2022/2023 Student Handbook

MSc Railway Safety and Control Systems

September 2022
(Version 2022-2023-RSCS-study-guide-v1)
Issue Date Reviewed Revision overview
Version 2022- 08/09/2022 Dr Hongsin Kim First version for 2022-2023
2023-RSCS-
study-guide-v1
Version 2022- 15/09/2022 Dr Hongsin Kim All changes are in Red. The major changes are:
2023-RSCS-
• Section 2.4:Advice on the first module at
study-guide-v2
UoY (Page 5) is added.
• Section 2.9: UoY contact is added.
• Section 3.2: Assessment methods are
updated in Red.
• Section 3.6: Some deadlines are updated in
Red.
• Appendix B: Frequent question is updated.
 Table of Contents
1 Introduction 3
2 Programme Content in MSc Railway Safety and Control Systems 3
2.1 Aim of the Programme 3
2.2 Programme Outcomes 3
2.3 Programme Structure 4
2.4 Core modules and optional modules in MSc RSCS 5
2.5 Modules at UoB 6
2.6 Modules at UoY 8
2.7 Dissertation module 9
2.8 Key Dates (To be updated) 9
2.9 Programme Team 10
3 Assessment 10
3.1 Type of assessment and feedback 10
3.2 Module Assessment 10
3.3 Assignments 11
3.4 Examinations 12
3.5 Plagiarism 12
3.6 Deadlines (To be confirmed) 12
3.7 Extensions 13
3.8 Extenuating Circumstances 13
3.9 Marking and Feedback 13
3.10 Resits 14
3.11 Award 14
4 Student Support 14
4.1 Registration 14
4.2 Attending Modules at UoY 15
4.3 IT Services 15
4.4 Leave of Absence 15
4.5 Support Services 15
4.6 Student Feedback 15
5 Questions and concerns 15
Appendix A Examples of Pathway and Module Selection 16
Appendix B Frequent Q/A (to be updated) 17

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1 Introduction

This handbook has been written to provide information to support your successful completion of the
postgraduate programme in Railway Safety and Control Systems (RSCS) for the academic year of 2022-
2023. Before you begin your studies, you are advised to read through this document to get a general
idea of the programme content and understand the requirements of the programme. During your studies
you will also need to refer to this document to help answer most of questions you might have about
your course. We hope you enjoy studying with The University of Birmingham and wish you every
success on your programme.

2 Programme Content in MSc Railway Safety and Control Systems

Railway safety and control systems are both vitally important worldwide, for not only the ongoing
operation of existing railways, but also for the design and the development of new systems. Much work
is being done by companies involved in both mainline and urban transportation systems to design safe
systems, for the public, their passengers and their workforce.
This Railway Safety and Control Systems programme focuses on risk and safety systems design; risk
and safety systems operation; and communication and control systems (including signalling). Efficient
communication and control of operations, together with the prevention of the loss of life and livelihood
associated with railway crashes and incidents, are high priorities for all organisations involved.
We recognise that each transport sector and mode has its own specific features but seek to ensure that
a common approach is taken to the generic issues involved in ensuring dependable operations. As a
result, you will develop a deep and robust understanding of approaches to manage safety and control in
transport systems and projects, taking advantage of expertise from two leading UK universities.
The Railway Safety and Control Systems programme is delivered jointly by the Birmingham Centre for
Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of Birmingham and the High Integrity
Systems Engineering (HISE) Group at the University of York. The York modules are highly structured
around the general topics of risk and safety management, while the Birmingham portion of the
programme focuses on railway systems communications and control, and the application of risk
management principles. As a result, this course will give you a thorough education and knowledge
which can take you into many areas of engineering and business management, as well as in signalling,
communications or safety-specific functions of railway or transportation organisations.

2.1 Aim of the Programme

This programme will develop a deep and robust understanding of railway safety and control systems in
the context of managing either risk or railway and train communications. This programme will meet a
world-wide need for railway engineering and business professionals with knowledge of railway risk
and safety management, and in railway safety and control systems. The programme aims to develop in
successful candidates a deep and robust understanding of sound approaches to the management of safety
and risk and transport systems and projects, in particular railway control systems.

2.2 Programme Outcomes

By the end of the programme, students are expected to have acquired the following knowledge:
• Enhanced levels of technical vocabulary and appropriate communication skills pertinent to the
railway industry
• The system of systems that forms the basis of the safe, timely and economic operation of the
railway
• Risks and safety issues associated with railway systems, railway operations and maintenance
activities
• Identification, assessment and analysis of hazards and problems; System Safety Assessment
• Railway systems and components of the railway, and assessment of these in the context of
safety and risk

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 • Systems engineering, quality assurance, organisational culture and change management in the
context of safety and risk management
• Designing and implementing systems and components to achieve risk reduction and safety
management throughout the lifecycle
• Business and investment cases for safety and risk management
• Human factors and ergonomics in operations, signalling, train control systems and design
• Principles and management of railway system control, communications and signalling
throughout lifecycle
• Software tools and design and support of design and operation of safety critical systems

