Course on SAE/ISO Standards for Autonomous Software
Online course of 300 h on SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software. 6 modules covering ISO 26262 (functional safety for road vehicles), ISO 21448 (SOTIF) and CARLA. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course on SAE/ISO Standards for Autonomous Software — 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$712 (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 regulatory framework for autonomous systems software.
Apply ISO 26262 requirements to software development.
Analyse the safety of the intended functionality and its triggering scenarios.
Evaluate the challenges of machine learning in the control loop.
Plan verification and validation through simulation and testing.
Interpret the homologation requirements for automated driving systems.
Draft a safety plan for autonomous software.
Who it's for
- Autonomous driving software engineer who wants to specialise in SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software.
- Functional safety engineer who wants to specialise in SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software.
- Verification and validation engineer who wants to specialise in SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software.
- SOTIF specialist who wants to specialise in SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software.
- Embedded machine learning engineer who wants to specialise in SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software.
- Homologation manager for autonomous systems who wants to specialise in SAE/ISO standards for autonomous software.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- ISO 26262 (functional safety for road vehicles)
- ISO 21448 (SOTIF)
- SAE J3016 (levels of driving automation)
- UL 4600 (safety of autonomous products)
- ISO/PAS 8800 (AI in road vehicles)
- ISO 34502 (scenarios for automated driving systems)
- ISO/SAE 21434 (cybersecurity in vehicles)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What distinguishes an autonomous system from an automated one1.2Levels of driving automation1.3Relevant standard families and how they are allocated1.4Functional safety versus safety of the intended functionality1.5Cybersecurity as a concurrent requirement1.6Validation and homologation frameworks1.7Actors: manufacturer, supplier and authority1.8Sector vocabulary and acronyms1.9Normative sources and their updates1.10Exercise: regulatory map of an autonomous system
2.1Safety lifecycle and its phases2.2Hazard analysis and risk assessment2.3Safety goals and their allocation2.4Integrity levels and associated requirements2.5Architecture, partitioning and safety mechanisms2.6Coding requirements and restricted language2.7Verification by review, analysis and testing2.8Structural coverage and its justification2.9Configuration and change management2.10Practice: assigning and justifying an integrity level
3.1Non-fault risks: design limitations3.2Triggering scenarios and their identification3.3Sensor and perception limitations3.4Foreseeable misuse by the person3.5Definition of the operational design domain3.6Acceptability argument for residual risk3.7Statistical validation and equivalent kilometres3.8Perception performance metrics3.9Continuous improvement with field data3.10Practice: defining the operational design domain of a system
4.1Learning-related problems for certification4.2Traceability of requirements to a trained model4.3Dataset management and documentation4.4Model validation and edge cases4.5Robustness to disturbances and domain shifts4.6Required explainability and its limits4.7Safety monitors and supervisor architectures4.8Model updates and recertification4.9Emerging standards for artificial intelligence4.10Practice: designing a safety monitor
5.1Scenario-based validation strategy5.2Simulation, test bench and closed track5.3Public road testing and its authorisations5.4Scenario catalogues and their coverage5.5Fault injection and robustness testing5.6Evidence traceability and compliance matrix5.7Data recorder and incident analysis5.8Process audit by the authority5.9Post-deployment surveillance5.10Practice: scenario-based validation plan
6.1Choice of system and its function6.2Definition of the operational design domain6.3Hazard and non-fault risk analysis6.4Safety requirements and architecture6.5Verification and validation strategy6.6Data and model management plan6.7Regulatory compliance matrix6.8Post-deployment surveillance plan6.9Technical report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is CARLA, MATLAB/Simulink, dSPACE, Polyspace, VectorCAST, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied through real procedures of scenario-based simulation, software-in-the-loop testing and static code analysis. Assessment is continuous, module 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 regulatory framework for autonomous systems software.
Apply ISO 26262 requirements to software development.
Analyse the safety of the intended functionality and its triggering scenarios.
Evaluate the challenges of machine learning in the control loop.
Plan verification and validation through simulation and testing.
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 standards documentation.
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 between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with CARLA, MATLAB/Simulink, dSPACE, Polyspace, VectorCAST. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An own diploma from SEIUM 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 higher programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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