MSc Safety Critical Systems Engineering

This course will provide you with the educational background required to become a leader in the field of safety critical systems engineering, whether you are currently a practising - or aspiring - professional in this area.

Products and services are taking on more authority over activities that have the capability to pose a risk to human lives. System safety professionals address a web of interlinked contributing factors to assess the safety of these products or services.

This course will equip you to understand the contribution technology, humans and organisations make to product and service safety. You'll learn how to articulate how and why you believe these aspects have been addressed. You will also learn how to discuss the level of confidence it is possible to have in the mitigation and assurance processes undertaken throughout a product or services lifecycle.

Throughout the duration of the course you will increase your skills in systematic thinking about all these issues. You will be challenged to consider the ethical characteristics of the activities you undertake and decisions you make to ensure that you are able to act professionally and competently. You will have the opportunity to assess a range of scenarios addressing multiple aspects of systems, services, and associated processes, across multiple domains and the lifecycle. We will take you out of your experience base to challenge your existing knowledge, skills and behaviours.

The course employs the extensive research and industrial experience of the developers of the work packages you will address. It brings together safety professionals from many different domains (aerospace, military, automotive, railway, nuclear) to ensure your learning is as varied and as comprehensive as possible.

The MSc in Safety Critical Systems Engineering is highly flexible. We even offer the opportunity for you to undertake taster modules before registering for the full course. In addition, we offer a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma route through the course, and the ability to transfer between routes. This means that you can pick the best course to suit your circumstances and commitments.

This course is also available as a PGDip in Safety Critical Systems Engineering or a PGCert in Systems Safety Engineering.

Accreditation

This course is recognised by the British Computer Society (BCS) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as partial fulfilment of the educational requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Careers and skills

The vast majority of people who undertake this course are already working in industrial fields such as aeronautical engineering, marine engineering, naval and military fields, automotive applications, gas and electric services engineers. Undertaking this course will equip you to progress within these fields.