Postgraduate Diploma in Safety-by-Design Verification and Assessments
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in safety-by-design verification and assessments. 8 modules covering hazard analysis, safety requirements and traceability, design failure analysis, design verification, independent assessments and audits, and the safety case to IEC 61508, ARP4761 and MIL-STD-882E, with an assigned technical tutor.
Postgraduate Diploma in Safety-by-Design Verification and Assessments — studying from the United Kingdom
The UK is developing a strong position in autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, supported by testbeds such as the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle sites and the Automated Vehicles Act framework. Automotive manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and technology firms work on sensor fusion, perception, functional safety and vehicle software architectures. Centres in the Midlands, the North and Scotland host research collaborations between universities and industry. Demand is growing for engineers who combine embedded software, machine learning and vehicle systems knowledge to build software-defined vehicles.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £746 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
What UK professional bodies relate to autonomous vehicle and ADAS engineering?
Relevant UK bodies include the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the British Computer Society (BCS) for software, and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Professional registration is managed through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so recognition is for employers or the relevant body to decide. Contact the IET or BCS to check how your study would be considered.
Do UK automotive and technology employers hire people with private qualifications in autonomy and ADAS?
UK employers in autonomous and ADAS development, including vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and software firms, usually focus on technical skill, project experience and the ability to work on safety-critical systems. A private qualification may help show your specialist knowledge, but how it is valued depends on each employer. Evidence of practical work, such as simulation or coding projects, is often more decisive.
How much time will this take alongside a UK job, and what language level do I need?
Programmes are fully online and taught in English, so you need strong technical English reading and writing skills. Because there is no need for a student visa to study from home, you can keep your current UK role while studying. Each programme has a defined number of hours, and you will be assigned a technical tutor. Compare the hours with your schedule and ask about employer funding options before committing.
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
Explain the principles of safety built in from the design stage.
Carry out hazard analyses and define safety goals.
Derive safety requirements with full traceability.
Apply FMEA and fault trees to the design of a system.
Plan the verification of safety requirements.
Conduct independent safety assessments and audits.
Build a structured safety argument and its safety file.
Who it's for
- Safety engineers who want to specialise in safety-by-design verification and assessments.
- Independent safety assessors who want to specialise in safety-by-design verification and assessments.
- Functional safety engineers who want to specialise in safety-by-design verification and assessments.
- Reliability engineers who want to specialise in safety-by-design verification and assessments.
- Safety process auditors who want to specialise in safety-by-design verification and assessments.
- Safety case managers who want to specialise in safety-by-design verification and assessments.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the aerospace industry.
What you'll work with
- IEC 61508 (functional safety)
- ARP4761 (safety assessment of aircraft systems)
- MIL-STD-882E (system safety standard practice)
- ISO 26262 (automotive functional safety)
- EN 50126 (railway RAMS)
- IEC 61025 (fault tree analysis)
- IEC 60812 (FMEA)
- Isograph Reliability Workbench
- Ansys medini analyze
- IBM DOORS
- Astah GSN
- advanced Excel
8 modules
1.1The concept of functional safety applied to the product1.2Difference between safety, security and reliability1.3The safety lifecycle and its milestones1.4The role of independent verification1.5Applicable standards by sector1.6Common vocabulary and key definitions1.7Roles, responsibilities and independence1.8Managing confidence in the process1.9Minimum required documentation1.10Workshop: identifying milestones in a real project
2.1Defining the item and its boundaries2.2Identifying hazardous situations2.3Classification of severity, exposure and controllability2.4Determining the integrity level2.5Safety goals and safe state2.6Fault tolerance time2.7Assumptions of use and environment2.8Validating the assumptions2.9Peer review of the analysis2.10Case study: analysis of a subsystem
3.1From the goal to the functional safety requirement3.2Hardware and software technical requirements3.3Quality criteria for a requirement3.4Allocation to architecture elements3.5Decomposition and derived requirements3.6Managing requirement changes3.7Bidirectional traceability3.8Requirements management tools3.9Review of completeness and consistency3.10Workshop: complete traceability chain
4.1Design FMEA: preparation and scope4.2Failure modes, effects and detection4.3FMEDA and diagnostic coverage metrics4.4Fault trees and quantitative analysis4.5Common cause failure analysis4.6Dependent failure analysis4.7Latent faults and their detection4.8Quantitative hardware targets4.9Interpreting results and actions4.10Lab: FMEDA of a control board
5.1Verification strategy and plan5.2Reviews, inspections and walkthroughs5.3Static analysis and code metrics5.4Unit testing and structural coverage5.5Hardware and software integration testing5.6Fault injection: methods and scope5.7Closed-loop HIL testing5.8Acceptance criteria and evidence5.9Automation and continuous integration5.10Lab: fault injection campaign
6.1Degrees of independence by integrity level6.2Safety assessment plan6.3Evidence sampling and interviews6.4Assessing the process versus the product6.5Findings, observations and non-conformities6.6Technical negotiation of findings6.7The assessment report and its content6.8Confirmation of corrective measures6.9Relationship with the certification body6.10Mock independent assessment
7.1Structure of the safety case7.2Argumentation using GSN7.3Evidence and its sufficiency7.4Managing assumptions and limitations7.5Residual risks and their acceptance7.6Reused and out-of-context elements7.7Product release report7.8Archiving and retention of records7.9Maintaining the safety case7.10Workshop: writing a safety case
8.1Choosing the system and defining the scope8.2Hazard analysis and objectives8.3Safety requirements specification8.4Failure analysis of the proposed design8.5Verification plan and execution8.6Results, deviations and actions8.7Simulated independent assessment8.8Complete safety case8.9Technical report and defence8.10Final review with the 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 Isograph Reliability Workbench, Ansys medini analyze, IBM DOORS, Astah GSN and advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for independent design reviews, functional safety audits and fault injection in simulation. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: IEC 61508, ARP4761, MIL-STD-882E, ISO 26262, EN 50126, IEC 61025 and IEC 60812.
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. A university degree is not 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 will work with Isograph Reliability Workbench, Ansys medini analyze, IBM DOORS, Astah GSN and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and your tutor indicates the free alternative where 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 (a university degree is not required), an internet connection and a computer capable of running 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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