Critical Software Testing Course
Online course of 300 hours in critical software testing. 6 modules covering test strategies, test case design, structural coverage up to MC/DC, automation and test environments, advanced techniques and a final project, with an assigned technical tutor.
Critical Software Testing Course — studying from the United States
The United States leads global aerospace, anchored by clusters in Seattle, Wichita, Hartford, Huntsville and the Houston area. Major employers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, RTX and GE Aerospace drive demand for engineers in airframes, propulsion, avionics and systems integration. Urban air mobility and commercial drone operations are expanding quickly, creating new roles in eVTOL design, airspace integration and UAS operations. Civil and military programs both rely heavily on certified design, testing and airworthiness processes, making this a strong field for engineers seeking complex, high-impact work.
Fees for the United States: 890 US$ (US Dollars), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United States
Typical roles
Questions from the United States
Is the programme taught in English?
Yes. All programmes are taught in English, with technical materials and assessments delivered in that language.
Can I study from any state?
Yes. Programmes are 100% online, so you can study from anywhere in the United States with a reliable internet connection.
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
Design test strategies proportionate to criticality.
Apply requirements-based test case design techniques.
Measure and interpret structural coverage up to MC/DC.
Automate testing in host and target environments.
Qualify test tools in accordance with DO-330.
Use static analysis and formal methods as a complement to testing.
Produce traceable verification reports.
Who it's for
- Critical software test engineers looking to strengthen their methods.
- Verification engineers working on safety-related software.
- Test automation specialists moving into certified environments.
- Coverage analysts.
- Tool qualification engineers.
- Software quality managers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter avionics.
What you'll work with
- RTCA DO-178C / EUROCAE ED-12C (software considerations in airborne systems certification)
- RTCA DO-330 (software tool qualification considerations)
- RTCA DO-333 (formal methods supplement)
- ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-1 (software testing concepts and definitions)
- ISO 26262-6 (automotive functional safety, software level)
- IEC 61508-3 (functional safety, software requirements)
- EN 50716 (railway software)
- RTCA DO-248C (supporting information for DO-178C)
- VectorCAST
- LDRA Testbed
- Rapita RVS
- Polyspace Code Prover
- GoogleTest
6 modules
1.1Testing versus verification1.2Levels: unit, integration and system1.3Black-box and white-box testing1.4Independence of the test team1.5Coverage criteria by criticality level1.6Comparison of DO-178C, ISO 26262 and EN 507161.7Test planning1.8Test environments and simulators1.9Test data management1.10Case study: test strategy for a brake controller
2.1Requirements-based testing2.2Equivalence partitioning2.3Boundary value analysis2.4Decision tables2.5State transition testing2.6Robustness testing and abnormal inputs2.7Timing and scheduling tests2.8Arithmetic and saturation tests2.9Test case review2.10Practical exercise: boundary value test case design for a control law
3.1Statement coverage3.2Decision coverage3.3MC/DC: independence pairs3.4Object code coverage3.5Coverage gap analysis3.6Dead and deactivated code3.7Instrumentation and its impact3.8Data coupling and control coupling coverage3.9Coverage tools3.10Lab: coverage gap analysis with VectorCAST
4.1Unit test frameworks in C4.2Dependency simulation (stubs and mocks)4.3Host and target testing4.4Software-, processor- and hardware-in-the-loop4.5Continuous test integration4.6Regression testing4.7Qualification of test tools4.8Automatic test case generation4.9Reporting and traceability of results4.10Workshop: automated test pipeline with CI
5.1Static analysis and abstraction5.2Formal methods and DO-3335.3Model checking5.4Mutation testing5.5Fuzzing in critical systems5.6Testing multicore software5.7Testing machine learning components5.8Defect management and metrics5.9Auditing test processes5.10Case study: formal proof of the absence of run-time errors
6.1Component selection6.2Test plan6.3Test case design6.4Procedure implementation6.5Execution and results6.6Coverage analysis6.7Gap resolution6.8Verification report6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final 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: you progress at your own pace within the 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 VectorCAST, LDRA Testbed, Rapita RVS, Polyspace Code Prover and GoogleTest, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied on real procedures for designing and executing requirements-based test cases, MC/DC coverage analysis and regression automation in continuous integration. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: RTCA DO-178C / EUROCAE ED-12C, RTCA DO-330, RTCA DO-333, ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-1, ISO 26262-6, IEC 61508-3, EN 50716, RTCA DO-248C.
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
- No prior qualification 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 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with VectorCAST, LDRA Testbed, Rapita RVS, Polyspace Code Prover and GoogleTest, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, 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.
No prior qualification is required: you only need an internet connection, 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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