Course in Public Policy in Defence and Society
Online course of 300 h in public policy in defence and society. 6 modules covering Organic Law 5/2005 on National Defence, Law 36/2015 on National Security and advanced Excel. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Public Policy in Defence and Society — studying from Malta
Malta's defence sector is comparatively small, reflecting the country's neutrality and modest armed forces. Activity centres on the Armed Forces of Malta, maritime surveillance, border security and the associated technical support. Engineering roles are mostly found in equipment maintenance, communications, infrastructure and government procurement rather than large-scale defence manufacturing. Professionals may find opportunities through public service and contractors supplying the armed forces and related agencies, where reliability and compliance with national procurement rules are important.
Fees for Malta: €546 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Malta
Typical roles
Questions from Malta
Which bodies regulate defence and military engineering work in Malta?
Malta's Armed Forces and the Ministry responsible for defence oversee military engineering and procurement. General engineering practice is regulated by the Chamber of Engineers (KSU) under the Engineering Profession Act. Export and dual-use controls follow EU and national rules. A SEIUM qualification is private and not accredited, so any recognition depends on employers or the relevant authority.
What career paths exist in Malta for land systems and defence engineering?
Opportunities in Malta are limited and mostly within government, the Armed Forces and their suppliers, with more substantial defence industry work typically found abroad. Many roles require security clearance and specific experience. A private qualification can support your profile, but you should expect employers to focus on experience and clearance eligibility.
How do I study this from Malta, and what should I consider about workload and funding?
The programme is delivered fully online in English, with an assigned technical tutor and a final project. You do not need a visa to study from home in Malta. Durations range from 300 to 1,900 hours, so plan time alongside any work commitments. Ask about instalment payments and whether employer sponsorship is available.
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
Analyse defence as a public policy and its institutional actors.
Interpret the defence planning and budgeting cycle.
Evaluate the industrial, technological and territorial impact of defence spending.
Assess the relationship between defence, citizens' rights and social legitimacy.
Apply public policy evaluation techniques to defence programmes.
Design indicators of transparency and accountability.
Prepare an evaluation report on a specific defence policy.
Who it's for
- Defence public policy analyst who wants to specialise in Public Policy in Defence and Society.
- Planning and budgeting technician who wants to specialise in Public Policy in Defence and Society.
- Public policy evaluator who wants to specialise in Public Policy in Defence and Society.
- Parliamentary adviser on security and defence who wants to specialise in Public Policy in Defence and Society.
- Researcher in civil-military relations who wants to specialise in Public Policy in Defence and Society.
- Consultant in industrial and territorial development who wants to specialise in Public Policy in Defence and Society.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter public administration.
What you'll work with
- Organic Law 5/2005 on National Defence
- Law 36/2015 on National Security
- General Budgetary Law 47/2003
- Law 19/2013 on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance
- Regulation (EU) 2021/697 (European Defence Fund)
- EU Strategic Compass (2022)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What distinguishes this policy from others1.2Public goods, security and deterrence1.3The public policy cycle applied to defence1.4Actors: government, parliament, armed forces and industry1.5Public opinion and its influence1.6Strategic and planning documents1.7International commitments and their domestic effect1.8Vocabulary of public policy analysis1.9Data sources and their reliability1.10Exercise: reconstructing the cycle of a decision
2.1From the strategic document to the specific programme2.2Capability-based planning2.3Prioritisation and allocation of resources2.4Multi-year budgeting and special programmes2.5Life-cycle cost of a capability2.6Parliamentary control of spending2.7Available budget transparency2.8International comparison of spending2.9Spending rigidity and real margin for decision-making2.10Practice: analysing the structure of a programme
3.1The industrial and technological base of defence3.2Strategic autonomy and external dependence3.3Industrial policy and its justification3.4International cooperative programmes3.5Innovation and civil transfer3.6Small and medium-sized enterprises in the supply chain3.7Territorial impact and employment3.8Exports as a state policy3.9Risks of industrial capture of policy3.10Practice: evaluating an industrial decision
4.1Relations between the armed forces and society4.2Democratic and civilian control of defence4.3Military service, professionalisation and recruitment4.4Service conditions and personnel rights4.5Defence culture and education4.6Public awareness of risk and spending4.7Conscientious objection and pacifism4.8Equality and diversity in the armed forces4.9Veterans and support policies4.10Debate: the legitimacy of a controversial decision
5.1Public policy evaluation: methods5.2Capacity and performance indicators5.3Ex-ante and ex-post evaluation of programmes5.4Public audit and auditing5.5Parliamentary reports and appearances5.6The role of research institutes5.7Access to information and its limits5.8Public communication of policy5.9Proposed institutional reforms5.10Practice: designing the evaluation of a programme
6.1Choosing a policy or programme6.2Reconstructing the public problem6.3Map of actors and interests6.4Analysis of the alternatives considered6.5Budgetary and industrial analysis6.6Analysis of legitimacy and social impact6.7Proposal for improving the policy6.8Design of the evaluation and indicators6.9Analysis report6.10Project defence
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: students progress at their own pace within the enrolment period, which makes it possible to combine the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulation and applied exercises. The software used is advanced Excel, Stata, Power BI, NVivo, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work covers real procedures for analysing public defence budgets, evaluating policies through indicators, and studying public opinion and legitimacy. Assessment is continuous across each module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Analyse defence as a public policy and its institutional actors.
Interpret the defence planning and budgeting cycle.
Evaluate the industrial, technological and territorial impact of defence spending.
Assess the relationship between defence, citizens' rights and social legitimacy.
Apply public policy evaluation techniques to defence programmes.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
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 course uses advanced Excel, Stata, Power BI and NVivo. 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 integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or Postgraduate Diploma in the same area are recognised towards the higher-level programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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