By the end of the programme, students are expected to have attained the following skills and other
attributes:
• Plan a railway operation to satisfy demand and using good practice; identify, analyse and
manage risks by means of simulation and other relevant tools.
• Identify hazards, the resulting risks and consequences to make informed decisions on safety
levels, resource and financial impacts.
• Design, justify, plan and implement systems and safety management strategies.
• Create appropriate railway system project plans, apply good practice principles of technical and
project risk management, including organisational change.
• Manage risks of railway assets and their use, implement organisational change.
• Apply verification and validation to minimise project and safety risk.
• Manage ergonomics issues in design, projects and operations.
• Analyse and evaluate safety and reliability of railway control and communication systems and
components.
• Complete an individual research project

2.3 Programme Structure

Once you registered to the programme in MSc RSCS, you shall select your pathway. The programme
has three pathways that you can select:
• Pathway 1 (P1) is focusing on Railway risk and safety systems. This pathway emphasises
systems engineering and safety in critical systems, for designing new safety systems.
• Pathway 2 (P2) is focusing on Railway risk and safety operations and organisation. This
pathway emphasises management and safety throughout the system's lifecycle, for engineers
and managers who will be responsible for the safe operation of a railway system.
• Pathway 3 (P3) is focusing on Railway communications and control (include signalling).
When you complete this pathway, P3, to MSc level, the exemption from the Institution of
Railway Signalling Engineers' (IRSE's) professional examination will be granted as this
pathway is closely aligned with the syllabus of IRSE professional exam which has been
approved in December 2021 from IRSE. Find the information from the IRSE website (Accessed
date: 06/09/2022).
This course comprises taught and research elements. Terminology and Communication for Railways
course (0 credit bearing module) starts from late August or early September, followed by 120 credits
worth of modules during the Autumn and Spring semesters. Full time students normally complete all
the taught modules with their dissertation project within one academic year. Part time students normally
take two academic years to complete the taught part of the programme which is 120 taught credits. Most
part-time students undertake the dissertation in the third year.
For the pathway 1 and pathway 2, four of the class-taught modules (Total 70 credits), are delivered at
the University of Birmingham and five of the class-taught modules (Total 50 credits), are delivered at
the University of York. For pathway 3, five of the class-taught modules (A total of 90 credits) are
delivered at the UoB and three of the modules are delivered at the UoY (A total of 30 credits). The
scheduled teaching sessions are shown in the table below.

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2.4 Core modules and optional modules in MSc RSCS
In order to be awarded the degree of MSc in RSCS, students need to achieve 120 credits of taught
modules and undertake a dissertation project which is 60 credits of research module, which is total of
180 credits. According to your choice of the pathway, the core modules and optional modules need to
be differently selected. You are strongly advised to study the requirements for each pathway regarding
the selection of modules prior to the selection of a pathway.

The mandatory core modules in this MSc programme in RSCS are 130 credits as below:

• Advanced Project (dissertation module)- 60 credits (UoB)

• Foundations of System Safety Engineering - 10 credits (UoY)
• Hazard and Risk Assessment - 10 credits (UoY)
• Railway Strategy, Safety and Control Systems - 20 credits (UoB)
• Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Interactions - 10 credits (UoB)
• Systems Engineering and Ergonomics - 20 credits (UoB)

If you are a part time student, the University of York strongly recommends that a part time student shall
take Foundations of System Safety Engineering (FSSE) prior to taking any other modules at UoY as
the FSSE module is the first module at UoY which provides a high level of overall picture of safety
study. If you have a strong background in safety, you would be able to take other UoY modules prior
to FSSE but we do not recommend this. Similarly, we highly recommend that a student takes the
Railway Strategy, Safety and Control Systems (RSSCS) module before taking other UoB modules.

The requirements for module selections are different according to your selection of a pathway:

For Pathway 1 (Risk and Safety Systems Pathway), the additional core modules are:

• System Safety Assessment - 10 credits (UoY)

• Systems Engineering for Safety - 10 credits (UoY)
• Computers and Safety - 10 credits (UoY)

For Pathway 2 (Risk and Safety Operations and Organisation), the additional core modules are:

• System Safety Assessment - 10 credits (UoB)

• Safety Management Systems - 10 credits (UoB)
• Through Life Safety - 10 credits (UoB)

For Pathway 3 (Communications and Control Pathway), the additional core modules are:

• Applications of Railway Control Systems - 20 credits (UoB)

• Principles of Railway Control Systems - 20 credits (UoB)
• Safety Management Systems - 10 credits (UoY)

The optional modules for P1 and P2 are:

• Principles of Railway Control Systems - 20 credits (Semester 1 module - UoB)

• Electrification and Traction Systems - 20 credits (Semester 2 module - UoB)

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Each module at UoB is delivered during an intensive 5-day period, with some modules also having an
additional one to three days of labs. Please see a timetable in Section 2.8 (Key dates). Each module at
UoY is delivered during an intensive 3-day period, that is Tuesday to Thursday of the module week.

During the welcoming week in the w/c 19 September 2022 or prior to the welcoming week, you are
strongly advised to discuss the selection of your pathway with the programme convenor or your tutor.
You will need to fill in the pathway and module selection form in Appendix A Examples of Pathway
and Module Selection by Friday 23 September 2022 and submit to ESO team and copy programme
convenor in.

