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Master'sRegulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation Applications open

Master’s in Active/Passive Safety Engineering, ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in active and passive safety, ADAS and autonomous vehicle engineering, structured in 12 modules covering impact biomechanics, crashworthiness, restraint systems, vulnerable road users, active safety, ADAS, automated driving, functional safety and SOTIF, cybersecurity and international type approval, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
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 the fundamentals of biomechanics to safety design.

02

Analyse structures and restraint systems in collisions.

03

Evaluate active safety systems and ADAS.

04

Understand automated driving architectures.

05

Apply ISO 26262 and ISO 21448 to vehicle functions.

06

Integrate cybersecurity and software update requirements.

07

Plan type-approval routes and international assessment.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Passive safety engineers working on crash structures and restraints.
  • ADAS engineers developing perception and driver assistance functions.
  • Functional safety engineers applying ISO 26262 and SOTIF.
  • Automotive cybersecurity specialists.
  • Type-approval engineers handling multi-market homologation.
  • Autonomous vehicle validation engineers.
  • Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 (general vehicle safety)
  • Regulation (EU) 2018/858 (vehicle type approval)
  • ISO 26262:2018 (road vehicle functional safety)
  • ISO 21448:2022 (SOTIF, safety of the intended functionality)
  • ISO/SAE 21434:2021 (road vehicle cybersecurity engineering)
  • UNECE Regulation No. 155 (cybersecurity management system)
  • UNECE Regulation No. 157 (Automated Lane Keeping Systems)
  • SAE J3016 (levels of driving automation)
  • LS-DYNA
  • MADYMO
  • CarMaker (IPG)
  • MATLAB/Simulink
  • PreScan
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Evolution of vehicle safety
  2. 1.2Primary, secondary and tertiary safety
  3. 1.3Road casualties and the role of the vehicle
  4. 1.4The Safe System approach
  5. 1.5Stakeholders: manufacturers, approval authorities and NCAP
  6. 1.6EU General Safety Regulation
  7. 1.7NCAP programmes worldwide
  8. 1.8Trends: automation and connectivity
  9. 1.9Software safety challenges
  10. 1.10Case study: analysis of the evolution of Euro NCAP scores
  1. 2.1Human injury tolerance
  2. 2.2AIS scale and injury criteria
  3. 2.3Head Injury Criterion (HIC)
  4. 2.4Neck and thorax injuries
  5. 2.5Limb injuries
  6. 2.6Vulnerable occupants: children and older people
  7. 2.7Differences by sex and stature
  8. 2.8Numerical human body models
  9. 2.9Dummy biofidelity
  10. 2.10Lab: calculating HIC from accelerations
  1. 3.1Energy management in collisions
  2. 3.2Crumple zones
  3. 3.3Survival cell
  4. 3.4High-strength steels and aluminium
  5. 3.5Frontal impact and overlap
  6. 3.6Side and pole impact
  7. 3.7Rollover and roof strength
  8. 3.8Electric vehicles and battery protection
  9. 3.9Vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: frontal impact simulation with LS-DYNA
  1. 4.1Seat belts with pretensioner and load limiter
  2. 4.2Frontal, side and curtain airbags
  3. 4.3Centre airbags
  4. 4.4Seats and head restraints
  5. 4.5Child restraint systems
  6. 4.6Rear occupant protection
  7. 4.7Occupant detection
  8. 4.8Adaptive restraints
  9. 4.9Component testing
  10. 4.10Lab: sled test of a restraint system
  1. 5.1Pedestrian protection
  2. 5.2Head and leg impactors
  3. 5.3Active bonnets for pedestrians
  4. 5.4External windscreen airbags
  5. 5.5Cyclists and motorcyclists
  6. 5.6Autonomous emergency braking for vulnerable users
  7. 5.7Direct vision in lorries
  8. 5.8Euro NCAP vulnerable road user tests
  9. 5.9Pedestrian accident data
  10. 5.10Case study: front-end design for pedestrian protection
  1. 6.1Vehicle dynamics and stability
  2. 6.2ABS and electronic stability control (ESC)
  3. 6.3Emergency brake assist
  4. 6.4Tyres and grip
  5. 6.5Adaptive road lighting
  6. 6.6Visibility and ergonomics
  7. 6.7Drowsiness and distraction detection
  8. 6.8Intelligent speed assistance
  9. 6.9Event data recording
  10. 6.10Practical exercise: analysis of an evasive manoeuvre with ESC
  1. 7.1Cameras, radar, lidar and ultrasonic sensors
  2. 7.2Sensor data fusion
  3. 7.3Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  4. 7.4Adaptive cruise control
