Course syllabus - Quality assurance - Certification of safety-critical (software) systems

Objectives

The aim of this course is to give students insight about certification and about what it means to certify/self-assess safety-critical systems with focus on software system and to create a safety case, including a multi-concern perspective when needed and reuse opportunities, when appropriate.

Learning outcomes

After the course, the student shall be able to:

1. explain fundamental concepts related to safety certification
2. create process-related compliance management artifacts
3. apply modelling methods stemming from state-of-the-art safety standards for developing reusable certification artifacts for safety-critical (software) systems

Course content

Module-1-Introduction to safety certification
This module is expected to: 1) give an introduction to certification of safety-critical systems; 2) transfer knowledge and skills on process vs product/ component vs system/ single system vs family of systems certification/qualification. It will also explain the relation between the following concepts: safety-critical systems, safety culture, development processes according to supplier and manufacturer perspective, certification, "the safety case". Challenges concerning reuse of certification artifacts and its systematization will be highlighted via reuse scenarios.

Module-2 Standards, certification, and compliance
This module is expected to: 1) give an overview of standards used as a baseline for certification; 2) transfer knowledge and skills on various standards (focus on 1 standard e.g., ISO 26262) and their role in the certification process; 3) state of the art overview on compliance management.
The usage of some selected and open-source tools enabling provision of compliance-related artifacts will be illustrated, if appropriate.

Module-3 Modelling methods
This module is expected to: 1) give an overview of modelling methods needed for the provision and reuse of certification artifacts; 2) transfer knowledge and skills on various modelling methods for the provision of certification artifacts (process as well as product related) of safety-critical systems.
The usage of some selected and open-source tools enabling provision and reuse of certification artifacts will be illustrated, if appropriate.

Specific requirements

120 credits where at least 22,5 credits are in computer science and 7,5 credits in software engineering or equivalent.
In case of at least 18 months of documented work experience in software development an exemption is made from 7,5 credits software engineering. In addition Swedish course 3 or Swedish level 3 and English course 6 or English level 2 are required. For courses given entirely in English exemption is made from the requirement in Swedish course 3 or Swedish level 3.

Examination

Module 1: Introduction to certification
Written assignment 1 (INL1), 2.5 credits, examines the learning outcome 1, marks Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Module 2: Standards, certification, and compliance
Project (PRO3), 2.5 credits, examines the learning outcome 2, marks Fail (U), 3, 4 or 5.

Module 3: Modelling methods
Project (PRO4), 2.5 credits, examines the learning outcome 3, marks Fail (U), 3, 4 or 5.

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding disability study support, can request adaptions for the examination. It is the examiner who takes decisions on any adaptions, based on the certificate and other conditions.

Grade

Grading scale: 5, 4, 3

Interim Regulations and Other Regulations

The course overlaps with 2.5 credits towards Safety Critical Systems Engineering.