Master’s in HARA, ASIL & Safety Case Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in HARA, ASIL and safety case engineering, structured in 12 modules covering functional safety management, item definition, HARA, ASIL decomposition, safety concepts, FMEA, FTA, FMEDA and DFA, hardware and software safety, safety case engineering in GSN and assessment under ISO 26262 and IEC 61508, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in HARA, ASIL & Safety Case Engineering — studying from Australia
Australia has active research in autonomous systems, particularly in mining, agriculture and freight, where autonomous haulage and automated equipment are well established. Universities and research bodies collaborate closely with industry on perception, sensor fusion and vehicle software. Advanced driver assistance systems are increasingly standard in imported vehicles, creating demand for engineers who understand safety validation and software integration. Employers range from mining technology firms and research institutions to global automotive software suppliers operating local engineering teams.
Fees for Australia: A$9,410 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Is this qualification recognised by Australian engineering bodies?
SEIUM's qualifications are private and not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by Engineers Australia or any other national body. Professional recognition for engineers in Australia usually runs through accredited university degrees and Engineers Australia membership. Whether a private qualification is valued is decided by employers or the relevant body.
Which Australian employers work in autonomous and ADAS software?
Australia has automotive suppliers, mining and logistics companies using autonomous systems, and technology firms working on driver assistance and vehicle software. Employers usually assess your coding ability, project portfolio and experience more than the name of a private course. Ask prospective employers how they regard the qualification.
How demanding is the course and is it workable with a job in Australia?
The programmes are online and taught in English, so you can study from home without needing a student visa. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's 1,900 hours, so consider your available time carefully. 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
Manage functional safety throughout the lifecycle.
Carry out HARA and determine ASIL levels.
Apply ASIL decomposition rules.
Develop functional and technical safety concepts.
Perform FMEA, FTA, FMEDA and DFA.
Build modular safety cases in GSN.
Develop a complete HARA and safety case project.
Who it's for
- Functional safety engineers applying ISO 26262 on real projects.
- Safety managers responsible for safety plans and confirmation measures.
- Reliability analysts working with FMEDA, FTA and hardware metrics.
- Functional safety assessors carrying out audits and assessments.
- Systems engineers defining safety concepts and requirements.
- Verification engineers running fault injection and safety validation.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- ISO 26262 (functional safety of road vehicles)
- IEC 61508 (functional safety of E/E/PE systems)
- ISO 21448 (safety of the intended functionality, SOTIF)
- ISO/SAE 21434 (road vehicle cybersecurity engineering)
- SAE J2980 (ASIL hazard classification considerations)
- Automotive SPICE 4.0 (process assessment model)
- MISRA C:2012 (coding guidelines for safety-critical C)
- IEC 61025 (fault tree analysis)
- ANSYS medini analyze
- Isograph Reliability Workbench
- Polarion ALM
- Astah GSN
- Vector VectorCAST
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Origin of ISO 26262 from IEC 615081.2Concepts of fault, error and failure1.3Product safety lifecycle1.4Functional safety management1.5Safety plan and the safety manager1.6Confirmation of safety measures1.7The 2018 edition and relevant changes1.8Safety in heavy vehicles and motorcycles1.9OEM and supplier responsibilities1.10Case study: project safety plan
2.1Item boundaries and functions2.2Interfaces and external dependencies2.3Assumptions about the environment2.4Operating modes2.5Applicable legal requirements2.6Safety elements out of context (SEooC)2.7Impact analysis for modifications2.8Item documentation2.9Review of the definition2.10Lab: item definition of an EPS
3.1Identification of operational situations3.2Identification of malfunctions3.3Determination of hazardous events3.4Severity classification3.5Exposure classification3.6Controllability classification3.7ASIL determination3.8Safety goals and safe states3.9Review and verification of the HARA3.10Practical exercise: complete HARA of autonomous emergency braking
4.1Meaning of the ASIL levels4.2Requirements by integrity level4.3ASIL decomposition and its rules4.4Independence of elements4.5Dependent failure analysis4.6Coexistence of elements4.7ASIL inheritance in the architecture4.8Common mistakes in allocation4.9Justification of decompositions4.10Workshop: ASIL D decomposition into channels
5.1Functional safety concept5.2Functional safety requirements5.3Technical safety concept5.4Safety mechanisms5.5Fault tolerant time interval5.6Detection and reaction intervals5.7Allocation to hardware and software5.8Hardware-software interface (HSI)5.9Verification of the concepts5.10Lab: technical safety concept of a BMS
6.1System and design FMEA6.2Fault tree analysis (FTA)6.3Hardware FMEDA6.4Software failure mode analysis6.5Dependent failure analysis (DFA)6.6Common cause analysis6.7HAZOP applied to systems6.8Integration of analyses6.9Analysis tools6.10Practical exercise: quantitative FTA with targets
7.1Single-point fault metric (SPFM)7.2Latent fault metric (LFM)7.3PMHF metric for random hardware failures7.4Failure rates and databases7.5Diagnostic coverage of mechanisms7.6Evaluation of random hardware failures7.7Semiconductors and part 117.8Design of hardware mechanisms7.9Hardware verification7.10Workshop: calculation of hardware metrics
8.1Software safety requirements8.2Safe software architecture8.3Software unit design8.4MISRA coding rules8.5Unit verification8.6Software integration testing8.7Required structural coverage8.8Tool qualification8.9Configurable software and calibration8.10Practical exercise: testing with MC/DC coverage
9.1Concept and structure of the safety case9.2GSN notation and patterns9.3Product and process arguments9.4Evidence management9.5Confidence arguments9.6Modular safety case9.7Incremental safety case9.8Safety case review9.9Modelling tools9.10Lab: modular safety case in GSN
10.1Hardware and software integration10.2System integration testing10.3Fault injection10.4HIL testing of mechanisms10.5Validation of safety goals10.6Vehicle-level testing10.7Non-conformity management10.8Verification reports10.9Release for production10.10Workshop: fault injection campaign
11.1Confirmation reviews11.2Functional safety audit11.3Functional safety assessment11.4Assessor independence11.5Production and operation11.6Change management in series production11.7Safety in decommissioning11.8Lessons learned and feedback11.9Process certification11.10Case study: assessment of a supplier
12.1Definition of the target item12.2HARA and safety goals12.3Development of the functional safety concept12.4Development of the technical safety concept12.5FMEA, FTA and DFA12.6Calculation of hardware metrics12.7Construction of the safety case12.8Conclusions and future work12.9Thesis 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 the intake, so the programme can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ANSYS medini analyze, Isograph Reliability Workbench, Polarion ALM, Astah GSN and Vector VectorCAST, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for HARA of vehicle functions, calculation of hardware metrics and fault injection campaigns. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ISO 26262, IEC 61508, ISO 21448, ISO/SAE 21434, SAE J2980, Automotive SPICE 4.0, MISRA C:2012, IEC 61025.
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 ANSYS medini analyze, Isograph Reliability Workbench, Polarion ALM, Astah GSN and Vector VectorCAST, 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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