  5. 7.5Lane keeping
  6. 7.6Blind spot detection
  7. 7.7Assisted parking and manoeuvring
  8. 7.8Driver–system interface
  9. 7.9Limitations of ADAS
  10. 7.10Lab: evaluation of an AEB function in simulation
  1. 8.1SAE J3016 levels
  2. 8.2Operational design domain
  3. 8.3Autonomous vehicle architectures
  4. 8.4Perception, prediction and planning
  5. 8.5Transition of control
  6. 8.6ALKS under Regulation 157
  7. 8.7Robotaxis and shuttles
  8. 8.8European regulatory framework for automation
  9. 8.9Social acceptance of automation
  10. 8.10Case study: ODD of a Level 3 system
  1. 9.1ISO 26262: safety life cycle
  2. 9.2HARA and ASIL levels
  3. 9.3Fault-tolerant architectures
  4. 9.4ISO 21448 SOTIF
  5. 9.5Scenarios and triggering conditions
  6. 9.6System safety case
  7. 9.7Safety of artificial intelligence
  8. 9.8UL 4600 standard
  9. 9.9Integration of standards
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: HARA of a lane keeping function
  1. 10.1Threats to the connected vehicle
  2. 10.2ISO/SAE 21434 standard
  3. 10.3UNECE Regulation R155
  4. 10.4UNECE Regulation R156
  5. 10.5Cybersecurity management systems
  6. 10.6Secure OTA updates
  7. 10.7In-vehicle network security
  8. 10.8Vulnerability management
  9. 10.9Type-approval audits
  10. 10.10Workshop: TARA of a telematics unit
  1. 11.1EU type approval
  2. 11.2UNECE Regulations and the 1958 Agreement
  3. 11.3FMVSS in the United States
  4. 11.4China: GB standards and C-NCAP
  5. 11.5Euro NCAP, US NCAP, ANCAP and Latin NCAP
  6. 11.6Test protocols
  7. 11.7Virtual testing and type approval
  8. 11.8Conformity of production
  9. 11.9Market surveillance and recalls
  10. 11.10Case study: multi-market type-approval requirements matrix
  1. 12.1Defining the system or vehicle
  2. 12.2Safety requirements analysis
  3. 12.3Technical design or assessment
  4. 12.4Simulation and testing
  5. 12.5Functional safety analysis
  6. 12.6Cybersecurity assessment
  7. 12.7Type-approval route
  8. 12.8Conclusions and future work
  9. 12.9Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
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 the programme can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, MADYMO, CarMaker (IPG), MATLAB/Simulink and PreScan, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for impact and sled simulations, evaluation of ADAS functions in virtual scenarios, and HARA and TARA analyses. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 (general vehicle safety), Regulation (EU) 2018/858 (type approval), ISO 26262:2018, ISO 21448:2022 (SOTIF), ISO/SAE 21434:2021, UNECE Regulation No. 155 (cybersecurity), UNECE Regulation No. 157 (ALKS), SAE J3016.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the EU General Safety Regulation, ISO 26262, ISO 21448, ISO/SAE 21434 and UNECE R155/R157 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:LS-DYNA, MADYMO, CarMaker (IPG), MATLAB/Simulink and PreScan, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a complete vehicle safety project covering requirements, simulation, functional safety, cybersecurity and the type-approval route, defended before a panel.
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.

Crash simulation
Simulate a frontal impact with LS-DYNA and calculate HIC from the accelerations.
Restraint system testing
Run a sled test of a restraint system and assess occupant protection.
ADAS evaluation
Evaluate an AEB function in virtual scenarios and define the ODD of a Level 3 system.
Safety and cybersecurity analysis
Carry out a HARA of a lane keeping function and a TARA of a telematics unit.
Master's Thesis
A complete vehicle safety project through to its type-approval route, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Passive safety engineerADAS engineerFunctional safety engineerAutomotive cybersecurity specialistType-approval engineerAutonomous vehicle validation engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • 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 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with LS-DYNA, MADYMO, CarMaker (IPG), MATLAB/Simulink and PreScan, 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 Master's Thesis. 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 in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a suitable computer, an internet connection 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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