Master’s in Embedded, Firmware and Real-Time Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in embedded systems, firmware and real-time engineering. 12 modules covering microcontroller architecture, embedded C and C++ to MISRA C:2012, drivers and peripherals, RTOS, timing analysis, software design, connectivity, power management, verification, functional safety to IEC 61508 and ISO 26262, and firmware cybersecurity, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Embedded, Firmware and Real-Time Engineering — 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$14,200 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
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.
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
Design firmware architectures on modern microcontrollers.
Program in embedded C and C++ following secure coding standards.
Develop applications on real-time operating systems.
Integrate peripherals, communication buses and power management.
Analyse system response times and schedulability.
Verify firmware with automated testing and static analysis.
Apply functional safety and cybersecurity requirements to firmware.
Who it's for
- Firmware engineers in automotive, aerospace or medical devices.
- Embedded systems engineers.
- Real-time software developers.
- Functional safety engineers.
- Embedded software verification engineers.
- Embedded systems architects.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the automotive industry.
What you'll work with
- IEC 61508 (functional safety of E/E/PE systems)
- ISO 26262 (functional safety of road vehicles)
- MISRA C:2012 (C coding guidelines for critical systems)
- RTCA DO-178C (software considerations in airborne systems)
- IEC 62304 (medical device software)
- AUTOSAR Classic Platform (automotive software architecture)
- IEC 62443-4-2 (technical security requirements for IACS components)
- CERT C Coding Standard (secure C coding)
- STM32CubeIDE
- FreeRTOS
- Zephyr RTOS
- Segger J-Link and Ozone
- LDRA Testbed
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Microcontrollers versus microprocessors1.2ARM Cortex-M, Cortex-R and RISC-V cores1.3Flash memory, SRAM and caches1.4Memory map and peripherals1.5Interrupts and the NVIC controller1.6Clocks, PLLs and low-power modes1.7Functional and non-functional requirements1.8Microcontroller selection1.9Toolchain and cross-compilers1.10Case study: microcontroller selection for a product
2.1Data types and portability2.2Pointers, volatile and register access2.3Memory management without dynamic allocation2.4Modern C++ in resource-constrained environments2.5MISRA C:2012 guidelines2.6The CERT C secure coding standard2.7Optimisation and compiler control2.8The linker and linker scripts2.9Start-up code and the interrupt vector table2.10Practical exercise: bare-metal firmware on STM32
3.1Hardware abstraction layer (HAL)3.2GPIO, timers and PWM3.3ADC and DAC converters3.4DMA and efficient transfers3.5UART, SPI and I²C buses3.6CAN and CAN FD bus3.7Embedded USB and Ethernet3.8External flash memory management3.9Designing reusable drivers3.10Lab: SPI driver with DMA
4.1Hard and soft real-time concepts4.2Tasks, priorities and the scheduler4.3Semaphores, mutexes and queues4.4Priority inversion and inheritance4.5Software timers and ticks4.6Memory management in an RTOS4.7FreeRTOS: architecture and configuration4.8Zephyr RTOS and its device model4.9Comparison of commercial RTOSs4.10Practical exercise: multitasking application with FreeRTOS
5.1Periodic and sporadic task models5.2Fixed-priority and rate-monotonic scheduling5.3Earliest deadline first (EDF) scheduling5.4Response time analysis5.5Worst-case execution time estimation5.6Interrupt latency and jitter5.7Tracing with Segger SystemView5.8Timing measurement with an oscilloscope5.9Designing for determinism5.10Lab: schedulability analysis of a system
6.1Layered and event-driven architectures6.2Hierarchical state machines6.3Embedded design patterns6.4Component-oriented design6.5Modelling with UML and SysML6.6Code generation from models6.7Configuration and variant management6.8Architecture documentation6.9Design and code reviews6.10Workshop: design with state machines
7.1Lightweight TCP/IP stacks such as lwIP7.2Bluetooth Low Energy7.3LoRaWAN and NB-IoT networks7.4MQTT and CoAP protocols7.5Modbus and industrial protocols7.6Buffer and stream management7.7Communication reliability7.8Communication security with TLS7.9Over-the-air firmware updates7.10Practical exercise: IoT node with MQTT on Zephyr
8.1Low-power and wake-up modes8.2Energy consumption profiling8.3Design for batteries and energy harvesting8.4Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling8.5Clock and peripheral management8.6Measurement with power analysers8.7Duty cycle optimisation8.8Fast start-up and data retention8.9Wearable and portable device cases8.10Lab: optimising the consumption of a sensor
9.1Debugging with JTAG and SWD9.2Breakpoints and ETM traces9.3Unit testing with Unity and CppUTest9.4Test-driven development for embedded systems9.5Hardware-in-the-loop testing of firmware9.6Static code analysis9.7MC/DC structural coverage9.8Continuous integration for firmware9.9Automated regression testing9.10Practical exercise: continuous integration pipeline with tests
10.1IEC 61508 concepts10.2SIL and ASIL levels10.3Software safety life cycle10.4ISO 26262 Part 610.5Diagnostic mechanisms and watchdog10.6Partitioning and memory protection10.7Qualification of development tools10.8DO-178C and IEC 62304 requirements10.9Evidence and the safety case10.10Case study: safety analysis of a controller
11.1Threat modelling for devices11.2Secure boot and chain of trust11.3Secure key storage11.4Secure elements and TrustZone11.5Signed firmware updates11.6Debug protection11.7IEC 62443-4-2 requirements11.8Vulnerability management11.9The European Cyber Resilience Act11.10Workshop: implementing secure boot
12.1Defining the embedded product12.2Requirements specification12.3Hardware and software architecture12.4Firmware development12.5RTOS integration12.6Verification and timing analysis12.7Safety assessment12.8Conclusions and future work12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online 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 is compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is STM32CubeIDE, FreeRTOS, Zephyr RTOS, Segger J-Link and Ozone, and LDRA Testbed, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for developing firmware on ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, real-time response analysis, and unit and integration testing on hardware. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: IEC 61508, ISO 26262, MISRA C:2012, RTCA DO-178C, IEC 62304, AUTOSAR Classic Platform, IEC 62443-4-2 and CERT C.
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
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- 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 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 STM32CubeIDE, FreeRTOS, Zephyr RTOS, Segger J-Link and Ozone, and LDRA Testbed, 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 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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