Master’s in MUM-T Integration (UGV/UAV)
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in MUM-T integration (UGV/UAV). 12 modules covering unmanned ground and air systems, UGV and UAV design, architectures and middleware, cooperative perception, multi-agent planning, communications, human-team interaction, simulation and validation, safety and certification, and ethics, applied to STANAG 4586, STANAG 4817 and SAE AS5669A, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in MUM-T Integration (UGV/UAV) — 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: €9,930 (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
Understand unmanned ground and air systems.
Design UGV and UAV platforms for cooperation.
Implement interoperable architectures and middleware.
Develop cooperative perception and localisation.
Apply multi-agent planning algorithms.
Design resilient communications networks and human-team interaction systems.
Validate and certify systems according to ethical and regulatory criteria.
Who it's for
- Robotics engineers.
- Unmanned systems architects.
- Perception engineers working on SLAM and sensor fusion.
- Tactical communications engineers.
- Human-robot interaction specialists.
- Autonomous systems validation engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into defence.
What you'll work with
- STANAG 4586 (UAV control system interoperability)
- STANAG 4817 (multi-domain unmanned systems architecture)
- SAE AS5669A (JAUS architecture)
- STANAG 4671 (UAV airworthiness)
- ISO 13482 (personal care robots)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (rules for unmanned aircraft systems)
- IEC 62443 (industrial systems security)
- ROS 2
- Gazebo
- NVIDIA Isaac Sim
- PX4 Autopilot
- MATLAB Robotics System Toolbox
12 modules
1.1Classification of UGVs1.2Classification of UAVs1.3Ground mobility: wheels and tracks1.4Air configurations1.5Applications in explosive ordnance disposal and logistics1.6Civil applications: rescue and inspection1.7State of the art1.8International programmes1.9Challenges of air-ground cooperation1.10Case study: ground robot in urban rescue
2.1Mobility requirements2.2Chassis and suspension2.3Electric traction2.4Energy management2.5Teleoperation2.6Navigation sensors2.7Manipulators2.8Environmental ruggedness2.9Maintainability2.10Workshop: sizing a wheeled UGV
3.1Multirotor and VTOL platforms3.2Take-off and landing on UGVs3.3Endurance and recharging3.4Reconnaissance payloads3.5Links with ground platforms3.6Physical tethering and tethered drones3.7Navigation in difficult environments3.8Robustness and reliability3.9Mechanical integration3.10Practical exercise: design of a landing platform on a UGV
4.1ROS 2 and DDS4.2JAUS architecture4.3STANAG 4586 and 48174.4Open architectures4.5Payload interfaces4.6Computational resource management4.7Edge computing4.8Containers in robotics4.9Middleware security4.10Lab: robot-to-robot communication with ROS 2
5.1LiDAR SLAM5.2Visual SLAM5.3Shared maps5.4Relative localisation between robots5.5Fusion of aerial and ground maps5.6Obstacle detection5.7Semantic segmentation5.8GNSS-denied navigation5.9Uncertainty in maps5.10Lab: collaborative SLAM in simulation
6.1Trajectory planning6.2Task allocation6.3Auctions and consensus6.4Cooperative exploration6.5Area coverage6.6Formations6.7Planning under degraded communications6.8Dynamic replanning6.9Scalability6.10Practical exercise: cooperative UAV-UGV exploration
7.1MANET networks7.2Tactical radios and SDR7.3Communications relay with UAVs7.4Bandwidth management7.5Latency and remote control7.6Link cybersecurity7.7Resilience to interference7.8Spectrum management7.9Range testing7.10Lab: link relay with a drone
8.1Supervisory control8.2Multi-robot interfaces8.3Cognitive load8.4Trust in autonomy8.5Augmented reality8.6Voice and gesture control8.7Operator training8.8User evaluation8.9Meaningful human control8.10Practical exercise: NASA-TLX evaluation of an interface
9.1Simulation with Gazebo and Isaac Sim9.2Simulation of realistic environments9.3Hardware-in-the-loop9.4Field trials9.5Performance metrics9.6Benchmark competitions: DARPA SubT and ELROB9.7Robustness testing9.8Test data management9.9Autonomy validation9.10Lab: test scenario in Isaac Sim
10.1Functional safety of robots10.2ISO 13482 and mobile robots10.3UAV airworthiness10.4UGV safety10.5European UAS regulation10.6Machinery regulations10.7Cybersecurity: ISO/IEC 6244310.8Safety cases10.9Certification in defence10.10Case study: safety case for a UGV-UAV system
11.1International humanitarian law11.2Legal review of new capabilities11.3Meaningful human control11.4Responsibility in multi-agent systems11.5Privacy in civil uses11.6Responsible AI principles11.7Export control11.8International debates11.9Ethics committees11.10Case study: ethical review of a MUM-T concept
12.1Topic selection12.2State of the art12.3Requirements and objectives12.4System design12.5Implementation in simulation12.6Testing and validation12.7Ethical and regulatory analysis12.8Conclusions12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
The programme is delivered 100% online 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 it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ROS 2, Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, PX4 Autopilot and MATLAB Robotics System Toolbox, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Real procedures are studied, including cooperative UAV-UGV simulations, collaborative SLAM tests and communications relay trials. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: STANAG 4586, STANAG 4817, SAE AS5669A, STANAG 4671, ISO 13482, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, IEC 62443.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- 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.
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 ROS 2, Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, PX4 Autopilot, MATLAB Robotics System Toolbox, 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 university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent demonstrable professional experience), 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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