2.5 Modules at UoB

Most of the modules that are taught at UoB are 20 credit modules except Rolling Stock and
Infrastructure Interface module which is 10 credit and Terminology & Communication for Railways
which is 0 credit module. In general, an intensive week of each module is running from Monday to
Friday between 09:00 and 17:00. The rough estimated study time for 20 credit module would be as
below:
• Lectures: 40 hours
• Drop-In tutorial sessions: 10 hours
• Seminar: 20 hours
• Guided independent study: 130 hours
o Pre-study including a lab session where applicable: 20-30 hours
o Guided independent study for assessments preparation: 100 hours
• Total: 200 hours
Please note that 1 credit at Level M (masters) equates to about 10 (ten) hours of concentrated work. The
full MSc, whether in part-time or full-time study, requires an average student to commit 1800 hours.
The timetables for MSc programme and modules can be found here unless the programme team send
you a user-friendly timetable.
Terminology & Communications for Railways (Ms Mia Kalogjera - m.kalogjera@bham.ac.uk)
This 2-week formative module will provide broad-based supplementary learning on railway technical
vocabulary and specialist communication skills. The module familiarises students with the components
of the railway system and its terminology and enhances relevant technical communication skills. Topics
covered in the module include railway specific terminology, components and subsystems of the railway,
as well as basic concepts of railway safety and risk. Also included is a revision of presentation and
writing skills and support for other academic skills which will be needed during the course. If you have
missed this module due to some issues, e.g., IT issue or late registration, etc, please contact the module
leader so that you can be invited to the module CANVAS page and access to recorded materials.

Railway Strategy Safety and Control Systems (Dr Hongsin Kim – h.kim.2@bham.ac.uk)
This is the first module that is taught at UoB. This module provides the strategic background,
understanding and tools the railway system and the associated planning functions. It allows students to
develop a solid under-standing of the constraints and opportunities applicable to railway systems,
including the politics of ownership, funding sources, strategic safety management, regulation signalling
and operations and some of the railway and professional functions that support them. The module also
covers the governmental, financial, and societal contexts that influence railway safety, operations and
planning. The module is delivered through case studies, interactive lectures, and team activities to
develop the knowhow and knowledge required to operate railways of all types. The teaching is
supported by a wide variety of senior guest lecturers from the railway sector. Click here to see the
module specification. More than half of the sessions will be delivered together with the module called
Railway Operations Management and Planning with the cohort from MSc Railway Systems
Engineering and Integration (RSEI) programme.

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Principles of Railway Control Systems (Dr Hongsin Kim – h.kim.2@bham.ac.uk)
Students will gain detailed knowledge and understanding of the principles of operation of railway
signalling and control systems. This will relate to various jurisdictions around the world, focussing on
the UK, Europe plus selected detail relevant to students’ home countries. They will understand and be
able to analyse the complex interactions between system components; health and safety requirements;
tools and techniques for system design and for problem-solving. Attendance at regional professional
institution seminars will be expected and will bring relevance and application to students’ learning. This
module will equip students to apply railway signalling, control and communications systems into
Industrial settings whilst taking into consideration safety, risk management, systems engineering, cost-
effectiveness, choice of components, testing strategies, maintainability and reliability. Click here to see
the module specification. The module will be delivered jointly with the module called Railway Control
and Digital Systems with the cohort from MSc Railway Systems Engineering and Integration (RSEI)
programme. This module is a mandatory module for P3 students and is the optional module for
P1 and P2 students.

Applications of Railway Control Systems (Dr Hongsin Kim – h.kim.2@bham.ac.uk)

Students will undertake a module-project to apply railway signalling and control systems relevant to a
selected jurisdiction e.g. the UK, Europe or the student’s home country. Students will design or work
with an existing design, as appropriate to the setting, of a railway signalling and control system. Typical
activities will include performing relevant calculations, reflecting on the impact of systems engineering,
and applying problem-solving tools and techniques. All projects will include elements of Health &
Safety, reliability, availability, maintainability, environmental matters and cost-effectiveness.

Students will complete an inception report within the first 3 weeks which outlines their overall project
focus. An interim report half-way through the project will provide structure to the final report and allows
for supervision feedback to be formalised.

Projects will be sought from Industrial supporters of the study programme to bring additional relevance
to real-world issues. Students studying on part-time and distance-learning modes will be expected to
complete this module in the workplace. Full-time students will undertake the module after having
completed Principles of Railway Control Systems, and in conjunction with industrial supporters.
Click here to see the module specification. This module will be taught over a number of workshops
instead of one intensive week block.

