Master’s in Defence Acquisition and Public Procurement Engineering (NATO/EU/US)
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in defence acquisition and public procurement engineering (NATO/EU/US). 12 modules covering comparative acquisition systems, European, NATO and US federal procurement, bid preparation, pricing and costing, contract management, offsets, compliance and integrity, joint European acquisition instruments and digitalisation, with Directive 2009/81/EC, FAR and DFARS, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Defence Acquisition and Public Procurement Engineering (NATO/EU/US) — 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$15,800 (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
Compare the defence acquisition systems of the EU, NATO and the US.
Apply Directive 2009/81/EC to procurement procedures.
Interpret the US federal FAR and DFARS regulations.
Prepare competitive bids with compliance matrices.
Model prices and costs of defence contracts.
Manage contracts, modifications and industrial offsets.
Implement integrity and compliance controls in acquisition.
Who it's for
- Defence contract managers
- Bid managers
- Pricing and cost analysts
- Industrial offset specialists
- Compliance officers
- Public procurement officers
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the defence industry
What you'll work with
- Directive 2009/81/EC (defence and security procurement)
- Federal Acquisition Regulation – FAR (US federal procurement)
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement – DFARS (US defence procurement)
- Directive 2014/24/EU (general public procurement)
- AQAP-2110 (NATO quality assurance requirements)
- DoD Instruction 5000.02 (US defence acquisition system)
- Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification – CMMC (contractor cybersecurity)
- Microsoft Excel
- SAP Ariba
- Power BI
- Shipley Proposal Guide
- Microsoft Project
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1European defence acquisition model1.2US acquisition system: DoD 50001.3Adaptive Acquisition Framework1.4NATO model: NSPA and NCIA1.5European Defence Agency and OCCAR1.6Spanish model: DGAM1.7Comparison of approaches1.8Recent reforms1.9Public ethics in acquisition1.10Case study: comparison of three national systems
2.1Directive 2009/81/EC in detail2.2Directive 2014/24/EU and its relationship2.3Scope and exclusions2.4Negotiated procedure with prior publication2.5Competitive dialogue2.6Framework agreements2.7Security of supply2.8Security of information in tenders2.9CJEU case law2.10Workshop: choice of procedure for a supply contract
3.1NSPA procedures3.2International Competitive Bidding (ICB)3.3NSIP investments3.4NATO contract clauses3.5Eligibility and declarations3.6NCIA and C3 contracts3.7AQAP quality requirements3.8Management of multinational contracts3.9Appeals and complaints3.10Practical exercise: analysis of an NSPA tender
4.1Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)4.2DFARS supplement4.3Contract types: fixed price and cost reimbursable4.4Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales4.5Buy American Act and reciprocity4.6CMMC cybersecurity4.7Cost Accounting Standards4.8Other Transaction Authority4.9DCAA audits4.10Case study: differences between FMS and DCS
5.1Analysis of tender documents and requirements5.2Bid/no-bid decision5.3Capture strategy5.4Writing technical proposals5.5Compliance matrix5.6Price proposal5.7Managing the bid team5.8Colour team reviews5.9Lessons from lost bids5.10Workshop: compliance matrix for a tender
6.1Defence cost structure6.2Reference prices and analysis6.3Life cycle cost estimation6.4Indirect costs and rates6.5Price revision6.6Incentive models6.7Earned value analysis6.8Cost auditing6.9Price negotiation6.10Practical exercise: cost model for a bid
7.1Contract administration7.2Management of changes and modifications7.3Milestones and certifications7.4Penalties and guarantees7.5Subcontractor management7.6Contractual risk management7.7Intellectual property management7.8Claims and dispute resolution7.9Contract close-out7.10Case study: managing a contract modification
8.1Direct and indirect offsets8.2European rules on offsets8.3Industrial participation8.4Technology transfer8.5Industrial cooperation programmes8.6Valuation of offsets8.7Monitoring and compliance8.8Risks of offsets8.9International cases8.10Workshop: industrial participation plan
9.1Anti-corruption in procurement9.2Conflicts of interest9.3Third-party due diligence9.4Agents and intermediaries9.5Compliance programmes9.6Export control in contracts9.7Sanctions and restricted lists9.8Whistleblowing and internal channels9.9Penalties for non-compliance9.10Practical exercise: due diligence on a business partner
10.1Joint procurement in the EU10.2EDIRPA and common procurement10.3EDIP programme10.4OCCAR mechanisms10.5European Defence Agency and ad hoc projects10.6PESCO projects10.7SAFE funding10.8Coordination with NATO10.9Challenges of joint acquisition10.10Case study: design of a joint acquisition
11.1E-tendering platforms11.2Procurement data analytics11.3Artificial intelligence in acquisition11.4Agile contracting and innovation11.5Public procurement of innovation11.6SMEs and start-ups in defence11.7Sustainability in procurement11.8Supply chain resilience11.9The future of acquisition11.10Workshop: procurement data analysis with TED
12.1Selection of the acquisition case12.2Applicable regulatory framework12.3Requirements analysis12.4Procurement strategy12.5Cost model12.6Contract management plan12.7Compliance analysis12.8Conclusions and recommendations12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
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 the intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Microsoft Excel, SAP Ariba, Power BI, Shipley Proposal Guide and Microsoft Project, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Real procedures are studied, such as analysis of international tenders, preparation of compliance matrices and cost modelling of bids. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Directive 2009/81/EC, FAR, DFARS, Directive 2014/24/EU, AQAP-2110, DoD Instruction 5000.02, CMMC.
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
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's 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 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 Microsoft Excel, SAP Ariba, Power BI, Shipley Proposal Guide and Microsoft Project, 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's 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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