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Postgraduate DiplomaDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Diploma in Ethics of Military Critical Software

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in the ethics of military critical software. 8 modules covering software engineering ethics, software failures and lessons, responsibility and accountability, software in defence systems, software safety and security, data ethics and embedded AI and ethical governance, 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 professional codes of ethics to software development.

02

Draw lessons from historical software failures.

03

Understand how responsibility is distributed in complex projects.

04

Analyse the ethical and legal framework for software in defence.

05

Integrate software security as an ethical obligation.

06

Assess the ethical risks of data and embedded AI.

07

Design ethical governance structures in software programmes.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Critical software engineers.
  • Technology ethics advisers.
  • Software quality managers.
  • Security analysts.
  • AI systems auditors.
  • Defence project managers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • ACM/IEEE-CS Software Engineering Code of Ethics (professional obligations of software engineers)
  • DoD Directive 3000.09 (autonomy in weapon systems)
  • Additional Protocol I, Article 36 (legal review of new weapons)
  • IEEE 7000-2021 (addressing ethical concerns during system design)
  • ISO/IEC 42001:2023 (AI management systems)
  • RTCA DO-178C (software considerations in airborne systems certification)
  • Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (EU Artificial Intelligence Act)
  • SonarQube
  • CycloneDX
  • AI Fairness 360
  • Jupyter
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1ACM/IEEE-CS Code of Ethics
  2. 1.2Professional responsibility
  3. 1.3Public safety
  4. 1.4Virtue ethics
  5. 1.5Professional competence
  6. 1.6Conflicts of interest
  7. 1.7Honesty in estimates
  8. 1.8Whistleblowing
  9. 1.9Case studies
  10. 1.10Practical exercise: analysis of a dilemma under the ACM/IEEE-CS code
  1. 2.1Therac-25
  2. 2.2Ariane 5 Flight 501
  3. 2.3Rounding error in a Patriot system in 1991
  4. 2.4F-22s crossing the International Date Line
  5. 2.5Mars Climate Orbiter
  6. 2.6Boeing 737 MAX MCAS system
  7. 2.7Toyota unintended acceleration
  8. 2.8Common patterns
  9. 2.9Ethical lessons
  10. 2.10Case study: analysis of the Therac-25
  1. 3.1The problem of many hands
  2. 3.2Product liability
  3. 3.3Chain of command
  4. 3.4Contractors and subcontractors
  5. 3.5Certification as assurance
  6. 3.6Technical debt
  7. 3.7Schedule pressure
  8. 3.8Honest documentation
  9. 3.9Traceability of decisions
  10. 3.10Workshop: responsibility matrix for a project
  1. 4.1DoD Directive 3000.09
  2. 4.2Article 36 review of new weapons
  3. 4.3Meaningful human control
  4. 4.4Reliability and predictability
  5. 4.5Verification of AI-enabled systems
  6. 4.6Algorithmic bias
  7. 4.7Explainability
  8. 4.8DoD AI ethical principles
  9. 4.9NATO principles
  10. 4.10Case study: Article 36 review applied to software
  1. 5.1Safety versus cybersecurity
  2. 5.2Vulnerabilities
  3. 5.3Responsible disclosure
  4. 5.4Backdoors
  5. 5.5Software bill of materials
  6. 5.6Open source
  7. 5.7Obsolescence
  8. 5.8Patch management
  9. 5.9Ethics of maintenance
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: SBOM and dependency analysis
  1. 6.1Training data
  2. 6.2Privacy
  3. 6.3Bias in datasets
  4. 6.4Model validation
  5. 6.5Data drift
  6. 6.6Explainability
  7. 6.7Human oversight
  8. 6.8EU Artificial Intelligence Act
  9. 6.9Model governance
  10. 6.10Case study: ethical audit of a classifier
  1. 7.1Ethics committees
  2. 7.2Ethical impact assessment
  3. 7.3IEEE 7000-2021 process
  4. 7.4ISO/IEC 42001 management system
  5. 7.5Ethics training
  6. 7.6Safety culture
  7. 7.7Reporting channels
  8. 7.8Indicators
  9. 7.9Continuous improvement
  10. 7.10Case study: ethics review in a software programme
  1. 8.1System selection
  2. 8.2Operational context
  3. 8.3Stakeholders
  4. 8.4Ethical risks
  5. 8.5Regulatory framework
  6. 8.6Analysis of alternatives
  7. 8.7Governance recommendations
  8. 8.8Follow-up plan
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with the 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 the intake, so you can combine the programme with your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SonarQube, CycloneDX, AI Fairness 360 and Jupyter, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures for analysis of software failure cases, ethical audits of algorithms and project governance reviews. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrated project.

Standards covered: the ACM/IEEE-CS Software Engineering Code of Ethics, DoD Directive 3000.09, Additional Protocol I (Article 36), IEEE 7000-2021, ISO/IEC 42001:2023, RTCA DO-178C and Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the ACM/IEEE-CS Software Engineering Code of Ethics, DoD Directive 3000.09 and Additional Protocol I, Article 36 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:SonarQube, CycloneDX, AI Fairness 360 and Jupyter, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:a complete ethical assessment of a critical software system, from stakeholders and ethical risks to governance recommendations and a follow-up plan, 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.

Analyse an ethical dilemma
Analyse a dilemma under the ACM/IEEE-CS code and the Therac-25 case.
Map responsibilities
Build the responsibility matrix for a software project.
Review legal compliance
Apply an Article 36 review to a piece of software and analyse its SBOM.
Audit AI and governance
Carry out an ethical audit of a classifier and an ethics review of a programme.
Final project
Develop a full ethical assessment of a critical software system, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Critical software engineerTechnology ethics adviserSoftware quality managerSecurity analystAI systems auditorDefence project manager
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 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 SonarQube, CycloneDX, AI Fairness 360 and Jupyter, 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 capable of running 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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