bug in Vietnam2.2Reconnaissance without risk to pilots2.3Aquiline Programme and surveillance2.4Israel and the Scout and Pioneer2.5Lebanon War of 19822.6Soviet reconnaissance programmes2.7Secrecy and democratic control2.8Ethics of reconnaissance over third countries2.9Transfer to civilian use2.10Case study: the use of decoys in the Bekaa Valley
3.1Predator and its armament in 20013.2Targeted strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia3.3Legal basis: authorisation for the use of force3.4Signature strikes and behavioural profiles3.5Civilian casualty counts and controversies3.6Psychological effects on populations3.7Stress and trauma among operators3.8Reports of UN Special Rapporteurs3.9Leaked documents and transparency3.10Case study: analysis of the 2014 Emmerson report
4.1Spread of armed drones to new countries4.2Commercial drones in conflicts4.3Nagorno-Karabakh 2020 and loitering munitions4.4Ukraine and FPV drones4.5Non-state actors and misuse4.6Export control and the MTCR4.7Joint Declaration of 2016 on armed drones4.8Counter-drone defence and its ethics4.9Impact on civilians and infrastructure4.10Practice: comparison of export policies
5.1From remote control to autonomy5.2Stop Killer Robots campaign5.3CCW Group of Governmental Experts5.4Directive 3000.09 and its 2023 revision5.5ICRC positions on autonomy5.6Responsibility and the accountability gap5.7Humanitarian and civilian drones5.8Ethical lessons from history5.9Future scenarios5.10Workshop: debate on a preventive ban
6.1Selection of a period or case6.2Bibliographic and source review6.3Technical and strategic context6.4Analysis of decisions and actors6.5Ethical assessment using theoretical frameworks6.6Comparison with the present6.7Conclusions and lessons6.8Preparation of the essay6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Zotero, NVivo, Timeline JS, advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Essays are studied through real procedures for analysing historical sources, case studies of drone proliferation and seminars on ethical debate. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Describe the origins of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Analyse the role of unmanned reconnaissance during the Cold War.
Explain the emergence of armed drones and their legal implications.
Evaluate the proliferation of drones and the entry of new actors.
Debate the arguments on autonomy and meaningful human control.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
Work is carried out with Zotero, NVivo, Timeline JS and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An SEIUM Institute diploma awarded upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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