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: 2025 (September)
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time,
3 years part-time
September 2025 (semester dates)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsThis 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 accredited by:
Find out more about what this professional accreditation means.
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.
Modules are delivered through set teaching weeks. You will be required to attend campus for some face-to-face teaching during these 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. In addition to the taught modules, you will undertake an individual research project/dissertation.
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.
In addition to the taught modules, you will undertake an individual project/dissertation. 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 two to three face-to-face meetings with your supervisor. In addition, you will also keep in regular contact with your supervisor by phone or online meetings.
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 (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £25,900 | £31,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£12,950 | £15,950 |
| Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£8,633 | £10,633 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
Part of this course is delivered by taught modules. During the second half of the course, you'll undertake an individual project 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.
The Department of Computer Science is based on Campus East. Teaching takes place in a range of locations on Campus East.
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 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.
Take a short tour of some of the facilities in our modern, dedicated building.
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.
| 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 |
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.
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.
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
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