Boost your skills in a vital area of engineering.
Study the key concepts in risk and reliability modelling, including uncertainty quantification and probability theory.
Explore risk assessment principles and train in a range of risk assessment techniques. Study online, part-time and develop focused skills as a graduate engineer or industry professional.
This short course fits around full-time work and is a core part of many of our engineering Masters degrees.
You can use the credits you earn on this course towards these postgraduate qualifications.
What will I study?
You’ll study three main topic areas.
An introduction to general risk assessment principles
- Here you’ll focus on a variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques.
- You’ll train in the application of probabilistic modelling schemes.
Reliability computations
- You’ll focus on reliability computations based on the ‘physics of failure’ approach.
- You’ll explore problem formulation and the use of structural reliability methods, including first-order reliability method (FORM) and Monte Carlo simulations.
An introduction to safety management
- This final part of the course looks at safety management systems and human reliability.
Across the course, you’ll also cover:
- revision of elementary risk and reliability concepts
- engineering quantities as random variables
- risk assessment techniques
- structural reliability – background and applications.
By the end of this course, you will understand…
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The significance of technical safety principles.
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A range of risk assessment schemes.
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How to analyse problems in which many of the parameters are non-deterministic in nature.
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How to formulate a range of reliability problems.
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The types of uncertainty that affect the reliability of engineering systems and components, and the modelling of these using appropriate probability distributions.
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How to compute reliability using a variety of methods, including FORM and Monte Carlo simulation.
Why study Engineering online with the University of Aberdeen?
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Top 7 in the UK
We’re ranked 7th best university in the UK to study Civil Engineering by The Times Good University Guide 2020.
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Led by industry
Your course content is developed and reviewed by an Industry Advisory Board, so your training is always cutting edge and industry-relevant.
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Flexible learning
Study with us online and access our expertise wherever you are in the world, with flexible hours to fit around your work and home life.
How will I study?
This short course is delivered online, with a final exam that you must sit in person. You can study with us anywhere in the world and manage your study hours to suit you. We’ll help you locate an exam centre in your area for your final exam.
Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including:
- videos
- video lectures to stream
- projects
- quizzes
- reading materials
- the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library
- discussion boards with colleagues and tutors.
Your tutors
This course is taught at Masters level by our team of internationally experienced engineers and academics.
Industry input
Your course content is developed and reviewed by an Industry Advisory Board. This group of experienced professionals ensures your learning is always in line with the latest industry trends, technology and career opportunities.
Your course coordinator
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Dr Peter Dunning
Dr Dunning joined us as a Lecturer in 2015. He is a chartered engineer with the IMechE. His industrial experience includes work with Airbus, NASA and an engineering consultancy. He holds a MEng in Aerospace Engineering and PhD, both from the University of Bath.
Where will this take me?
Towards a Masters
You’ll earn 15 credits at Masters level (SCQF Level 11) with this course. You can use these credits towards any of these Masters degrees:
- MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering
- MSc Advanced Structural Engineering
- MSc Decommissioning – can be studied online
- MSc Offshore Engineering – can be studied online
- MSc Subsea Engineering – can be studied online
All are also available to study to Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) or Postgraduate Diploma level (120 credits). Full Masters degrees are 180 credits, including a 60-credit project.
Further short courses
We offer a range of specialist online Engineering courses you can use to build your skills.
Many carry credits you can build up into postgraduate qualifications, including Masters degrees:
Careers
Completing this course will give you an advantage in technical safety-related careers.
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.
Free careers advice
We’ll help you explore your career potential and connect with job opportunities around the world.
You can access our free careers service while you study.
From interview training to CV clinics, we’re here with tailored, impartial and professional advice.
This course includes many of the same learning outcomes as our online short course in Safety and Risk Management. We do not recommend that you study this course alongside Safety and Risk Management.
Entry requirements
The minimum requirements for this course are an Engineering honours degree with a 2:1 or above.
We’re also happy to consider other relevant qualifications, for example in Mathematics and Physics, or professional experience with supportive references.
This course includes significant mathematical content. Please review our mathematical skills document, which we’ve prepared to give you an indication of the level of mathematics you’ll require.
For this course, you’ll apply through our Applicant Portal. It allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents. Our admissions team will then review these and get back to you. Read How to apply through our Applicant Portal for all you need to know.
You need to apply by the course start date to ensure you are enrolled in time.
Apply for this course
