Diploma in RAMS Life and Reliability Testing
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in RAMS life and reliability testing. 8 modules covering RAMS engineering, reliability statistics, system reliability analysis, accelerated life testing, reliability growth and demonstration, maintainability and availability, and safety and RAMS cases, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in RAMS Life and Reliability Testing — studying from Canada
Canada's defence sector is centred on procurement and sustainment through the Department of National Defence and Defence Research and Development Canada. Industrial activity spans land vehicles, naval systems, avionics and electronics, with firms in Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Companies such as General Dynamics Land Systems Canada and Lockheed Martin Canada are notable employers, alongside a broad base of small and medium suppliers. Engineers work on systems integration, vehicle protection, logistics and sustainment, operating within strict security and export control frameworks.
Fees for Canada: C$2,790 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Which Canadian bodies or processes govern defence engineering recognition?
Defence engineering in Canada often involves government procurement and security clearances, and engineers typically hold provincial Professional Engineer licences where a title is required. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not official state degrees or accredited by a national body, so they do not confer licensing or clearance. Recognition is for employers or the relevant body to decide, so verify this first.
Would Canadian defence or land systems employers accept this training?
Canadian defence employers and contractors generally rely on security clearance, licensing and demonstrated experience. A private qualification may support your application, but it is unlikely to replace those requirements, and its acceptance is up to each employer. A SEIUM final project can help show applied skill, so discuss expectations with prospective employers early.
Can I study remotely while working, and what are the costs and language demands?
Yes, the programmes are fully online, so you can study from Canada or elsewhere without a student visa, and fit sessions around work. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Teaching is in English, supported by an assigned technical tutor. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be available.
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 RAMS programmes throughout the life cycle.
Apply reliability statistics to test and field data.
Model the reliability of complex systems.
Design accelerated life tests.
Plan reliability growth and demonstration.
Assess maintainability and operational availability.
Build safety cases supported by RAMS evidence.
Who it's for
- RAMS engineers.
- Reliability engineers.
- Life test engineers.
- Functional safety engineers.
- Maintainability analysts.
- Product quality managers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the defence sector.
What you'll work with
- EN 50126-1:2017 (railway RAMS specification and demonstration)
- IEC 61508 (functional safety of E/E/PE safety-related systems)
- MIL-HDBK-781A (reliability test methods, plans and environments)
- MIL-HDBK-217F (reliability prediction of electronic equipment)
- MIL-HDBK-189C (reliability growth management)
- IEC 60812:2018 (failure modes and effects analysis, FMEA)
- IEC 61025 (fault tree analysis)
- IEC 61078 (reliability block diagrams)
- ReliaSoft Weibull++
- ReliaSoft ALTA
- ReliaSoft BlockSim
- Isograph Reliability Workbench
- R
8 modules
1.1Reliability, availability, maintainability and safety1.2The V-cycle and RAMS activities1.3Process according to EN 501261.4RAMS requirements specification1.5Requirements allocation1.6Reliability programme1.7MTBF and MTTR metrics1.8Inherent and operational availability1.9RAMS plan1.10Case study: RAMS requirements for a vehicle
2.1Exponential, Weibull and lognormal distributions2.2Parameter estimation2.3Censored data2.4Confidence intervals2.5Bayesian methods2.6Competing failure modes2.7Repairable systems2.8The Crow-AMSAA model2.9Goodness of fit2.10Practical exercise: analysis with Weibull++
3.1Reliability block diagrams3.2Fault trees3.3FMECA3.4Markov chains3.5Prediction with MIL-HDBK-217F and FIDES3.6Common-cause failures3.7Software reliability3.8Human reliability3.9Importance analysis3.10Workshop: fault tree of a subsystem
4.1Principles of acceleration4.2The Arrhenius model4.3The Eyring model4.4The Coffin-Manson model4.5Step-stress testing4.6HALT4.7HASS4.8Design of test plans4.9Analysis of accelerated data4.10Laboratory: accelerated test in a climatic chamber
5.1Reliability growth testing5.2The Duane model5.3MIL-HDBK-189C guidance5.4Demonstration according to MIL-HDBK-781A5.5Sequential plans5.6Producer's and consumer's risks5.7Acceptance testing5.8Environmental stress screening (ESS)5.9The FRACAS system5.10Practical exercise: MTBF demonstration plan
6.1Maintainability engineering6.2MIL-HDBK-470A guidance6.3Maintainability demonstration6.4Testability and diagnostics6.5Reliability-centred maintenance6.6Operational availability6.7Availability simulation6.8Spares sizing6.9Logistic support analysis6.10Case study: availability simulation of a fleet
7.1Hazard analysis7.2SIL integrity levels7.3Functional safety according to IEC 615087.4Safety case7.5Evidence management7.6RAMS audits7.7Independent certification7.8Failure data management7.9Lessons learned7.10Workshop: structure of a safety case
8.1System description8.2RAMS requirements8.3Reliability modelling8.4Accelerated test plan8.5Demonstration plan8.6Maintainability analysis8.7Summary safety case8.8Conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme 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 it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ReliaSoft Weibull++, ReliaSoft ALTA, ReliaSoft BlockSim, Isograph Reliability Workbench and R, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: accelerated life tests in climatic chambers, reliability demonstration plans and operational availability simulation. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: EN 50126-1:2017, IEC 61508, MIL-HDBK-781A, MIL-HDBK-217F, MIL-HDBK-189C, IEC 60812:2018, IEC 61025 and IEC 61078.
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. A university degree is not 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 ReliaSoft Weibull++, ReliaSoft ALTA, ReliaSoft BlockSim, Isograph Reliability Workbench and R, 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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