Innovative MSc in safety engineering-a model for industry-based courses in the 21st century?

A rapidly evolving professional opportunity for many engineers from a wide range of backgrounds concerns system safety. The fusion of inherently complex systems, sometimes comprising numerous aspects of the engineering discipline, with developments associated with regulatory requirements, liability issues and human factors, is beginning to expose weaknesses in the conventional training of engineers prior to, and during, their industrial careers. University-based courses are already stretched to accommodate the needs of the modern engineering syllabus, but nonetheless few can claim to adequately cover the specific needs of industry in the context of the needs of safety in the engineering environment for the future. In the Department of Engineering at Lancaster, a new part-time industrial MSc has been launched to combat this requirement. In order to balance the needs of industry with the requirements of the course, an innovative formula has been adopted in which the course material comprises six modules. Four of these are generic and comprise: design of safety-critical systems; management in a safety culture; operational safety; and human factors and safety. Two of the modules are industry-specific to provide a relevant industrial context to the MSc., and these are currently targeted at the nuclear, rail and aerospace industries. A significant part of the MSc. comprises an individual project, which can be based at the student´s place of work where appropriate. The course has significant relevance to current and future practice regarding matching sections, CPD and work-based learning, and is discussed in detail.