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Master'sElectronics, Embedded Systems & Telecom Applications open

Master’s in API/SDK Design for Devices

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in API and SDK design for devices: 12 modules covering API design principles, embedded C/C++ interfaces, connected-device APIs, cross-platform SDKs, documentation and developer experience, testing, security, performance, licensing and developer ecosystems, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1,900 hours · 12–14 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor

Master’s in API/SDK Design for Devices — studying from Australia

Electronics and embedded systems underpin a wide range of Australian industries, including defence, mining automation, medical devices and consumer technology. The telecommunications sector is significant, with ongoing investment in fibre, mobile networks and satellite communications for remote regions. Research organisations such as CSIRO and university groups contribute to advances in sensing, communications and signal processing. Engineers typically work on hardware design, firmware development, testing and certification. Employers include telecommunications carriers, defence contractors, instrumentation companies and product manufacturers.

Fees for Australia: A$12,600 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Australia

  • Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
  • Engineers Australia
  • Standards Australia
  • Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

Typical roles

  • Embedded Systems Engineer
  • Electronics Design Engineer
  • Firmware Engineer
  • Telecommunications Engineer

Questions from Australia

Is this qualification recognised for electronics engineering in Australia?

SEIUM's qualifications are private and not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by Engineers Australia or the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Recognition for electronics and telecom roles generally depends on accredited degrees, licences and experience. Employers or the relevant body make the final decision.

Which Australian employers hire embedded and telecom engineers?

Australia has telecommunications carriers, defence electronics firms, medical device makers, mining technology companies and IoT developers. Employers mostly assess your hands-on skills, project record and certifications. Ask prospective employers whether they would consider a private online qualification.

Can I study this part-time while working, and how is it supported?

The courses are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from anywhere in Australia without needing a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Apply API design principles to devices.

02

Design portable embedded interfaces in C and C++.

03

Specify APIs for connected devices.

04

Build cross-platform SDKs.

05

Document and test APIs to a professional standard.

06

Ensure the security and performance of interfaces.

07

Manage licensing, governance and developer ecosystems.

Profile

Who it's for

  • SDK engineers.
  • API designers.
  • Embedded software engineers who expose hardware to other developers.
  • Developer advocates.
  • IoT platform engineers.
  • API technical writers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter IoT.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • OpenAPI Specification 3.1 (HTTP API description)
  • AsyncAPI 3.0 (event-driven API description)
  • Bluetooth Core Specification 5.4 (Bluetooth and BLE)
  • Matter 1.3 (CSA) (smart-home interoperability standard)
  • ISO/IEC 9899 (C) (C programming language)
  • OWASP API Security Top 10 (main API security risks)
  • Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act) (cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements)
  • Zephyr RTOS
  • Protocol Buffers
  • Doxygen
  • Swagger
  • GitHub Actions
Syllabus

