Course in International Regulation on Drone Exports
Online 300 h course in international regulation on drone exports. 6 modules covering the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), equipment annex, Wassenaar Arrangement (dual-use and munitions lists) and SAP GTS (Global Trade Services). Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in International Regulation on Drone Exports — studying from Singapore
Singapore maintains a comprehensive defence sector through the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Science and Technology Agency, which develops military technologies and manages procurement. Engineering work covers land systems, ammunition, command and control, and simulation. Industry partners include ST Engineering, which supplies defence and security systems globally. Engineers here work within strict security and export control frameworks, often combining systems integration with reliability and safety engineering.
Fees for Singapore: S$1,060 (Singapore dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Singapore
Typical roles
Questions from Singapore
How does defence engineering work in Singapore, and which bodies oversee it?
Singapore's defence engineering is largely centred on the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and DSTA, the defence procurement and development agency, along with the Singapore Armed Forces. Engineers may register with the Professional Engineers Board (PEB). SEIUM's qualifications are private, not state degrees, and not accredited by any national body, so recognition for defence roles depends on the employer or relevant authority.
Who employs defence and land systems engineers in Singapore?
Main employers include MINDEF, DSTA, the SAF, and defence industry companies including ST Engineering. Access to many roles requires security clearance and citizenship or residency rules, so check eligibility early. Employers focus on proven competence and clearance status. Your final project can illustrate technical capability, but it does not replace these requirements.
Is the course manageable alongside a job, and can employers fund it?
The programme is fully online and taught in English, with an assigned technical tutor. Plan for a heavy workload: 1,900 hours for a master's, 800 for a postgraduate diploma, or 300 for a specialist course. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, which is common in defence-linked organisations, though approval is up to them.
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 drone market and the associated proliferation risks.
Apply the MTCR criteria and categories to unmanned systems.
Classify drones and components under Wassenaar and Regulation (EU) 2021/821.
Compare the export control regimes of the United States and other countries.
Apply the evaluation criteria of the Arms Trade Treaty.
Assess diversion risks and end-use misuse.
Prepare an export analysis of a drone system.
Who it's for
- Export control analyst who wants to specialise in international regulation on drone exports.
- Compliance manager in the aerospace industry who wants to specialise in international regulation on drone exports.
- Non-proliferation researcher who wants to specialise in international regulation on drone exports.
- Legal adviser in arms trade who wants to specialise in international regulation on drone exports.
- Foreign trade consultant in defence who wants to specialise in international regulation on drone exports.
- Export licensing technician who wants to specialise in international regulation on drone exports.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter the aerospace and defence industry.
What you'll work with
- Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), equipment annex
- Wassenaar Arrangement (dual-use and munitions lists)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/821 (control of dual-use products)
- Arms Trade Treaty (2013)
- Common Position 2008/944/CFSP (export of military technology)
- International Traffic in Arms Regulations, category VIII
- Export Administration Regulations (ECCN 9A012)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Global military UAV market1.2Main exporters: USA, China, Türkiye and Israel1.3Classification by weight, range and payload1.4Armed versus unarmed drones1.5Strategic effects of proliferation1.6Drones in recent conflicts1.7Transfers to non-state actors1.8SIPRI transfer databases1.9Transparency in exports1.10Workshop: analysis of export flows using SIPRI data
2.1Origin and members of the MTCR2.2Category I: range of 300 km and 500 kg2.3Category II and the presumption of denial2.4Equipment, software and technology annex2.5US reinterpretation of 20202.6Debate on UAVs and cruise missiles2.7Informal adherence and non-member states2.8Hague Code of Conduct2.9Limitations of the regime2.10Case study: MTCR classification of a MALE UAV
3.1ML10 munitions list3.2Dual-use item 9A0123.3Regulation (EU) 2021/8213.4Common Position 2008/944/CFSP3.5The eight criteria of the Common Position3.6Directive 2009/43/EC on intra-Community transfers3.7National control in Spain: JIMDDU3.8Annual export reports3.9EU and UN arms embargoes3.10Practice: assessment of an application against the eight criteria
4.1ITAR and USML category VIII4.2EAR and the 600 series4.3US export policy on UAS4.4Foreign Military Sales (FMS)4.52016 Joint Declaration on Armed UAVs4.6Turkish and Chinese export policies4.7Israel and its export controls4.8Government-to-government transfer agreements4.9End-use clauses4.10Case study: export of the MQ-9 to an ally
5.1Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)5.2Scope and categories covered5.3Human rights risk assessment5.4Diversion and its prevention5.5End-user certificates5.6Post-shipment verification5.7Transparency reports5.8Responsibility of exporting companies5.9Litigation over arms exports5.10Workshop: diversion risk assessment
6.1Selection of the system and destination6.2Technical classification6.3Applicable regimes6.4Risk assessment6.5Licence conditions6.6End-use controls6.7Reasoned recommendation6.8Conclusions6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
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 intake, which makes it possible to combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SAP GTS (Global Trade Services), advanced Excel, Power BI, Zotero, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied through real procedures for analysing drone export cases, classifying systems and components, and assessing end-user risks. Assessment is continuous, module by 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.
Understand the drone market and the associated proliferation risks.
Apply the MTCR criteria and categories to unmanned systems.
Classify drones and components under Wassenaar and Regulation (EU) 2021/821.
Compare the export control regimes of the United States and other countries.
Apply the evaluation criteria of the Arms Trade Treaty.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of 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 programme works with SAP GTS (Global Trade Services), advanced Excel, Power BI and Zotero. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the open-source 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 qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Please check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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