Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Environments Course
Online course of 300 hours in autonomous vehicles in urban environments. 6 modules covering automated driving, perception and localisation, planning and decision-making, safety and validation, urban integration and a final project, with an assigned technical tutor.
Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Environments Course — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,580 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
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 automation levels and the operational design domain.
Describe perception and localisation technologies.
Analyse planning and decision-making in urban environments.
Apply functional safety and scenario-based validation criteria.
Understand the regulatory framework for automated vehicles.
Assess the integration of autonomous services into the city.
Design a pilot for an urban autonomous service.
Who it's for
- Automated driving engineers.
- ADAS validation engineers.
- Perception specialists working with cameras, LiDAR and radar.
- Autonomous mobility consultants.
- Urban planning officers preparing cities for automation.
- Mobility pilot managers.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to join vehicle manufacturers.
What you'll work with
- SAE J3016 (levels of driving automation)
- ISO 26262 (functional safety of road vehicles)
- ISO 21448 (safety of the intended functionality, SOTIF)
- UNECE Regulation No. 157 (Automated Lane Keeping Systems)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 (type approval of automated driving systems)
- UNECE Regulation No. 155 (vehicle cybersecurity)
- DGT Instruction 15/V-113 (Spanish rules for testing automated vehicles)
- ISO 34502 (test scenarios for safety evaluation)
- CARLA
- Autoware
- ROS 2
- MATLAB Automated Driving Toolbox
- OpenSCENARIO
6 modules
1.1SAE J3016 levels of automation1.2Operational design domain (ODD)1.3Perception, planning and control architecture1.4Handover of control to the driver1.5Robotaxis and autonomous shuttles1.6The experiences of Waymo, Cruise and Baidu Apollo1.7Differences between urban and motorway environments1.8Current state and technological limitations1.9Expected impacts on urban mobility1.10Case study: analysis of a robotaxi service
2.1Cameras and computer vision2.2LiDAR and point clouds2.3Radar and sensor fusion2.4Localisation with GNSS, odometry and IMU2.5High-definition maps2.6Pedestrian and cyclist detection2.7Adverse weather conditions2.8Deep learning in perception2.9Edge cases and rare situations2.10Lab: object detection with an open dataset
3.1Trajectory prediction for other road users3.2Route and behaviour planning3.3Motion planning3.4Interaction with traffic lights and junctions3.5Behaviour at pedestrian crossings3.6Negotiation in dense environments3.7Longitudinal and lateral control3.8Defensive driving and safety margins3.9Support from V2X communication3.10Practical: simulating a junction in CARLA
4.1Functional safety: ISO 262624.2Safety of the intended functionality (SOTIF)4.3Scenario-based validation4.4Simulation, closed-track and open-road testing4.5Safety performance indicators4.6Cybersecurity of automated vehicles4.7UNECE regulation of ALKS4.8Type approval of automated vehicles in the EU4.9Ethics of automated decisions4.10Workshop: catalogue of critical urban scenarios
5.1Automation-ready infrastructure5.2Machine-readable signage and road markings5.3Passenger pick-up and drop-off zones5.4Integration with public transport5.5Testing on public roads and the Spanish DGT framework5.6Social acceptance and trust5.7Impact on parking and land use5.8Employment and workforce transition5.9Civil liability and insurance5.10Case study: pilot plan for an autonomous shuttle
6.1Defining the use case6.2Delimiting the operational domain6.3Infrastructure requirements6.4Risk and scenario analysis6.5Validation plan6.6Regulatory requirements and permits6.7Integration with urban mobility6.8Evaluation indicators6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
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 the intake, so the programme fits around full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is CARLA, Autoware, ROS 2, MATLAB Automated Driving Toolbox and OpenSCENARIO, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: simulation of critical urban scenarios, closed-track testing and autonomous shuttle pilots. Assessment is continuous by module, plus a final capstone project.
Standards covered: SAE J3016; ISO 26262; ISO 21448; UNECE Regulation No. 157; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426; UNECE Regulation No. 155; DGT Instruction 15/V-113; ISO 34502.
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
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's 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 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with CARLA, Autoware, ROS 2, MATLAB Automated Driving Toolbox and OpenSCENARIO, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, 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.
No prior qualification is required: you only need an internet connection, a computer capable of running the programme's 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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