Diploma in Ethics of Military Aircraft Development
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in the ethics of military aircraft development. 8 modules covering aeronautical engineering ethics, responsible requirements and design, international law and legal review, onboard autonomy and AI, sustainability and life cycle, industry and export governance, and ethical programme management, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Ethics of Military Aircraft Development — 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
Take on the ethical responsibility of the aeronautical engineer.
Incorporate ethical values into design requirements.
Apply the legal review of new capabilities.
Assess onboard autonomy and artificial intelligence.
Integrate sustainability into the aircraft life cycle.
Analyse industrial and export governance.
Manage programmes with ethical and transparency criteria.
Who it's for
- Aeronautical engineers involved in military programmes.
- Technology ethics advisers.
- Industry compliance officers.
- Defence policy analysts.
- Aeronautical programme managers.
- Sustainability consultants working with aerospace and defence.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the aeronautical sector.
What you'll work with
- Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 36 (legal review of new weapons)
- IEEE 7000-2021 (addressing ethical concerns during system design)
- Common Position 2008/944/CFSP (export of military technology)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act)
- ISO 14040 (life cycle assessment)
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (corporate human rights responsibility)
- EMAR 21 (certification of military aircraft)
- NVivo
- SimaPro
- Cameo Systems Modeler
- Miro
8 modules
1.1The engineer's professional responsibility1.2Engineering codes of ethics1.3Ethics of applied research1.4Dual use of aerospace technology1.5Virtue ethics in the profession1.6Professional conscientious objection1.7Ethics and industrial secrecy1.8History of military aviation1.9Dilemmas in development programmes1.10Case study: analysis of the Boeing 737 MAX programme
2.1Capturing requirements and values2.2Value sensitive design2.3IEEE 7000 on ethical design2.4Pilot and crew safety2.5Trade-offs between performance and safety2.6Human factors in the cockpit2.7Accessibility and ergonomics2.8Ethical review of requirements2.9Traceability of decisions2.10Workshop: value matrix for a programme
3.1Article 36 of Additional Protocol I3.2Legal review in the development phase3.3Principles of distinction and proportionality3.4Prohibited and restricted weapons3.5Arms control treaties3.6Obligations of the State3.7The engineer's involvement3.8Documentation of reviews3.9National experiences3.10Practical exercise: simulated legal review report
4.1Pilot decision-support systems4.2Autonomy in unmanned aircraft4.3Meaningful human control4.4Principles of responsible AI4.5Bias in recognition systems4.6Explainability for crews4.7Certification of algorithms4.8Shared responsibility4.9UN debates4.10Case study: assessment of a cockpit assistant
5.1Environmental impact of development5.2Sustainable aviation fuels5.3Hazardous materials and substances5.4Noise and communities5.5Life cycle assessment5.6Decommissioning and recycling5.7Carbon footprint of programmes5.8Circular economy5.9Sustainability reporting5.10Workshop: simplified life cycle assessment
6.1European industrial cooperation6.2FCAS and GCAP programmes6.3Export controls6.4Risk of misuse6.5Human rights due diligence6.6Corporate transparency6.7Corruption prevention6.8Corporate social responsibility6.9Relations with civil society6.10Case study: an export decision involving risk
7.1Safety culture and whistleblowing7.2Schedule and cost pressure7.3Ethics committees7.4Managing conflicts of interest7.5Communication with authorities7.6Ethics in testing7.7Diversity in engineering teams7.8Continuous ethics training7.9Ethical impact assessment7.10Practical exercise: ethics committee simulation
8.1Selection of the programme to study8.2Stakeholder identification8.3Analysis of dilemmas8.4Legal framework8.5Impact assessment8.6Governance proposal8.7Recommendations8.8Conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
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 the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. You work with NVivo, SimaPro, Cameo Systems Modeler and Miro, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: case analyses of aeronautical programmes, simulated legal reviews and ethical impact assessments. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 36, IEEE 7000-2021, Common Position 2008/944/CFSP, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, ISO 14040, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and EMAR 21.
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 NVivo, SimaPro, Cameo Systems Modeler and Miro, 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 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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