Diploma in Ethics in Military Autonomous Robotics
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in ethics in military autonomous robotics. 8 modules covering autonomous military robots, ethical foundations, ethical system design (IEEE 7000-2021), transparency (IEEE 7001-2021), responsibility and human control, AI risk management (ISO/IEC 23894) and governance, with ROS 2 and an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Ethics in Military Autonomous Robotics — studying from New Zealand
New Zealand's defence engineering sector is centred on the New Zealand Defence Force, which operates land, sea and air capabilities, with major bases at Linton and Burnham. Defence procurement and sustainment are managed through the Ministry of Defence, and local firms support maintenance, communications and vehicle systems. Land systems engineering is closely linked to the country's agricultural and forestry sectors, where ruggedised vehicles and equipment are developed and maintained.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$3,550 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
How is defence and military engineering recognised in New Zealand?
Engineering registration is handled by Engineering New Zealand, and defence procurement and security clearances are managed through the New Zealand Defence Force and government procurement processes. Security clearance requirements can matter more than academic credentials for some roles. SEIUM is a private institute, and its qualifications are not accredited by a national body, so recognition rests with the employer.
What defence and land systems employers operate in New Zealand?
Opportunities arise with the New Zealand Defence Force, Defence Technology Agency, defence industry suppliers and engineering firms serving land systems and vehicles. Many roles require citizenship or security clearance. A private online qualification may support an application, but it does not guarantee a position, and clearance and experience usually weigh more heavily.
Is it possible to study from New Zealand without a visa, and can my employer pay?
Yes, programmes are 100% online and taught in English, so no student visa is needed to study from home. Each includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's 1,900, so plan your workload carefully.
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 technical foundations of military autonomous robotics.
Analyse the ethical frameworks applicable to autonomous systems.
Apply ethical design processes in accordance with IEEE 7000.
Assess transparency, explainability and traceability.
Evaluate responsibility and human control across the life cycle.
Manage artificial intelligence risks according to international standards.
Prepare ethical assessments of robotics projects.
Who it's for
- Robotics ethics specialists.
- Autonomous systems engineers.
- AI compliance advisers.
- Human-robot interaction researchers.
- Defence policy analysts.
- AI risk assessment managers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into defence.
What you'll work with
- IEEE 7000-2021 (process for addressing ethical concerns during system design)
- IEEE 7001-2021 (transparency of autonomous systems)
- ISO/IEC 23894 (artificial intelligence risk management)
- Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 36 (legal review of new weapons)
- DoD Directive 3000.09 (autonomy in weapon systems)
- NATO Principles of Responsible Use of AI (2021) (responsible use of AI in defence)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (EU Artificial Intelligence Act)
- ROS 2
- Gazebo
- NVivo
- Python (Fairlearn)
8 modules
1.1Types of military robots1.2Logistics, reconnaissance and support functions1.3Levels of autonomy1.4Perception and decision-making1.5Control architectures1.6Limitations of autonomy1.7Bomb disposal and rescue robots1.8International state of the art1.9Related civil uses1.10Case study: analysis of an autonomous logistics robot
2.1Machine ethics2.2Applied deontological and consequentialist ethics2.3Virtue ethics and the professional2.4Human dignity2.5Just war theory2.6Artificial moral agency2.7Robots and risk to friendly combatants2.8Academic debate2.9Ethics and organisational culture2.10Workshop: ethical analysis of a scenario
3.1The IEEE 7000 process3.2Value identification3.3Ethical requirements3.4Value-sensitive design3.5Stakeholders3.6Ethics in system requirements3.7Ethics in testing3.8Ethical documentation3.9Design audits3.10Practical: ethical requirements for a robot
4.1IEEE 70014.2Explainability of AI models4.3Decision logging4.4Traceability of training data4.5Behavioural predictability4.6Verification of autonomous systems4.7Communication to the operator4.8Institutional transparency4.9Limits of explainability4.10Lab: transparency analysis of an algorithm
5.1The responsibility gap5.2Meaningful human control5.3Responsibility of the designer5.4Command responsibility5.5State responsibility5.6Article 36 legal review5.7DoD Directive 3000.095.8NATO principles5.9Oversight mechanisms5.10Case study: allocation of responsibilities in an incident
6.1ISO/IEC 238946.2Technical and social risks6.3Bias and discrimination6.4Robustness and safety6.5Adversarial attacks6.6Robot cybersecurity6.7Impact assessment6.8Mitigations6.9In-service monitoring6.10Practical: risk assessment of an autonomous system
7.1The EU AI Act and defence7.2International initiatives7.3Institutional ethics committees7.4Codes of conduct7.5Ethics training for engineers7.6Public participation7.7Professional conscientious objection7.8International case studies7.9Future scenarios7.10Workshop: design of an ethics committee
8.1System selection8.2Stakeholder analysis8.3Identification of system values8.4Risk assessment8.5Responsibility analysis8.6Transparency measures8.7Ethical opinion8.8Recommendations8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme 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 you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ROS 2, Gazebo, NVivo and Python (Fairlearn), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: ethical assessment of an autonomous ground robot, transparency analysis of a navigation algorithm and review of a human-robot interaction case. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: IEEE 7000-2021, IEEE 7001-2021, ISO/IEC 23894, Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 36, DoD Directive 3000.09, NATO Principles of Responsible Use of AI (2021), Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.
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
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 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, NVivo and Python (Fairlearn), 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 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.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the programme 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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