Systems Engineering & Ergonomics (Dr Bruce Elliott – b.elliott@bham.ac.uk)

This module on systems engineering and ergonomics is designed to cover four main areas: (1) systems
engineering approaches, management engineering, and project risk; (2) systems life-cycle engineering
tools for reliability and performance; (3) safety cases and human factors; and (4) ergonomic design
concepts. The module is intended to provide students with an understanding of the interfaces and
interactions of the railways as complex and complicated systems. It covers hard and soft systems
approaches, appropriate systems engineering tools, case studies and an in depth review of safety case
theory and practice. The main technical issues that drive the design of components for the usability of
systems required in the operation of a railway are also addressed in the lectures. Also addressed are
tools to assess and mitigate the financial and organisational risks of major projects. The module is
delivered through case studies, interactive lectures, and team activities to develop learning with support
from guest lecturers from industry. Click here to see the module specification. The module will be
delivered together with the module called Railway Control and Digital Systems with the cohort from
MSc Railway Systems Engineering and Integration (RSEI) programme.
Electrification & Traction Systems (Dr Stuart Hillmansen - s.hillmansen@bham.ac.uk)
This module allows students to develop the knowledge, skills and knowhow that are necessary to
specify and assess the requirements for the traction system for a particular type of train, the specific
topology of the line or network to be served and the associated service pattern. The module covers the
arrangements for the supply of energy to the train from a national grid or another power source, e.g.,

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diesel, hydrogen or, battery etc., the onboard control and conditioning of the power to be supplied to
the traction machines, the facilities for storing energy onboard and trackside, as well as the transmission
of traction and braking forces. The module also deals with the fixed infrastructure needed to convert
power from a national grid and to distribute it to AC or DC trains, using either overhead or ground-
level electrification. Students learn to dimension both traction and braking systems to achieve the
necessary acceleration and deceleration rates, creating digital models to validate the choices made. They
acquire the knowhow to review the safety and sustainability of traction systems and supplies. The
module is delivered through standard and interactive lectures, case studies, interactive lectures, and
team activities provided by University staff, to develop knowhow and skills, with support from guest
lecturers from industry and other relevant educational establishments. Click here to see the module
specification. This module is the optional module for P1 and P2 students. P3 students do not take
this module.
Infrastructure & Rolling Stock Systems (Ms Zena Green – z.green.2@bham.ac.uk)
This is a 10 credit module that is taught in Semester 2. The infrastructure portion of this module is
designed to give students an in-depth technical knowledge of the rolling stock and infrastructure
systems and an understanding of how to design and maintain them in order to minimise risk and
maximise safety. Railway alignment design, gauging, and maintenance issues are discussed in detail,
as are issues relating to the rolling contact behaviour of the wheel-rail interface and to rail vehicle
dynamics, including the steering of wheelsets.
Aerodynamics, body-shell design and crashworthiness issues, choice of materials, vehicle maintenance,
and the design and behaviour suspensions are covered in some detail. Also addressed are the topics of
station design, station systems and infrastructure power supply components. The module is managed
by the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Birmingham, with inputs and guest
speakers from the railway industry. Click here to see the module specification.

2.6 Modules at UoY

All the modules that are taught at UoY are 10 credit modules. In general, each module starts on Tuesday
of the intensive week and finish on Thursday between 09:00 and 18:00. UoY will require students to
prepare approximately 8 hours prior to attending their module at UoY. UoY will communicate to
students directly regarding this. The rough estimated time would be as below:
• Lectures: 15 hours
• Tutorials: 6 hours
• Individual guided study: 79 hours (*pre-study before the intensive week: 14 hours and
**assignment: 65 hours)
Foundations of System Safety Engineering (P1, P2, P3)
This is the first core module at UoY. This module aims to introduce you to the principles of system
safety, including risk, basic terminology, and the main types of hazard and safety assessment
techniques. It is strongly recommended that part time students in MSc RSCS attend this module in their
year 1 period.
Hazard & Risk Assessment (P1, P2, P3)
This module teaches systematic approaches to hazard identification and risk assessment, including
principles of risk reduction and ALARP. It effectively covers the first half of the safety process in the
system development lifecycle. It encompasses predictive, target-setting techniques and should ideally
be taken as a pair with System Safety Assessment, which addresses concepts and techniques appropriate
to the later stages of a development project.
Systems Engineering For Safety (P1)
This module is an introduction to the technical and organisational aspects of systems engineering,
focusing on early lifecycle systems analysis and modelling (i.e. systems concepts, requirements and
architectures). It intends to present systems engineering principles which are applicable to a range of
critical engineering systems (e.g. control systems, platforms, systems of systems and autonomous and
configurable systems). In particular, it focuses on the early consideration of, and tradeoffs between,
technical as well as economic attributes such as safety, maintainability, cost and time-to-market in the
context of key organisational challenges related to technology readiness and process maturity.

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Safety Management Systems (P2, P3)
The aims of the module are to provide students with an awareness of the issues associated with
conducting technical safety activities within an organisational and regulatory environment
To develop skills at applying theoretical safety engineering knowledge in situations constrained by
available education, resources and organisational culture.

System Safety Assessment (P1, P2)

This module aims to cover the analysis and assessment phase of the system safety engineering life-
cycle for a proposed product or service. It does so by considering the inputs to this phase, the qualitative
and quantitative analysis techinques that can be employed within this phase and the outputs from this
phase in terms of evidence into the safety case regime. It also considers the changing assessment
requirements as more integrated and complex systems are developed.

