Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Governance, Safety and Assurance
Assurance is the discipline that decides whether a society can trust systems it cannot fully inspect, and it is presently practised by a few hundred people worldwide. Africa needs its own assurance capability rather than importing conclusio...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- Artificial intelligence assurance lead
- model risk manager
- algorithmic auditor
- safety and evaluation engineer
- regulatory technical adviser
- responsible technology lead
- standards developer
- research fellow.
Employer types
- Regulators and standards bodies
- banks and insurers with model risk functions
- technology companies
- audit and assurance firms
- national security and critical infrastructure bodies
- international organisations
- and research institutes.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- A scarce, globally demanded and highly paid emerging profession.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Governance, Safety and Assurance. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 501 | Applied Intelligence for Professionals Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| FDC 502 | Research Evidence and Method Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| GLA 510 | Foundations of Machine Learning and Model Behaviour Performance | 6 | 3-2-4 |
| GLA 511 | Evaluation Science and Benchmarking Performance | 6 | 3-2-4 |
| GLA 512 | Governance Frameworks, Standards and Regulation Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 513 | Statistics and Uncertainty for Assurance Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 503 | Governance, Ethics and Leadership of Intelligent Systems Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| GLA 520 | Red Teaming and Adversarial Testing Practicum Performance | 7 | 1-0-12 |
| GLA 521 | Algorithmic Audit Methods and Assurance Opinions Performance | 6 | 1-0-10 |
| GLA 522 | Model Risk Management in Regulated Institutions Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 523 | Socio Technical Risk and Deployment Context Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 524 | Advanced Elective Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLA 530 | Dissertation: Assurance Engagement or Evaluation Research Performance | 20 | 0-2-38 |
| GLA 531 | Incident Response, Reporting and Post-Deployment Monitoring Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 532 | Research Communication and Standards Contribution Objective | 5 | 4-2-0 |
Total credit units: 90
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Governance, Safety and Assurance
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
TERM 1 (SIX MONTHS) | FORMERLY SEMESTER 1
Year 1 · this step is worth 30 CU
Cumulative
30
Programme total
90
30 CU of 90 CU completed by the end of this step (33%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems Fluency CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C3Ethical and Contextual Judgement CriticalLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C4Communication and PersuasionLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C5Disciplinary MasteryLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and CraftLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems ThinkingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace Performance CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive CapacityLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C12Stewardship and Public ContributionLevel 3 of 4, Independent
Critical capabilities for this programme: Intelligent Systems Fluency · Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning · Ethical and Contextual Judgement · Professional Conduct and Workplace Performance. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Evaluate model capability, limitation and failure mode with reproducible method.
- PLO 2Design and execute red team and adversarial testing of deployed systems.
- PLO 3Conduct a full algorithmic audit and issue a defensible assurance opinion.
- PLO 4Apply model risk management frameworks and regulatory expectations.
- PLO 5Assess socio technical risk including deployment context and affected populations.
- PLO 6Contribute to standards development and produce publishable evaluation research.
Why this programme exists
Assurance is the discipline that decides whether a society can trust systems it cannot fully inspect, and it is presently practised by a few hundred people worldwide. Africa needs its own assurance capability rather than importing conclusio...
Admission requirements
A Bachelor's degree of at least Second Class Lower Division in computing, engineering, mathematics, statistics, law with quantitative competence, or a cognate discipline. Non-technical applicants complete a compulsory 5 CU technical bridging module. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
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