Diploma in MOSA/CMOSS Architectures for Helicopters
600-hour online postgraduate diploma in modular open systems architectures for helicopters: FACE, SOSA, OpenVPX, ARINC 653, integration, military airworthiness and sustainment, with an assigned tutor.
Diploma in MOSA/CMOSS Architectures for Helicopters — 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$2,850 (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
Explain the principles of the modular open systems approach and assess how open a system is.
Select and justify the applicable reference standards (FACE, SOSA, OpenVPX, ARINC 653).
Define the physical architecture considering vibration, thermal management, electromagnetic compatibility and maintainability.
Design the logical architecture with partitioning, hardware abstraction and application portability.
Plan the integration of mission systems and interface control between suppliers.
Set out the airworthiness, software assurance and cybersecurity strategy for the integrated system.
Draw up a sustainment plan with obsolescence management and contractual openness requirements.
Who it's for
- Aeronautical systems engineers working on rotary-wing avionics integration.
- Avionics and embedded software engineers developing modules for open platforms.
- Programme and acquisition office staff drafting openness requirements in tenders.
- Sustainment, obsolescence and fleet configuration management leads.
- Airworthiness and certification engineers for airborne software and hardware.
- Aerospace, telecommunications or computer engineering graduates interested in the defence sector.
What you'll work with
- FACE Technical Standard (The Open Group) (open software environment for avionics)
- SOSA Technical Standard (The Open Group) (open sensor systems architecture)
- ANSI/VITA 65 (OpenVPX) (system profiles for VPX modules)
- ARINC 653 (software partitioning in integrated modular avionics)
- RTCA DO-178C (airborne software assurance)
- RTCA DO-254 (airborne electronic hardware assurance)
- MIL-STD-810H (environmental testing)
- MIL-STD-461G (electromagnetic compatibility)
- EMAR 21 (European military airworthiness requirements)
8 modules
1.1Modularity and decoupling of functions1.2Public interfaces and interoperability points1.3Consensus standards versus proprietary specifications1.4Openness criteria and levels of compliance1.5Benefits for competition and life-cycle cost1.6Integration risks and integrator responsibility1.7Technical data ownership strategy1.8Usage rights and interface licences1.9Acquisition policy oriented towards openness1.10Assessing the degree of openness of a system
2.1Converged standards framework for platforms2.2Small form factor card specifications2.3Standardised embedded computing infrastructure2.4Time and reference distribution standards2.5Software-defined radio architecture2.6Data bus and on-board network standards2.7Integrated modular avionics specifications2.8Application interface and services standards2.9Conformance profiles and their verification2.10Standards bodies and their governance
3.1Racks, chassis and plug-in modules3.2Conduction and liquid thermal management3.3Vibration and shock on rotary-wing platforms3.4Electromagnetic compatibility in the cockpit3.5Power distribution and power quality3.6Weight, volume and installation constraints3.7Connectors, wiring and maintainability3.8Accessibility for line replacement3.9Environmental protection and sealing3.10Qualifying the module for its environment
4.1Temporal and spatial partitioning of software4.2Certifiable real-time operating system4.3Standardised interface between application and platform4.4Hardware abstraction layer4.5Health services and configuration management4.6Inter-partition communication and channels4.7Resource allocation and computing budget4.8Application portability across platforms4.9Version management and compatibility4.10Component reuse across programmes
5.1Defining the integration scope5.2Navigation and vision aid sensors5.3Communications and spectrum management5.4Flight management systems and their interface5.5Mission data management and loading5.6Crew interface and displays5.7Integration of warning and alerting systems5.8Integration testing on a test rig5.9Managing interfaces between suppliers5.10Documenting the agreed interfaces
6.1Applicable military airworthiness requirements6.2Airborne software assurance levels6.3Separation between critical and non-critical functions6.4Safety argument for the integrated system6.5Reuse of certification evidence6.6Cybersecurity of the airborne platform6.7Software supply chain management6.8Access control and key management6.9Robustness testing and vulnerability analysis6.10System accreditation by the authority
7.1Life-cycle sustainment plan7.2Proactive obsolescence management7.3Modular technology refresh7.4Repair at the different maintenance levels7.5Fleet configuration management7.6Contracting for capabilities rather than products7.7Openness requirements in the tender7.8Contractual verification of compliance7.9Cost of ownership and comparison of alternatives7.10Fleet availability indicators
8.1Defining the scope and the platform8.2Analysing capability requirements8.3Justified selection of applicable standards8.4Designing the physical and logical architecture8.5Defining the interfaces and their control8.6Integration and verification plan8.7Certification and sustainment strategy8.8Writing the report and appendices8.9Review with the tutor and defence before the panel8.10Submitting the file and roadmap
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine the programme with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Cameo Systems Modeler, Capella, IBM DOORS, Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Cases are studied on public documentation of open standards, avionics modernisation programmes and airworthiness requirements for rotary-wing platforms. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrated project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
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 totals 600 hours over 6–9 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Cameo Systems Modeler, Capella, IBM DOORS and Excel, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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