Diploma in Ethics and International Law in Autonomous Systems
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in ethics and international law in autonomous systems. 8 modules covering international humanitarian law, autonomy in critical functions, legal review of new weapons, human rights, international and criminal responsibility, arms control and AI governance, with an assigned technical tutor.
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What you will be able to do
Master the principles of international humanitarian law applicable to autonomous systems.
Analyse the international debate on autonomy in critical functions.
Prepare legal reviews of new systems under Article 36.
Evaluate the impact of autonomous systems on human rights.
Identify the regimes of state, criminal and corporate responsibility.
Understand the instruments of arms and export control.
Formulate well-founded ethical and legal opinions.
Who it's for
- Legal advisers in international humanitarian law.
- Arms control analysts following the debate on autonomous weapons.
- AI ethics specialists.
- Defence compliance consultants.
- Researchers in technology law.
- Public policy advisers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence sector.
What you'll work with
- Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (1977) (protection of victims of international armed conflicts)
- Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW, 1980) (restrictions on certain weapons and the LAWS debate)
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (international crimes and individual criminal responsibility)
- Arms Trade Treaty (2013) (regulation of international arms transfers)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/821 (EU export control of dual-use items)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (EU Artificial Intelligence Act)
- European Convention on Human Rights (protection of fundamental rights in Europe)
- IEEE 7000-2021 (addressing ethical concerns during system design)
- ICRC Customary IHL Database
- vLex
- Westlaw
- Zotero
8 modules
1.1The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols1.2The principle of distinction1.3The principle of proportionality1.4Precautions in attack1.5Prohibition of superfluous injury1.6The Martens Clause1.7Customary law and the ICRC study1.8International and non-international armed conflicts1.9Temporal and geographical scope of application1.10Case study: applying the principles to a scenario
2.1Critical functions of target selection and use of force2.2Taxonomies of autonomy in weapon systems2.3Historical automated defensive systems2.4Predictability and reliability from a legal perspective2.5Contextual human judgement2.6Limitations of automatic recognition2.7The ICRC position on autonomous systems2.8Human dignity as an ethical limit2.9Arguments for prohibition and regulation2.10Workshop: debate on the limits of autonomy
3.1Article 36 of Additional Protocol I3.2National review practices3.3Review during the acquisition phases3.4Technical information required for a review3.5Testing and evaluation as legal evidence3.6Review of software updates3.7Review of systems with machine learning3.8Documentation and record keeping3.9ICRC guide to the legal review of weapons3.10Practical exercise: preparing a review file
4.1International human rights law4.2Use of force in law enforcement4.3The right to life and procedural safeguards4.4Autonomous surveillance and privacy4.5The European Convention on Human Rights4.6UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force4.7Algorithmic discrimination4.8Autonomous technologies in border control4.9Redress mechanisms for victims4.10Case study: human rights impact assessment
5.1State responsibility for wrongful acts5.2ILC Articles on State Responsibility5.3Individual criminal responsibility and the Rome Statute5.4Command and superior responsibility5.5Responsibility of companies and suppliers5.6UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights5.7Responsibility gaps and doctrinal proposals5.8Investigation of incidents5.9Universal jurisdiction and international tribunals5.10Workshop: analysis of a case before the ICC
6.1The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons6.2Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS6.3UN General Assembly resolutions6.4The Arms Trade Treaty6.5The Wassenaar Arrangement and export controls6.6Regulation (EU) 2021/821 on dual-use items6.7Confidence-building measures6.8Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI6.9The role of civil society6.10Practical exercise: simulation of a multilateral negotiation
7.1Just war: jus ad bellum and jus in bello7.2Military virtue ethics7.3Digital dehumanisation7.4NATO principles of responsible use of AI7.5The European AI Act and the defence exclusion7.6Ethical design according to IEEE 70007.7Ethics committees in defence programmes7.8Ethics training for technical staff7.9Transparency and public communication7.10Case study: ethical and legal opinion
8.1Framing the case study8.2Technical analysis of the autonomous system8.3Fit within international humanitarian law8.4Human rights impact8.5Legal review under Article 368.6Proposal of safeguards and limits8.7Legal and ethical conclusions8.8Bibliography and sources8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. 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 legal texts and applied exercises. The working tools are the ICRC Customary IHL Database, vLex, Westlaw and Zotero, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: legal reviews of systems under Article 36, simulations of multilateral negotiations and opinions on responsibility cases. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (1977), Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW, 1980), Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Arms Trade Treaty (2013), Regulation (EU) 2021/821, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), European Convention on Human Rights and IEEE 7000-2021.
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. No university degree is required.
- 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 the ICRC Customary IHL Database, vLex, Westlaw and Zotero, 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 suitable computer 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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