12 modules

  1. 1.1APIs, SDKs, HALs and drivers
  2. 1.2Software layers of a device
  3. 1.3Developers as users
  4. 1.4Developer experience (DX)
  5. 1.5Reference ecosystems
  6. 1.6Abstraction versus control
  7. 1.7Performance and constrained resources
  8. 1.8SDK business models
  9. 1.9Common design mistakes
  10. 1.10Case study: analysis of a commercial sensor SDK
  1. 2.1Consistency and naming
  2. 2.2Least surprise
  3. 2.3Function granularity
  4. 2.4Error handling
  5. 2.5Asynchrony and callbacks
  6. 2.6Memory management and ownership
  7. 2.7Thread safety
  8. 2.8Configuration and defaults
  9. 2.9API design reviews
  10. 2.10Workshop: review of a driver API
  1. 3.1API design in C
  2. 3.2Opaque structures
  3. 3.3HAL interfaces
  4. 3.4Modern C++ APIs
  5. 3.5Using templates in embedded systems
  6. 3.6APIs without dynamic allocation
  7. 3.7RTOS interfaces
  8. 3.8Drivers in Zephyr
  9. 3.9CMSIS as a reference
  10. 3.10Lab: portable HAL for an I2C peripheral
  1. 4.1Device REST APIs
  2. 4.2gRPC and Protocol Buffers
  3. 4.3APIs over BLE GATT
  4. 4.4MQTT and topic schemas
  5. 4.5CoAP and LwM2M
  6. 4.6Matter and cluster models
  7. 4.7Specification with OpenAPI
  8. 4.8AsyncAPI for events
  9. 4.9Authentication and authorisation
  10. 4.10Practical exercise: device API with OpenAPI
  1. 5.1SDKs for Android and iOS
  2. 5.2SDKs in Python
  3. 5.3SDKs in JavaScript
  4. 5.4FFI bindings
  5. 5.5Client code generation
  6. 5.6Rust as a shared core
  7. 5.7Packaging and distribution
  8. 5.8Dependency management
  9. 5.9Platform compatibility
  10. 5.10Lab: Python SDK over a C library
  1. 6.1API reference
  2. 6.2Quick-start guides
  3. 6.3Examples and tutorials
  4. 6.4Documentation generated with Doxygen and Sphinx
  5. 6.5Developer portals
  6. 6.6Code samples
  7. 6.7Command-line tools
  8. 6.8Support and community
  9. 6.9Adoption metrics
  10. 6.10Practical exercise: documentation portal for an SDK
  1. 7.1Unit testing
  2. 7.2Hardware mocks
  3. 7.3Contract testing
  4. 7.4Testing on real hardware
  5. 7.5Interface fuzzing
  6. 7.6Performance testing
  7. 7.7Cross-version compatibility
  8. 7.8Cross-platform continuous integration
  9. 7.9Code quality
  10. 7.10Lab: contract testing of an API
  1. 8.1API attack surface
  2. 8.2Input validation
  3. 8.3Device authentication
  4. 8.4Key management in SDKs
  5. 8.5Permissions and least privilege
  6. 8.6OWASP API Security Top 10
  7. 8.7BLE security
  8. 8.8Security updates
  9. 8.9Vulnerability disclosure
  10. 8.10Case study: security audit of an API
  1. 9.1Call latency
  2. 9.2Memory footprint
  3. 9.3Energy consumption
  4. 9.4Efficient serialisation
  5. 9.5Batching and streaming
  6. 9.6Zero-copy
  7. 9.7SDK profiling
  8. 9.8Abstraction trade-offs
  9. 9.9Benchmarks
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: serialisation optimisation
  1. 10.1Open-source licences
  2. 10.2Proprietary licences
  3. 10.3Licence compliance
  4. 10.4SDK SBOMs
  5. 10.5Cyber Resilience Act
  6. 10.6External contributions
  7. 10.7API governance
  8. 10.8Deprecation policy
  9. 10.9Partner agreements
  10. 10.10Workshop: licensing policy for an SDK
  1. 11.1Developer platforms
  2. 11.2Application marketplaces
  3. 11.3Partner programmes
  4. 11.4Integration certification
  5. 11.5Usage analytics
  6. 11.6Developer feedback
  7. 11.7Technical evangelism
  8. 11.8Successful ecosystem cases
  9. 11.9Platform strategy
  10. 11.10Case study: ecosystem strategy for a wearable
  1. 12.1Target device and developers
  2. 12.2API design
  3. 12.3Core implementation
  4. 12.4Cross-platform bindings
  5. 12.5Documentation
  6. 12.6Testing
  7. 12.7Distribution
  8. 12.8Evaluation with developers
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded lectures and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Zephyr RTOS, Protocol Buffers, Doxygen, Swagger and GitHub Actions, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied on real procedures: API contract testing, real-hardware testing in continuous integration and usability studies with developers. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: OpenAPI Specification 3.1, AsyncAPI 3.0, Bluetooth Core Specification 5.4, Matter 1.3 (CSA), ISO/IEC 9899 (C), OWASP API Security Top 10, Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act).

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of OpenAPI Specification 3.1, AsyncAPI 3.0 and Bluetooth Core Specification 5.4 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Zephyr RTOS, Protocol Buffers, Doxygen, Swagger and GitHub Actions, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A complete SDK for a target device, from API design and core implementation to cross-platform bindings, documentation, testing and distribution, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

API specification
Define the target device and developers and specify its API with OpenAPI or AsyncAPI.
Portable core
Implement a portable HAL and SDK core in C or C++.
Cross-platform bindings
Build Python or mobile bindings over the core library.
Documentation and testing
Publish a documentation portal and run contract and real-hardware tests in CI.
Master's Thesis
A complete, distributed device SDK evaluated with developers, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

SDK EngineerAPI DesignerEmbedded Software EngineerDeveloper AdvocateIoT Platform EngineerAPI Technical Writer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • 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.

Apply now Scholarships
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Zephyr RTOS, Protocol Buffers, Doxygen, Swagger and GitHub Actions, 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 Master's Thesis. 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 in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), 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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