Program Overview

Course Overview

The course SWEN 326, Safety-Critical Systems, addresses the concepts, techniques, and tools required for developing computer systems where safety and reliability are paramount. Topics include the concepts and principles underlying safety-critical systems and standards, techniques for design validation, and implementation techniques for ensuring software correctness.

Course Details

• Dates: 23 February 2026 to 21 June 2026
• Starts: Trimester 1
• Fees:
  • NZ$1,269.45 for domestic students
  • NZ$5,806.35 for international students
• Lecture Start Times:
  • Monday 3.10pm
  • Wednesday 3.10pm
  • Thursday 3.10pm
• Campus: Kelburn
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.8 hours per week for 17 weeks
• Points: 15

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: (NWEN 241 or SWEN 225), 15 further 200-level AIML, CGRA, COMP, CYBR, EEEN, NWEN, SWEN points
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None

Taught By

The School of Engineering and Computer Science — Faculty of Science and Engineering

Disclaimer

This course outline may be subject to change.

Key Dates

Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar. Assessment dates will be announced once the course has begun.

About This Course

This course combines engineering practices, including requirements gathering, risk analysis, system and software design, implementation, and testing. It features a group project (individually assessed) from Weeks 4-9, with submissions and presentations in Weeks 10-11. Labs are conducted in the first half of the course, and help desks are available in the second half.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Describe the key principles of safety-critical systems and their implications for software design and implementation.
2. Select and apply appropriate standards and processes to develop safety-critical systems.
3. Analyse potential risks, hazards, threats, and failure modes in the designs of safety-critical systems.
4. Design and construct software following safety-critical standards, processes, and design techniques.
5. Evaluate system designs and software against safety-critical standards.

How This Course Is Taught

This course is designed for in-person study, with strong recommendations for students to attend lectures and labs on campus. Some activities require attendance, with no online alternatives, specifically including tests.

Assessment

• Test 1: 54%
• Test 2: 16%, Individual
• Development Project: 30%, Individual

Mandatory Requirements

There are no mandatory requirements for this course.

Group Work

The project will be undertaken as a group, although assessment will be determined individually.

Lecture Times and Rooms

• 23 February 2026 to 5 April 2026
• 20 April 2026 to 31 May 2026

What You'll Need to Get

No specific texts or equipment are required for this course.

Past Versions of This Course

Older versions of this course may be accessible through the course archive.

Student Feedback

Previous students' feedback on this course can be found in the student feedback database.