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PGDip Safety Critical Systems Engineering

Understand how complex products and services undertake tasks that pose a risk to human lives, and become a practitioner in keeping people safe.

Year of entry: 2025 (September)

Length

1-2 years part-time

Start date

September 2025 (semester dates)

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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 provide you with the opportunity to become a practitioner in safety-critical systems engineering, or to enhance your existing practice, and to reflect on the implications of your work both for your current role and for society as a whole. Three strands of work will develop your skills: safety-critical system safety thinking, skills as a safety engineer and professionalism.

The course will ensure you are better equipped to make a contribution to your organisation. You will gain a thorough grounding and practical experience in the use of techniques for the development, operation and assurance of the safety characteristics of systems or services that have safety implications. We will explore the principles behind these techniques to ensure that sound safety engineering judgments can be made. You will investigate the latest research and focus on advanced practice in a number of areas. 

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.

This course is also available as an MSc in Safety Critical Systems Engineering, or a PGCert in Systems Safety Engineering.

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The Institute for Safe Autonomy

This dedicated facility on the University's Campus East provides workspace for up to 100 people, a rooftop lab, and specialist robotics design and testing equipment.

Teaching excellence

Our staff are at the cutting edge of their fields and we maintain strong links with industry.

Course content

The course is taken on a part-time basis over either one or two years. This means it is very flexible and can easily fit in around work commitments.

Modules are delivered through set teaching weeks and you will be required to attend campus for some face-to-face teaching during teaching weeks. You'll undertake intensive teaching sessions based on lectures, case-studies and exercises. Additionally, for each module, you will need to undertake some self-study before and after face-to-face teaching.

Find out the dates the modules are running.

Modules

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

The York approach

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.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Employ system safety thinking throughout the life cycle of a system or service using a broad, systematic imaginative anticipation of safety risks, causes and consequences.
  • Contribute to the development of safe systems and services by ensuring that proper consideration is given to safety issues as part of systems engineering processes.
  • Evaluate and assure specific aspects of the safety of systems and services by employing analysis techniques respecting each techniques' strengths and limitations.
  • Design, execute and monitor an organisations safety management processes to address relevant regulations, legislation and operational context by considering individual human factors, team competence and organisational structures.
  • Effectively communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders about system safety problems and their solutions in a clear and organised manner. This includes presenting information in clear and robust way that is amenable to critical evaluation, making appropriate choices from established assurance approaches.
  • Operate as a leading safety-critical system safety professional, by maintaining awareness of key legal and ethical issues relating to system safety, appreciating how safety critical systems can affect society and the environment, and by continuing to expand and deepen knowledge through critical engagement with the discipline.
  • Work effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader of a team. Be able to evaluate effectiveness of own and team performance.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2025/26

Study modeUK (home)International and EU
Full-time (1 year) £19,440£23,910
Part-time (2 years)
This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation.
£9,720£11,955

Students on a Student 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.

  • UK (home) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%).
  • International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

Additional costs

Text books and resources will be available to you through the University of York library and electronic copies of all course materials are provided. You will need to arrange and pay for your own accommodation and travel to York for face-to-face teaching. Costs associated with this will vary depending on your location and the standard of accommodation you book.

Living costs

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.

Teaching and assessment

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.

Teaching format

The first section of the course is delivered by taught modules. During the second half of the course, you'll undertake a critical evaluation under the supervision of a member of staff. The taught modules have an intensive, York-based face-to-face element, which is taught through a variety of lectures and seminars, interspersed with case study exercises which take place in groups of 6-8 students. For most modules, pre-recorded materials for private study will also be provided. After the York-based taught element, students are expected to complete assessments for each module.

Teaching location

The Department of Computer Science is based on Campus East. Teaching takes place in a range of locations on Campus East.

About our campus

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.

Assessment and feedback

Each module has associated assessments.

This means that you undertake the assessments in your own time away from the University following the taught element of the module. The assessments, and any associated work packages, are designed to consolidate and further deepen your knowledge, skills and approaches to the subject matter covered in the module. Of course, they are also designed to assess your progress.

Virtual tours

Take a virtual tour of one or our modern, dedicated facilities.

Our study and social pod is open 24/7 for group and individual study and events. It comes with a fully equipped kitchen.

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.

Career opportunities

  • Aeronautical engineer
  • Safety manager
  • Naval engineer
  • Automotive engineer
  • Gas or electrical services engineer
  • Software safety consultant

Transferable skills

  • Information-retrieval
  • Numeracy
  • Time management

Entry requirements

Typical offer
Undergraduate degree 2:2 or equivalent in a numerate, technical discipline, with some coverage of Computer Science or Software Engineering subjects. In addition, we require at least two years of relevant industrial experience.
Other qualifications and experience If you do not have a first degree we require at least five years of relevant industrial experience. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis. Applicants who do not meet meet these entry requirements are encouraged to look the PG Cert System Safety Engineering. Students who successfully complete this course may be able to transition to the PG Diploma or MSc in Safety Critical Systems Engineering.
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator) 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT 7, minimum of 6 in each component
Duolingo 120, minimum 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic 61, minimum 55 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.

If you haven't met our 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 English language test 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.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

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Next steps

Contact us

Get in touch if you have any questions

Dr Richard Hawkins (Course Leader)

Learn more

Department of Computer Science

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