2.7 Dissertation module (LM Advanced Project)

The module specification for 2022-2023 can be found here. In good practice, you are encouraged to
seek your dissertation topic or interesting areas when you have started the MSc programme. Therefore,
you can gradually develop your plan on the dissertation topic. In general, the dissertation workshop will
be held in January for full time students and which will then introduce the dissertation module. For part
time students, you are advised to contact a module leader of dissertation module (Zena Green) in your
year 2.

2.8 Key Dates (Updated on 06/10/2022)

Module Title-Credits Teaching week Teaching Place P1 P2 P3

Terminology and Communication for Railways (0) 05/09/2022-16/09/2022 UoB O O O

Railway Strategy, Safety and Control Systems (20)

• Intensive week 26/09/2022-30/09/2022
• Post-module-drop-in (optional) 10/10/2022 at 11:00 or14/10/2022 at 13:00
UoB C C C
• Lab session 07/11/2022
• Exam tutorial 06/01/2023 & 13/01/2023
• Exam 20/01/2023 at 09:00 (Time:TBC)
Foundations of System Safety Engineering (10) 04/10/2022-06/10/2022 UoY C C C

Systems Engineering for Safety (10) 25/10/2022-27/10/2022 UoY C X X

Principles of Railway Systems Control (20)
• Lab session 08/11/2022 at 09:00
• Pre-module-drop-in 16/11/2022 at 10:00
• Intensive week 21/11/2022-25/11/2022 UoB O O C
• Post-module-drop-in 30/11/2022 at 10:00
• Exam tutorial 04/01/2023 & 11/01/2023 at 10:00
• Exam 18/01/2023 at 10:00
Hazard and Risk Assessment (10) 06/12/2022- 08/12/2022 UoY C C C

System Safety Assessment (10) 10/01/2023 - 12/01/2023 UoY C C X

Systems Engineering & Ergonomics (20) 30/01/2023 – 03/02/2023 UoB C C C

Computers Safety Assurance in Critical Systems (10) 07/02/2023- 09/02/2023 UoY C X X

Railway Traction and Electrification Systems (20) 06/03/2023-10/03/2023 UoB O O X

Through Life Safety Assurance (10) 14/03/2023-16/03/2023 UoY X C X

Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Interactions (10) 20/03/2023-24/03/2023 UoB C C C

Safety Management Systems (10) 04/04/2023-06/04/2023 UoY X C C

Application of Railway Control Systems (20)

06/02/2023 at 10:00
• Workshop 1: Module Introduction UoB X X C
27/02/2023 at 10:00
• Workshop 2
13/03/2023 at 10:00

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 • Workshop 3 08/05/2023 at 10:00
• Presentation Day
Dissertation (Advanced Project) (60)
• Dissertation Proposal TBC C C C
• Draft Dissertation
• Submission of Dissertation
Other key dates can be found from here.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/welcome/2022/academic/key-dates.aspx

2.9 Programme Team

The programme is managed by the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, within
the School of Engineering at The University of Birmingham.
The MSc Railway Programmes team members are as follows:
• Dr Holly Foss (Director of Railway Education) h.j.foss@bham.ac.uk
• Dr Hongsin Kim (MSc Convener for Railway Safety and Control Systems)
h.kim.2@bham.ac.uk
• Dr Bruce Elliott (MSc Convener for Railway Systems Engineering & Integration)
b.elliott@bham.ac.uk
• Ms Zena Green (MSc Convener for Rail Degree Apprenticeship programs)
z.green.2@bham.ac.uk
• Ms Mia Kalogjera (Teaching Fellow, BCRRE) m.kalogjera@bham.ac.uk
• Ms Annakay Henry-Miller (Senior education support administrator) a.henry-
miller@bham.ac.uk

For most enquiries the quickest reply comes from the administration email address as this is monitored
all days the university is open:
EPS-c-engineeringmsc@adf.bham.ac.uk
Any questions on UoY modules, it shall be sent to cs-pgt-admin@york.ac.uk.

3 Assessment
3.1 Type of assessment and feedback
Formative assessment and feedback provide indicators on performance and helps to identify
improvement to support your continued development and understanding of knowledge. Summative
assessment is evaluative and measures student’s academic performance against the learning outcomes
of the module. In general, feedback shall be provided within 15 working days of the submission or the
deadline whichever is later. (Source: Code of practice on taught programme and module assessment
and feedback 2021-2022)

3.2 Module Assessment

Academic performance of each module are assessed and it indicates how you have learnt and understood
the contents of the module. The assessment patterns and weightings for each module are listed below:
Modules Credits Type of assessments and its weightings
Terminology & Communication for Railways 0 Formative assessments

Railway Strategy Safety and Control Systems 20 Video assignment (25%)

Written assignment (50%)

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 Modules
Principles of Railway Control Systems
Systems Engineering & Ergonomics
Electrification & Traction Systems
Infrastructure & Rolling Stock Systems
Any UoY modules
A list of all assessment dates is provided at the start of the academic session to allow you to plan your
work. See the Section 3.6.
Credits Type of assessments and its weightings
1 hour Examination (25%)
20 Written assignment (25%)
Digital Model (25%)
2 hour Examination (50%)
20 4,000-word systems design project (50%)
10-minute group presentation (20%)
1,500-word design portfolio (30%)
20 Written assignment (25%)
Design Project (25%)
2 hour Examination (50%)
10 2000 word assignment (60%)
Video Presentation (15%)
1 hour Exam (25%)
10 Essay/Coursework (100%) called ‘open
assessment’
Note: No exam for UoY modules

