Postgraduate DiplomaDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Diploma in Defence Supplier Auditing

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in defence supplier auditing, structured in 8 modules covering the defence supply chain, AQAP quality requirements, audit techniques, special processes, counterfeit parts and traceability, industrial security and cybersecurity, and risk, compliance and sustainability, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration6–8 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma

Diploma in Defence Supplier Auditing — 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$1,280 (Singapore dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Singapore

  • Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)
  • Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA)
  • ST Engineering
  • Singapore Institute of Defence Technology Industry Association

Typical roles

  • Defence Systems Engineer
  • Land Systems Engineer
  • Military Software Engineer
  • Defence Programme Engineer

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.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse the structure and risks of the defence supply chain.

02

Apply AQAP and AS9100 quality requirements.

03

Conduct audits in accordance with ISO 19011.

04

Audit special processes and first article inspections.

05

Prevent counterfeit parts from entering the supply chain.

06

Assess the industrial security and cybersecurity of suppliers.

07

Integrate compliance and sustainability criteria.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Supplier auditors.
  • Supplier quality engineers.
  • Quality assurance representatives.
  • Technical procurement managers.
  • Supply chain risk analysts.
  • Compliance managers in the defence industry.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • AQAP-2110 (NATO quality assurance requirements for design, development and production)
  • ISO 19011:2018 (guidelines for auditing management systems)
  • AS9100D (quality management systems for aviation, space and defence)
  • STANAG 4107 (mutual acceptance of government quality assurance)
  • AS5553 (counterfeit electronic parts: avoidance, detection, mitigation and disposition)
  • AS9102 (first article inspection)
  • NIST SP 800-171 (protection of controlled unclassified information)
  • Regulation (EU) 2017/821 (supply chain due diligence for conflict minerals)
  • SAP Ariba
  • Power BI
  • Minitab
  • Microsoft Excel
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1Supply chain structure
  2. 1.2Prime contractors
  3. 1.3Subcontractors and SMEs
  4. 1.4Supply chain risks
  5. 1.5Critical dependencies
  6. 1.6Strategic autonomy
  7. 1.7Defence industrial base
  8. 1.8Register of defence companies
  9. 1.9Supplier risk indicators
  10. 1.10Case study: supplier map of a programme
  1. 2.1AQAP-2110
  2. 2.2AQAP-2210 for software
  3. 2.3Relationship with ISO 9001
  4. 2.4AS9100
  5. 2.5Government quality assurance under STANAG 4107
  6. 2.6Government quality assurance representative
  7. 2.7Quality plans
  8. 2.8Contractual quality clauses
  9. 2.9Delegation of verifications
  10. 2.10Workshop: quality plan for a supply contract
  1. 3.1ISO 19011 guidelines
  2. 3.2Audit planning
  3. 3.3Checklists
  4. 3.4Interviews
  5. 3.5Evidence gathering
  6. 3.6Nonconformities
  7. 3.7Audit report
  8. 3.8Remote audits
  9. 3.9Action follow-up
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: simulated supplier audit
  1. 4.1Welding
  2. 4.2Heat treatments
  3. 4.3Non-destructive testing
  4. 4.4Coatings and surface treatments
  5. 4.5Nadcap accreditation
  6. 4.6Equipment calibration
  7. 4.7AS9102 first article inspection
  8. 4.8Statistical process control
  9. 4.9Process validation
  10. 4.10Lab: first article inspection
  1. 5.1The AS5553 standard
  2. 5.2The AS6174 standard
  3. 5.3Detection techniques
  4. 5.4Documentary traceability
  5. 5.5DFARS clause 252.246-7007
  6. 5.6Obsolescence and the grey market
  7. 5.7Certificates of conformity
  8. 5.8The GIDEP database
  9. 5.9Quarantine management
  10. 5.10Case study: investigation of a suspect component
  1. 6.1Facility security clearance
  2. 6.2Protection of classified information
  3. 6.3The CMMC model
  4. 6.4NIST SP 800-171
  5. 6.5Spanish National Security Framework (ENS)
  6. 6.6Physical security of facilities
  7. 6.7Visitor management
  8. 6.8Supply chain cybersecurity
  9. 6.9Supplier incidents
  10. 6.10Workshop: cybersecurity assessment of a supplier
  1. 7.1Due diligence
  2. 7.2Business integrity
  3. 7.3Export controls
  4. 7.4International sanctions
  5. 7.5ESG criteria
  6. 7.6Directive (EU) 2024/1760 on due diligence
  7. 7.7Regulation (EU) 2017/821 on conflict minerals
  8. 7.8Supplier risk assessment
  9. 7.9Continuity plans
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: due diligence questionnaire
  1. 8.1Supplier selection
  2. 8.2Risk analysis
  3. 8.3Audit plan
  4. 8.4Quality system audit
  5. 8.5Special process audit
  6. 8.6Security and compliance
  7. 8.7Report and actions
  8. 8.8Conclusions
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

The programme is 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 can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SAP Ariba, Power BI, Minitab and Microsoft Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for simulated supplier audits, first article inspections and supply chain cybersecurity assessments. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: AQAP-2110, ISO 19011:2018, AS9100D, STANAG 4107, AS5553, AS9102, NIST SP 800-171, Regulation (EU) 2017/821.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of AQAP-2110, ISO 19011:2018 and AS9100D applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:SAP Ariba, Power BI, Minitab and Microsoft Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:a complete audit of a defence supplier, from risk analysis and audit plan to quality system, special processes, security and compliance, with report and actions, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Analyse supplier risk
Select a defence supplier and analyse its risks within the programme supply chain.
Audit the quality system
Plan and conduct an ISO 19011 audit against AQAP-2110 and AS9100D.
Audit special processes
Audit special processes and perform a first article inspection to AS9102.
Assess security and compliance
Evaluate the supplier’s cybersecurity, counterfeit prevention and due diligence.
Final project
a complete audit of a defence supplier, from risk analysis and audit plan to quality system, special processes, security and compliance, with report and actions, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Supplier AuditorSupplier Quality EngineerQuality Assurance RepresentativeTechnical Procurement ManagerSupply Chain Risk AnalystCompliance Manager
Admissions & scholarships

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.

FAQ

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 SAP Ariba, Power BI, Minitab and Microsoft Excel, 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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