Course in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems
Online 300 h course in ethics in human-machine hybrid systems. 6 modules covering ISO 9241-210 (human-centred design), ISO 11064 (ergonomic design of control centres) and Unity. Dedicated tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems — studying from Ireland
Ireland maintains a small defence force, the Defence Forces, which operates its own engineering corps and equipment maintenance capabilities. Defence procurement and development are handled through the Department of Defence, while much of the wider defence-related industrial activity involves dual-use technologies, electronics and communications systems supplied by domestic and international firms. Engineers in this area typically work on land vehicle maintenance, military communications, protective equipment and systems integration. Policy and procurement are governed by national and European frameworks, including EU defence initiatives.
Fees for Ireland: €743 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Ireland
Typical roles
Questions from Ireland
Which Irish bodies oversee defence engineering and does a private qualification count?
Defence in Ireland is overseen by the Department of Defence, and the Defence Forces run their own training and technical structures. Engineers Ireland sets general professional engineering standards. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not state-awarded, and they are not accredited by any national body, so recognition for any defence-related role is decided by the relevant authority or employer.
Do Irish defence and land-systems employers hire people with private online qualifications?
Irish defence-related hiring is limited and often subject to security vetting and specific qualification requirements, so employers set their own criteria. A private online qualification may be taken into account alongside experience, but we cannot say how any employer will view it or guarantee any result. Check requirements for particular roles directly.
Can I study this from Ireland while working, and what is the workload?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Plan your weekly hours realistically around your job.
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
Understand the architecture of human-machine hybrid systems.
Measure the operator's workload, attention and situation awareness.
Identify automation biases and calibrated trust problems.
Apply person-centred design principles to critical interfaces.
Analyse the distribution of responsibilities between person and system.
Evaluate experimentally a hybrid system using ethical criteria.
Develop an integrating project on responsible human-machine interaction.
Who it's for
- Human factors engineer wishing to specialise in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems.
- Human-machine interaction designer wishing to specialise in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems.
- Researcher in applied cognitive psychology wishing to specialise in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems.
- Specialist in human-centred AI wishing to specialise in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems.
- Control systems engineer wishing to specialise in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems.
- Usability evaluator wishing to specialise in Ethics in Human-Machine Hybrid Systems.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter the aerospace industry.
What you'll work with
- ISO 9241-210 (human-centred design)
- ISO 11064 (ergonomic design of control centres)
- MIL-STD-1472H (human engineering criteria)
- IEEE 7001-2021 (transparency of autonomous systems)
- ISO/IEC TR 24028 (trustworthiness of artificial intelligence)
- ISO 10075 (mental workload)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What a human-machine team is1.2Allocation of functions between person and automation1.3Levels of automation and their history1.4Adaptive automation1.5Use cases: piloting, process control and diagnosis1.6Expected benefits and unintended effects1.7Ironies of automation1.8Human factors vocabulary1.9Sources and reference literature1.10Exercise: describe the allocation of functions of a system
2.1Information processing model2.2Situation awareness and its loss2.3Mental workload and its measurement2.4Attention, vigilance and fatigue2.5Working memory and its limits2.6Interruptions and task resumption2.7Automation that shifts workload instead of reducing it2.8Out of the loop and skill degradation2.9Night work and circadian rhythms2.10Practice: measuring workload in a task
3.1Calibrated trust in automation3.2Automation bias and complacency3.3Distrust and disuse of the tool3.4System transparency and its effect on trust3.5Useful explanations versus decorative explanations3.6Communicating uncertainty3.7Decision-making under time pressure3.8Distributed decision-making in teams3.9Perceived and actual responsibility3.10Practice: designing the trust communication of a system
4.1Principles of person-centred design4.2Interface design for critical tasks4.3Alarms, alerts and their management4.4System modes and mode confusion4.5Feedback on what the machine is doing4.6Control transfer and transitions4.7Designing for automation failure4.8Accessibility and user diversity4.9Usability evaluation with real users4.10Practice: redesigning a problematic interface
5.1Meaningful human control and its design5.2Attribution of responsibility in the mixed team5.3Decision traceability and logging5.4Professional autonomy versus recommendation5.5Worker surveillance and its limits5.6Training and maintenance of competences5.7Investigation of incidents involving automation5.8Performance metrics for the human-machine team5.9Applicable human factors standards5.10Practice: ethical and human factors assessment
6.1Choice of system and task6.2Task analysis and allocation of functions6.3Workload and situation awareness assessment6.4Design of interaction and transitions6.5Design of human control and traceability6.6User evaluation plan6.7Training and competence maintenance plan6.8Ethical and responsibility analysis6.9Project report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
Training 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Unity, Tobii Pro Lab, NASA-TLX, MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Trials are studied using real procedures from workload studies with NASA-TLX, eye tracking on interfaces and experiments on trust in automation. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Understand the architecture of human-machine hybrid systems.
Measure the operator's workload, attention and situation awareness.
Identify automation biases and calibrated trust problems.
Apply person-centred design principles to critical interfaces.
Analyse the distribution of responsibilities between person and system.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow the reading of technical regulations.
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 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
The programme uses Unity, Tobii Pro Lab, NASA-TLX, MATLAB. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry title.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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