Diploma in Redundancy Strategies for Resilient Autonomy
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in redundancy strategies for resilient autonomy. 8 modules covering failure modes, redundancy theory, fault-tolerant architectures, fault detection and isolation, redundant perception and navigation, verification and cyber resilience, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Redundancy Strategies for Resilient Autonomy — studying from South Africa
South Africa has a established defence industry centred on companies such as Denel and Paramount Group, with capabilities in land systems, armoured vehicles and munitions. The sector supports engineering roles in systems integration, vehicle design and test and evaluation. Defence procurement and export controls are overseen by government bodies, and the industry works closely with the South African National Defence Force. Engineers in this field typically combine mechanical, electrical and systems skills.
Fees for South Africa: R 16 700 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Which South African bodies regulate or recognise defence and military engineering professionals?
Engineers in South Africa are registered through ECSA under the Engineering Profession Act, and defence programmes are guided by institutions such as the South African National Defence Force and Armscor, which set their own requirements. SEIUM is a private online institute, and its qualifications are not state degrees or accredited by a national body. Recognition is decided by these bodies and your employer, so confirm with them first.
Would this qualification help me find work in South Africa's defence or land systems sector?
South Africa has a defence industry with state-linked entities and private contractors, and employers usually require security clearances, relevant experience and recognised qualifications. A private online programme may support your application but does not guarantee employment or clearance. Check requirements with prospective employers, as roles in this sector can be sensitive and tightly controlled.
Can I study alongside a job, and are there funding options?
The course is 100% online and taught in English, so you need strong English, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Master's programmes are 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, each with an assigned technical tutor. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, so ask whether your employer would fund part of the training.
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 failure modes of autonomous systems.
Apply the principles of redundancy and diversity.
Design fault-tolerant architectures.
Implement fault detection and isolation techniques.
Design redundant perception and navigation systems.
Verify and certify resilient autonomous systems.
Integrate cyber resilience and ethics into the design.
Who it's for
- Autonomous systems engineers.
- Functional safety engineers.
- Fault-tolerant control specialists.
- Verification engineers.
- Embedded systems architects.
- Robotics researchers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- ISO 26262 (functional safety in road vehicles)
- ISO 21448 (safety of the intended functionality)
- UL 4600 (safety evaluation of autonomous products)
- IEC 61508 (functional safety of E/E/PE systems)
- ARP4754A (development of aircraft systems)
- ISO/SAE 21434 (vehicle cybersecurity)
- STANAG 4671 (UAV airworthiness)
- ROS 2
- MATLAB Simulink
- CARLA
- Gazebo
- Isograph Reliability Workbench
8 modules
1.1Definitions of autonomy1.2Autonomous system architectures1.3Resilience versus robustness1.4Failure modes in autonomy1.5Sensor and actuator failures1.6Software and perception failures1.7Degraded environments1.8Civil cases: vehicles and robotics1.9Defence cases1.10Case study: analysis of an autonomous vehicle incident
2.1Active and passive redundancy2.2Hardware redundancy2.3Analytical redundancy2.4Information redundancy2.5Design diversity2.6Voting and consensus2.7Common-cause failures2.8Reliability of redundant configurations2.9Cost and weight of redundancy2.10Workshop: reliability calculation for a triplex architecture
3.1Duplex and triplex architectures3.2Fail-safe and fail-operational3.3Temporal and spatial partitioning3.4TTEthernet deterministic buses3.5Safety monitors3.6Simplex architecture3.7Graceful degradation3.8Redundancy in flight control3.9Architectures in autonomous vehicles3.10Practical exercise: design of a fail-operational architecture
4.1Residual generation4.2Observers and Kalman filters4.3Statistical tests4.4Data-driven detection4.5Fault isolation4.6Control reconfiguration4.7Fault-tolerant control4.8Validation of detectors4.9False alarms4.10Lab: sensor fault detection in simulation
5.1Fusion of heterogeneous sensors5.2LiDAR, radar and cameras5.3Redundant navigation5.4Localisation under GNSS loss5.5Maps and references5.6Detection of perception failures5.7Uncertainty and confidence5.8Adversarial attacks on perception5.9Testing in adverse conditions5.10Practical exercise: fusion with sensor loss in ROS 2
6.1ISO 26262 and redundancy6.2ISO 21448 SOTIF6.3UL 4600 for autonomous systems6.4Verification of redundant systems6.5Fault injection6.6Scenario-based simulation6.7Formal methods6.8Safety cases6.9UAS regulations6.10Lab: fault injection campaign
7.1Cyberattacks on autonomous systems7.2Redundancy against attacks7.3Post-incident recovery7.4ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity7.5Human control and supervision7.6Liability for failures7.7Transparency towards users7.8Ethical aspects of degradation7.9Civil and military uses7.10Case study: response plan for an autonomous robot
8.1System definition8.2Failure mode analysis8.3Redundancy design8.4Detection and isolation8.5Degradation strategy8.6Verification plan8.7Safety case8.8Conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, 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. The working software is ROS 2, MATLAB Simulink, CARLA, Gazebo and Isograph Reliability Workbench, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real cases of fault injection campaigns, sensor loss simulations and architecture reliability calculations. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrating project.
Standards covered: ISO 26262, ISO 21448, UL 4600, IEC 61508, ARP4754A, ISO/SAE 21434, STANAG 4671.
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 work with ROS 2, MATLAB Simulink, CARLA, Gazebo and Isograph Reliability Workbench, 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 is required.
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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