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Postgraduate DiplomaDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Diploma in Ethics in Systems Validation

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in ethics in systems validation. 8 modules covering engineering ethics, validation as an act of responsibility, values and requirements, bias and quality of evidence, defence systems and international law, compliance and governance, and cases and ethical deliberation, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration6–8 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Apply ethical theories to engineering decisions.

02

Recognise validation as a professional responsibility.

03

Translate values into verifiable requirements.

04

Detect bias in validation evidence.

05

Relate validation to international humanitarian law.

06

Design governance and compliance mechanisms.

07

Deliberate on complex cases in multidisciplinary teams.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Technology ethics officers in engineering organisations.
  • Validation engineers who want to strengthen the ethical basis of their work.
  • Compliance auditors.
  • Technical governance advisers.
  • Value-based engineering consultants.
  • Ethics committee coordinators.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • IEEE 7000-2021 (addressing ethical concerns during system design)
  • ISO 37301 (compliance management systems)
  • ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-1 (software testing concepts)
  • ISO/IEC 17025 (competence of testing and calibration laboratories)
  • Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Art. 36 (legal review of new weapons)
  • ISO/IEC 42001 (artificial intelligence management systems)
  • Directive (EU) 2019/1937 (protection of whistleblowers)
  • IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS
  • Jama Connect
  • Miro
  • Atlas.ti
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1Ethical theories: deontology and consequentialism
  2. 1.2Virtue ethics in the profession
  3. 1.3Engineering codes of conduct
  4. 1.4Professional and individual responsibility
  5. 1.5Conflicts of interest
  6. 1.6The problem of many hands
  7. 1.7Ethics of technology and value-sensitive design
  8. 1.8Integrity of technical data
  9. 1.9Dilemmas in professional practice
  10. 1.10Case study: analysis of the Challenger accident
  1. 2.1Purpose and scope of validation
  2. 2.2Independence of the validation team
  3. 2.3Schedule and cost pressures
  4. 2.4Acceptance criteria and their justification
  5. 2.5Acceptable risk and society
  6. 2.6Honest communication of results
  7. 2.7Documentation and traceability
  8. 2.8Validation of critical software
  9. 2.9Lessons from validation failures
  10. 2.10Case study: the Boeing 737 MAX case
  1. 3.1Value-based engineering
  2. 3.2Stakeholder identification
  3. 3.3Translating values into requirements
  4. 3.4Safety, privacy and fairness
  5. 3.5Transparency and explainability
  6. 3.6Sustainability as a requirement
  7. 3.7Do-no-harm requirements
  8. 3.8Conflicts between values
  9. 3.9Ethical prioritisation
  10. 3.10Workshop: values map of a system
  1. 4.1Confirmation bias in testing
  2. 4.2Unbiased experimental design
  3. 4.3Representativeness of data
  4. 4.4Bias in AI models
  5. 4.5Manipulation of results and fraud
  6. 4.6Technical peer review
  7. 4.7Reproducibility of tests
  8. 4.8Uncertainty and how to communicate it
  9. 4.9Auditing of evidence
  10. 4.10Practical exercise: critical review of a test report
  1. 5.1Principles of international humanitarian law
  2. 5.2Distinction, proportionality and precaution
  3. 5.3Legal review of new weapons
  4. 5.4Meaningful human control
  5. 5.5Autonomous systems and responsibility
  6. 5.6Dual use of technologies
  7. 5.7Export controls
  8. 5.8Debate at the United Nations
  9. 5.9NATO and EU positions
  10. 5.10Case study: review of a decision support system
  1. 6.1Compliance management systems
  2. 6.2Whistleblowing channels and protection
  3. 6.3Ethics committees in organisations
  4. 6.4Independent audits
  5. 6.5Laboratory accreditation
  6. 6.6Confidentiality management
  7. 6.7Ethical risk management
  8. 6.8Integrity indicators
  9. 6.9Safety and learning culture
  10. 6.10Workshop: design of a technical ethics committee
  1. 7.1Case analysis methodologies
  2. 7.2Deliberation in multidisciplinary teams
  3. 7.3Validation cases in aviation
  4. 7.4Cases in autonomous vehicles
  5. 7.5Cases in medical devices
  6. 7.6Cases in defence systems
  7. 7.7Cases in infrastructure
  8. 7.8Professional conscientious objection
  9. 7.9Communication with society
  10. 7.10Case study: deliberation on a critical system
  1. 8.1Selection of the system to study
  2. 8.2Stakeholder map
  3. 8.3Analysis of values and risks
  4. 8.4Review of the validation process
  5. 8.5Applicable legal framework
  6. 8.6Governance recommendations
  7. 8.7Communication plan
  8. 8.8Conclusions
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with your tutor
Methodology, software & labs

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 each intake, so the programme fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS, Jama Connect, Miro and Atlas.ti, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for ethical deliberation on real cases, auditing of validation evidence and value identification workshops. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: IEEE 7000-2021, ISO 37301, ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-1, ISO/IEC 17025, Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (Art. 36), ISO/IEC 42001 and Directive (EU) 2019/1937.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of IEEE 7000-2021, ISO 37301 and ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-1 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS, Jama Connect, Miro and Atlas.ti, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:a complete ethical assessment of a critical system, from stakeholder map and value analysis to review of its validation process and governance recommendations, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

System and stakeholders
Select the system to study and map its stakeholders.
Values and risks
Analyse the values at stake and the ethical risks, translating them into requirements.
Validation process review
Critically review the system's validation process and the quality of its evidence.
Legal framework and governance
Identify the applicable legal framework and propose governance mechanisms.
Final project
Present your conclusions, governance recommendations and communication plan, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Technology ethics officerValidation engineerCompliance auditorTechnical governance adviserValue-based engineering consultantEthics committee coordinator
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
  • 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.

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FAQ

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 IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS, Jama Connect, Miro and Atlas.ti, 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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