3.3 Assignments
Assignments are an important part of the assessment process and carry a significant proportion of the
total marks for each module. All assignments are submitted for assessment using the University’s virtual
learning environment, Canvas. This can be accessed directly via canvas.bham.ac.uk. It is your
responsibility to ensure that your work is correctly uploaded to Canvas by the deadline. You
should take a screen shot of this successfully uploaded submission for your records, in case you
need to verify anything at a later date.
For all module assignments, an assignment brief will be given per each assignment, containing
important details about the submission deadline, the word count, and the topic of the assignment.
Assignments must be professionally presented and should only contain your student ID number, this is
the 7-digit number provided at registration, and not your name. This means that your assignment can
be anonymously marked. For any written assignments, the word count accounts for all words from the
introduction to the conclusion. The executive summary, contents page(s), list of references, any
bibliography and appendices are excluded and the word limit allows for a deviation of +/- 10%. Any
assignments that fall outside of this word count will be subjected to a 5% penalty. Late submissions
receive a penalty of 5% for each day late. BCRRE assignment template is available to help structure
and support the preparation of your written work and we strongly advise you to use it. For video
assignments, there is no template but you might want to download the background slide from here.
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/resources/brand-resources/presentation-resources.aspx

We understand that academic assignments can often be very challenging. When you have to prepare
any academic work, we will do our best to provide support and guidance to help you. Additionally, the
University has extensive resources available to develop academic skills. These include the Library’s
• ‘Academic Skills Centre’ and the ‘Academic Skills Gateway’, available here:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/skills/asc/index.aspx
• http://libguides.bham.ac.uk/asg.

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 • You should have received an invitation to Canvas Online Induction for PGT which includes a
section on academic skills
• Additionally, the University’s Birmingham International Academy provides targeted support
for international students, which you are encouraged to access if appropriate at the following
link: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/International/bia/insessional/index.aspx. As ever, practice
makes perfect and you are advised to start preparing your assignments early to give yourself
sufficient time to comprehensively plan, draft, and edit your work to ensure that you submit the
best assignment possible.

3.4 Examinations
As well as module assignments, you will also be expected to complete final examinations for the taught
modules at UoB. All examinations will take place during examination periods in January for Semester
1 modules and May for Semester 2 modules. A supplementary exam period takes place in August for
any students who are required to resit or deferred the examination due to Extenuating Circumstances.

3.5 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic and moral offence that has severe consequences. Upon submitting all
assessed work, you must check the tick box when you upload your assignment, which confirms that the
work you are submitting is your own work and does not contain any ideas or materials taken from other
people’s work without correct citation and referencing. At the start of the programme you will be given
information about plagiarism. This will be tested by completing an examination about plagiarism. If
you do not complete this successfully you will be unable to submit any work for assessment.
All submitted assignments are automatically scanned for plagiarism using the ‘Turnitin’ platform. This
provides a plagiarism percentage score, which gives an indication of the level of plagiarism. After you
have submitted your assignment, you will be able to see this score. If you wish to make a change to
your assignment, it is possible to resubmit a new file, generating a new plagiarism score. This can be
done until the deadline for the assignment.
When marking, tutors use the plagiarism report as a guide. They will also carry out their own plagiarism
checks. Instances of plagiarism are dealt with on an individual basis and assessed through a misconduct
panel, which may result in a score of zero or in expulsion.
The department uses the Harvard referencing system. Below is a link to a very useful webpage on
referencing;
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/referencing/icite/harvard/index.aspx

3.6 Deadlines (To be confirmed)

The table below gives you the deadlines for each assessments. However, the deadlines for UoY
coursework shall be confirmed by module leads at UoY.
Note 1: Core modules for all pathways (C), Optional modules (O) and Not applicable module (X)
Note 2: Please double check the deadlines on each module CANVAS page once each CANVAS page is published.

P1 P2 P3
Module Title (Credits) Teaching Deadline for
week Coursework
31/10/2022 C C C
Railway Strategy, Safety and Control Systems (20) 26/09/2022 28/11/2022
Foundations of System Safety Engineering (10) 03/10/2022 09/11/2022 C C C
Systems Engineering for Safety (10) 24/10/2022 14/12/2022 C X X
09/01/2023 O O C
Principles of Railway Systems Control (20) 21/11/2022 06/02/2023
Hazard and Risk Assessment (10) 05/12/2022 1/02/2023 C C C
System Safety Assessment (10) 09/01/2023 01/03/2023 C C X

