Diploma in Safety Case for Defence
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in Safety Case for Defence. 8 modules covering safety case concepts, Def Stan 00-56 and MIL-STD-882E, hazard management, GSN argumentation, evidence and functional safety, independent assessment and the safety case lifecycle, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Safety Case for Defence — 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$1,740 (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
Understand the purpose and structure of a safety case.
Apply the requirements of Def Stan 00-56 and MIL-STD-882E.
Build safety arguments using GSN notation.
Manage hazard logs and evidence.
Integrate functional and software safety into the safety case.
Carry out independent reviews and assessments.
Maintain the safety case throughout the lifecycle.
Who it's for
- System safety engineers working on defence programmes.
- Safety case managers who need a structured, standards-based method.
- Independent safety assessors looking to strengthen their review practice.
- Functional safety engineers moving into defence.
- Programme risk managers.
- Certification engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence sector.
What you'll work with
- Def Stan 00-56 (safety management requirements for defence systems)
- MIL-STD-882E (system safety)
- ISO/IEC/IEEE 15026-2 (assurance cases)
- GSN Community Standard v3 (Goal Structuring Notation)
- IEC 61508 (functional safety)
- EN 50129 (railway safety cases, as a reference)
- SAE ARP4761 (safety assessment of aircraft systems)
- Adelard ASCE
- Astah GSN
- Isograph Hazop+
- Cameo Systems Modeler
8 modules
1.1Definition and purpose1.2History: from Piper Alpha to defence1.3Goal-based regimes1.4Tolerable risk and ALARP1.5Duty holder responsibilities1.6Stakeholders1.7Safety cases across different sectors1.8Common mistakes1.9Critiques of the approach1.10Case study: analysis of an accident report
2.1Def Stan 00-562.2MIL-STD-882E2.3Comparison of approaches2.4Contractual requirements2.5Defence safety authorities2.6Munitions safety: general framework2.7Safety in air, naval and land systems2.8Reference civil standards2.9Regulatory evolution2.10Workshop: regulatory map of a programme
3.1Hazard identification3.2Preliminary hazard analysis3.3HAZOP and functional analysis3.4Hazard log3.5Risk classification3.6Risk reduction3.7Verification of mitigations3.8Risk acceptance3.9Interface hazards3.10Practical exercise: building a hazard log
4.1GSN elements4.2Goals, strategies and solutions4.3Context, assumptions and justifications4.4Argument patterns4.5Modular arguments4.6ISO/IEC/IEEE 15026-2 assurance cases4.7Confidence arguments4.8Modelling tools4.9Argument quality4.10Lab: safety case in GSN
5.1Types of evidence5.2Fault tree analysis and FMEA as evidence5.3Testing and verification5.4IEC 61508 functional safety5.5Software safety5.6Process evidence5.7COTS components5.8Human factors5.9Sufficiency of evidence5.10Case study: evidence for a control system
6.1Independent safety assessor6.2Assessment planning6.3Review techniques6.4Challenging arguments6.5Fallacies in safety arguments6.6Assessment reports6.7Management of findings6.8Interaction with the authority6.9Assessor competence6.10Practical exercise: independent review of an argument
7.1Preliminary safety case7.2Design safety case7.3Operational safety case7.4Change management7.5In-service experience7.6Withdrawal and disposal7.7Fleet safety cases7.8Document maintenance7.9Lessons learned7.10Workshop: updating a safety case after a modification
8.1System description8.2Applicable standards8.3Hazard analysis8.4GSN argument structure8.5Supporting evidence8.6Independent assessment8.7Safety case maintenance plan8.8Safety case report8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final 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: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Adelard ASCE, Astah GSN, Isograph Hazop+ and Cameo Systems Modeler, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: developing a safety case with GSN, independently reviewing a safety argument and building a hazard log. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Def Stan 00-56, MIL-STD-882E, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15026-2, GSN Community Standard v3, IEC 61508, EN 50129, SAE ARP4761.
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 capable of running 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 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Adelard ASCE, Astah GSN, Isograph Hazop+ and Cameo Systems Modeler, 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 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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