Understand how complex products and services undertake tasks that pose a risk to human lives, and become a leader in keeping people safe.
Year of entry: 2020
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time,
3 years part-time
September 2020 (term dates)
Chat with staff and current students to find out what postgraduate study at York is really like.
Register nowThis 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.
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).
97% of our students achieve employment or go on to further study within six months of graduating.
In the Times Higher Education's assessment of the 2014 REF, our research ranked 7th overall in the UK, 5th for impact and 6th for environment.
Our staff are at the cutting edge of their fields and we maintain strong links with industry.
The course can be taken on a full or part time basis. If you wish to take the course part-time, you can do this over two or three years, meaning it is very flexible and can easily fit in around work commitments.
Each 10 credit module will require you to attend university for five days. You will undertake intensive teaching sessions based on lectures, case-studies and exercises.
Find out the dates the modules are running.
You'll undertake a total of 180 credits for this course. There are 90 credits of taught modules in total throughout the course (both full and part-time options). There is a high degree of flexibility in the order in which you may take the modules. This helps part-time students to fit their study around their professional activities.
If you are taking the course part-time, you will take an additional 30 credits of critical evaluation, and 60 credits as part of your final project.
If you take the course full-time you will take an additional 90 credits as part of your final project.
Choose two from:
Dates the modules are running and further information.
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
In addition to the taught modules, you will undertake an independent study module. For full-time students, this takes the form of a report on an engineering project, totalling 70 pages. For part-time students, the project is split into two reports: a critical literature review of 25 pages and a final project report of 45 pages. You will have the opportunity to pick a project from a list of titles of specialisms within the Department, or you can define a title yourself, in agreement with an academic.
You will be given a personal supervisor during this project. If you are taking the course part-time, you'll need to come to York for one week over the six months the critical evaluation takes and two weeks over the one year of the final project. You can also Skype or telephone your supervisor at agreed times.
Recent examples of projects undertaken include:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK/EU/International |
|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £19,530 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£9,765 |
| Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£6,510 |
Students on a Tier 4 Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study. Fees for subsequent years are subject to increase (no more than 2% each year).
Text books and resources will be available to you through the University of York library and all course materials are provided. Lunch is provided Monday to Thursday of teaching weeks and refreshments throughout the teaching week as well. You will need to arrange and pay for your own accommodation and travel to York for the teaching weeks and costs associated with this will vary depending on your location and the standard of accommodation you book.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK/EU or international student.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
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.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
The course is taught through a variety of lectures, seminars and case study exercises undertaken in small groups of around six.
The Department of Computer Science is based on Campus East. Teaching takes place in the specialist CPD suite in the Ron Cooke Hub, also on Campus East. This includes a large seminar room and break out rooms, seating area and refreshment facilities.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Each module has an open assessment associated. This means that you undertake the assessment in your own time away from the University. This open assessment, and any associated work packages, is designed to consolidate and further deepen your knowledge, skills and approaches to the subject matter covered in the module. Of course, it is also designed to assess your progress.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in a numerate, technical discipline. This course is specifically directed at those with several years of industrial experience. |
| Other qualifications and experience | If you do not have a first degree but instead have relevant industrial experience, your application will be considered on a case by case basis. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, minimum 169 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
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