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 20/03/2023 C C C
Systems Engineering & Ergonomics (20)
30/01/2023 03/04/2023
Computers Safety Assurance in Critical Systems (10) 06/02/2023 29/03/2023 C X X
Railway Traction and Electrification Systems (20) 06/03/2023 TBC O O X
Through Life Safety Assurance (10) 13/03/2023 17/05/2023 X C X
17/04/2023 C C C
Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Interactions (10) 20/03/2023 01/05/2023
Safety Management Systems (10) 03/04/2023 31/05/2023 X C C
Application of Railway Control Systems (20) Teaching Day X X C
• Proposal 06/02/2023 13/02/2023
• Outline 27/02/2023 27/02/2023
• Interim Report and Presentation 13/03/2023 08/05/2023
• Final Report 08/05/2023 15/05/2023
Dissertation (Advanced Project) (60) C C C
• Dissertation Proposal Feb 2023
• Submission of Dissertation Aug 2023

3.7 Extensions
If you feel that you are unable to meet a deadline for a piece of work, you should contact the Engineering
Wefare Team providing a reason and evidence for the required extension for any UoB modules. This
must be completed before the deadline for the piece of work.
Information on extensions can be found through the Engineering Welfare Canvas Page:
https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/60124
We strongly advise you to read the context on the welfare team CANVAS page in the link above prior
to the first module starting. For any extensions for UoY modules, you must also check their guidance
on deadlines for submission of a claim.

3.8 Extenuating Circumstances

At times during your studies you may encounter difficulties that adversely affect your performance in
producing assessed work, such as illness or personal issues. The extenuating circumstances process
allows us to take such issues into consideration. If this is relevant for your work you should submit an
‘Extenuating Circumstances Form’ to the extenuating circumstances officer within 24 hours of the
examination or assessment deadline or earlier if possible. Third-party evidence must be provided
alongside the form.
The extenuating circumstances panel meets three times a year and considers each case confidentially
on an individual basis with recommendations being given to the exam board that decides student
progress. Information about this process is available here:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/extcircs/index.aspx.

3.9 Marking and Feedback

Detailed, constructive feedback is an essential part of the learning process. It helps you to understand
the grade awarded and provides the basis for your improvement and development.
When you receive feedback for your work you can expect comments on the content, analytical skill and
competence, use of examples, use of ideas and presentation of your work. Tutors will indicate why a
particular grade has been awarded, highlighting areas of weakness, for instance the poor use of
examples, misunderstanding, inadequate analysis or ambiguity. It is important that you take careful note
of your tutors' comments and apply their assessment of your strengths and weaknesses in future
assignments. If you have any questions about your results, you are advised to contact the module leader,

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who will be able to explain their thoughts further. The decision of the tutor, however, is final and marks
cannot be negotiated by the student.
All feedback and results are subjected to standardised marking and internal and external moderation
processes to ensure consistency and fairness. This happens through the examination board, which
normally takes place in June and October. Examination results and final module marks are provided
after formal ratification during the exam board. The results are released online and can be accessed via
the platform Student Gateway. Information on how to access the Student Gateway can be found here:
2021-student-gateway-accessing-results.pdf (birmingham.ac.uk)

3.10 Resits
The pass mark is 50% with any result below this percentage requiring a resit. Module marks are
confirmed after exam boards in June each academic year. If you have not successfully completed a
module, you will be contacted by the programme team and will be required to complete a module resit
during the supplementary exams period (August each year) or a complete resit of the entire module the
following year. Only one resit is allowed per module. If a resit attempt receives a fail, this module
cannot be attempted again. In cases where both attempts receive a mark below 40% the student will not
be able to gain an MSc qualification, as determined by university regulations. However, if a student
gains between 40% and 50% in a maximum of two modules, and passes all other modules with a
weighted mean of 50% or above across all six modules, they will be eligible for the MSc Qualification,
as determined by university regulations.

3.11 Award
Upon successful completion of the modules and dissertation totalling 180 credits, students are awarded
a postgraduate certificate. These can be awarded at the following levels:
• Pass – to achieve a pass, students must gain a weighted mean of 50% or higher across all
modules and must not score below 40% in any individual module;
• Merit – to achieve a merit, students must gain a weighted mean of 60% or higher across all
modules and must not score below 50% in any individual module;
• Distinction – to achieve a distinction, students must gain a weighted mean of 70% or higher
across all modules and must not score below 50% in any individual module.
These rules are for guidance only and if you are in any doubt about your award you should speak to
your personal tutor/academic mentor.

4 Student Support
4.1 Registration
Students are required to complete an official registration with the University of Birmingham in order to
begin their studies. This is an online process and must be completed at the start of each academic year
by new and returning students. All students receive an email reminder for this. New students are emailed
with a username and password to access this service; current students use their university username and
password to log on.
When registering, it is important to check all details are correct, including contact details as these will
be required if you ever get locked out of your account. It is also important to register using your full,
formal name, as this is the name which is printed on your degree certificate. More information about
registration is available here:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/welcome/before-you-start/online-registration/index.aspx

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4.2 Attending Modules at UoY
For full time students, the cost for travelling and accommodation will be covered. Please contact the
programme convenor for further information. For part time students, you are required to arrange an
accommodation and booking for your travels to UoY.

4.3 IT Services
Registration with the university of Birmingham provides access to a wealth of IT services, including
your university email address, the virtual learning environment ‘Canvas’, student intranet, and library
services (including online resources such as journals and ebooks). It is important that you maintain
access to your account and check your university email address regularly, as communications will be
sent directly to this address and NOT your company or private address. The university requires you to
update your password on a regular basis. In the event of forgetting your password, a new one can be
sent to a recovery email address. You need to log into the IT services helpdesk and enter your recovery
email address, otherwise you could find yourself locked out of your account. Further information on IT
services can be found here:
IT Service Desk - IT Service Portal (service-now.com)
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITIY TO MAINTAIN ACESS TO YOUR UNIVERSITY IT ACCOUNT.
YOU MUST CHECK YOUR EMAIL EVERY 2 WEEKS TO AVOID MISSING A REQUEST TO
RESET YOUR EMAIL.FAILURE TO ACCESS YOUR EMAIL AND CANVAS ACCOUNTS IS
NOT GROUNDS FOR AN EXTENSION.

4.4 Leave of Absence

At some point during your studies you may need to take a period of leave due to an illness, personal
issue, or change in circumstances. The ‘leave of absence’ process allows you to temporarily withdraw
from your studies for a set period of time and then return to complete your degree. To apply for this
please first speak to your your Personal Tutor/Academic Mentor. More information about this process
is available here:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/studentrecords/services/leave-of-absence.aspx

4.5 Support Services

We understand that studying can be a really tough process. The University of Birmingham has dedicated
pastoral and support services available to make sure that you can be at your best throughout your studies.
These cover counselling and wellbeing services, disability and dyslexia support, and medical and legal
help. More information is available here:
Postgraduate help and support - University of Birmingham

4.6 Student Feedback

An important part of working and continually developing and improving the course comes from student
feedback. This is a professional protocol designed to allow constructive criticism to improve your
course. At the end of each semester you will be invited by email to complete student feedback
questionnaires one each module. It is important that you take the time to complete the online form. All
comments should be constructive. Personal, sexist, racist, homophobic, sexual, flippant, and joking
remarks are completely unacceptable and may lead to disciplinary action.

5 Questions and concerns

A wealth of further information is available through the university’s webpage:

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx,
and intranet service:

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https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx.
All further questions and concerns can be directed towards a member of the programme team.

Appendix A Examples of Pathway and Module Selection

MSc in Railway Safety and Control Systems - information for module selecitons for Part Time Students (2022-2023)
Draft by Dr Hongsin Kim
Strongly recommend that a student takes them in the first year of study
Optional modules for P1 and P2 to select one of them, i.e., PRCS (November) or ETS (Feb)

Year 1 Year 2
Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 1 Semester 2
Pathway Modules Credits Month Modules Credits Month Modules Credits Month Modules Credits Month
RSSCS 20 September
FSSE 10 October

Note: When a part time MSc RSCS student joins the programme in September, the student shall select the modules and fill the module seleciton form after
discussing with a tutor and understanding the studyload for Year 1 and Year 2.

Year 1 Year 2
Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 1 Semester 2
Pathway Modules Credits Month Modules Credits Month Modules Credits Month Modules Credits Month
P1
RSSCS 20 26-Sep SSAS 10 January SEFS 10 October CASA 10 Feb
FSSE 10 03-Oct SEE 20 Feb PRCS 20 November ETS 20 Feb
HRAS 10 05-Dec or… select 30 credits RSIS 10 March
from Semester 2 modules,
e.g., CASA, RSIS
P2
RSSCS 20 26-Sep SEE 20 Feb SSAS 10 January
FSSE 10 03-Oct TLSA 10 March PRCS 20 November ETS 20 February
HRAS 10 05-Dec or… select 30 credits RSIS 10 March
from Semester 2 modules, e.g. SMSY 10 April
TLSA or RSIS
P3
RSSCS 20 September SEE 20 Feb PRCS 20 November ARCS 20 Feb-May
FSSE 10 October RSIS 10 March HRAS 10 December SMSY 10 April

Please feel the below form and send it to

Year 1 Year 2
Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 1 Semester 2
Pat Mo Cr Teaching Mo Cr Teaching Mo Cr Teaching Mo Cr Teaching
hw dule edi Month dule edi Month dule edi Month dule edi Month
ay s ts s ts s ts s ts

Fill the form above and email to me for further discussion.

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Appendix B Frequent Q/A (to be updated)

1. I have not attended the module of Terminology and Communication for Railways. Do you
reckon any sessions that I need to catch up?
All sessions are useful but if you have limited time, I think the following sessions are the ‘must
watch or read’ sessions especially you are new to the Higher Education System in the UK
therefore you need to improve your academic writing/reading skills.
Session title Link to Read Link to Watch Areas
Finding Information CANVAS For searching papers
through 'Find it' and and finding
the Library resources
Critical Reading for CANVAS Panopto Watch For reading
Master's Students
Structuring An CANVAS Panopto Watch Writing
Assignment
Assignment and CANVAS Writing
Grading
Writing like a CANVAS Panopto Watch Writing
Master's Student
Writing an Executive CANVAS Panopto Watch Writing
Summary
Sources and CANVAS Panopto Watch Referencing
Referencing
Plagiarism and Good CANVAS Referencing
Academic Practice
(Referencing using
Harvard)
Referencing & CANVAS Referencing
Plagiarism

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