Master’s in Aerospace Composites and Adhesive Bonding Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in aerospace composites and adhesive bonding engineering. 12 modules covering composite materials, micromechanics and laminate theory, failure criteria and damage, composite structural design, manufacturing, adhesion science, bonded joint design, testing, damage tolerance, repair and certification, working with CMH-17, AC 20-107B, AMC 20-29 and Abaqus, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Aerospace Composites and Adhesive Bonding Engineering — studying from Australia
Australia's aerospace sector spans defence and commercial aviation, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and a growing space industry. Key clusters sit around Adelaide's Edinburgh Parks and the Melbourne and Sydney defence precincts, with major employers including Airbus Australia Pacific, BAE Systems Australia, Boeing Defence Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia. Recreational and commercial drone operations are increasingly regulated, and advanced air mobility is emerging as a research and policy priority. Engineers working in this area typically support airworthiness, systems integration, structures and avionics across both crewed and uncrewed platforms.
Fees for Australia: A$12,600 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Does a SEIUM qualification help me get recognised by a professional body in Australia?
SEIUM qualifications are private qualifications, not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by any Australian body. Engineers Australia accredits university engineering degrees, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates drone and aviation operations. Recognition of a private qualification is decided by the employer or the relevant body, so check with them before enrolling.
Will this course help me find work in Australian aerospace, drones or space?
Australia has aerospace and defence employers, drone operators and space-sector companies, and skills in these areas are valued. Whether a SEIUM qualification counts for a given role depends on the employer, who will usually weigh your experience and portfolio alongside any private credential. Ask prospective employers how they view it.
Can I study this part-time while working, and does the time zone suit Australia?
The programmes are fully online and taught in English, so you can study from anywhere in Australia, with no student visa needed for home study. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, so plan your weekly load realistically. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Select fibres, matrices and composite material formats.
Design laminates applying classical theory and failure criteria.
Plan composite manufacturing processes and their control.
Design bonded and hybrid joints in aerospace structures.
Characterise mechanical behaviour through standardised tests.
Assess damage, damage tolerance and structural repairs.
Apply the certification requirements for composite structures.
Who it's for
- Composite structures engineers.
- Composite materials engineers.
- Composite manufacturing process engineers.
- Adhesive bonding specialists.
- Structural analysis engineers.
- Structural repair engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the aerospace industry.
What you'll work with
- CMH-17 (Composite Materials Handbook)
- AC 20-107B (composite aircraft structure)
- AMC 20-29 (composite aircraft structure)
- ASTM D3039 (tensile properties of polymer matrix composites)
- ASTM D5528 (mode I interlaminar fracture toughness)
- ASTM D1002 (shear strength of single-lap bonded metal joints)
- ASTM D3762 (wedge test for bonded aluminium durability)
- ASTM D7136 (drop-weight impact damage resistance)
- Abaqus
- Ansys Composite PrepPost
- Fibersim
- HyperSizer
- MSC Nastran
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Carbon, glass and aramid fibres1.2Epoxy, bismaleimide and cyanate ester matrices1.3PEEK and PEKK thermoplastic matrices1.4Prepregs, woven fabrics and non-crimp fabrics1.5Honeycomb and foam cores1.6The fibre-matrix interphase and its role1.7Composites in the A350 and 7871.8Composite structures in satellites1.9Recycling and sustainability of composites1.10Case study: selection of a material system
2.1Rule of mixtures and Halpin-Tsai models2.2Behaviour of the orthotropic ply2.3Classical laminate theory2.4ABD stiffness matrices2.5Stacking sequences and coupling2.6Hygrothermal effects in the laminate2.7Symmetric and balanced laminates2.8Residual curing stresses2.9Variable-stiffness steered-fibre laminates2.10Practical exercise: calculating the ABD matrix of a laminate
3.1Tsai-Wu and Tsai-Hill criteria3.2Hashin and LaRC criteria3.3First-ply and last-ply failure3.4Initiation and propagation of delaminations3.5Mode I and mode II interlaminar toughness3.6Intralaminar progressive damage models3.7Cohesive elements for interfaces3.8Stress concentrations and open holes3.9Buckling and post-buckling of panels3.10Lab: progressive damage in Abaqus
4.1Design philosophy and safety factors4.2Stacking sequence design rules4.3Stringer-stiffened panels4.4Sandwich structures and their failure modes4.5A- and B-basis allowables4.6The building-block test pyramid4.7Preliminary sizing with HyperSizer4.8Thickness and stacking optimisation4.9Environmental effects on design temperature4.10Workshop: sizing a stiffened panel
5.1Hand lay-up and autoclave curing5.2Automated fibre placement (AFP)5.3Automated tape laying (ATL)5.4Resin transfer moulding (RTM)5.5Infusion and out-of-autoclave curing5.6Consolidation and welding of thermoplastics5.7Tooling design and thermal expansion5.8Porosity, wrinkles and other defects5.9Cure cycle control5.10Case study: manufacturing plan for a spar
6.1Mechanisms of adhesion and cohesion6.2Chemistry of structural epoxy adhesives6.3Film and paste adhesives6.4Wettability and surface energy6.5Surface preparation of metals6.6Preparation of composites with peel ply6.7Plasma and laser treatments6.8Contamination and weak bonds6.9Hygrothermal ageing of the joint6.10Practical exercise: contact angle measurement
7.1Single- and double-lap joints7.2Stepped and scarf joints7.3Shear and peel stress distribution7.4Volkersen and Goland-Reissner analytical models7.5Finite element modelling of joints7.6Hybrid bonded-bolted joints7.7Designing joints against fatigue7.8Metal-composite joints and galvanic insulation7.9Certification limitations for primary bonded joints7.10Lab: analysis of a lap joint
8.1Tensile and compressive tests on laminates8.2In-plane shear tests8.3DCB and ENF toughness tests8.4Lap joint tests8.5Wedge durability test8.6Fatigue testing of composites8.7Environmental conditioning of specimens8.8Statistical treatment according to CMH-178.9Testing in accredited laboratories8.10Practical exercise: statistical calculation of allowables
9.1Low-velocity and drop-weight impact9.2Barely visible impact damage (BVID)9.3Compression after impact strength9.4No-growth damage approach9.5Damage categories according to AMC 20-299.6Hail and bird strike9.7Lightning strike protection9.8Fatigue and long-term behaviour9.9In-service inspection programmes9.10Case study: damage tolerance analysis of a panel
10.1Ultrasonic inspection of laminates10.2Active thermography and shearography10.3Detection of weak bonds10.4Bolted repairs with doublers10.5Bonded scarf repairs10.6Repair of sandwich structures10.7Structural repair manual10.8Validation of repairs by testing10.9Field repairs and heat-blanket curing10.10Workshop: design of a scarf repair
11.1Requirements of AC 20-107B11.2Requirements of AMC 20-2911.3Material qualification and equivalence11.4Control of manufacturing processes11.5Shared material databases11.6Full-scale certification testing11.7Traceability of materials and batches11.8Management of supplier changes11.9Lessons from certification programmes11.10Case study: certification plan for a rudder
12.1Selection of the structural component12.2Definition of loads and requirements12.3Selection of the material system12.4Laminate and stacking sequence design12.5Design of bonded or hybrid joints12.6Finite element analysis12.7Manufacturing and test plan12.8Conclusions and improvement proposals12.9Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Abaqus, Ansys Composite PrepPost, Fibersim, HyperSizer and MSC Nastran, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Real procedures are studied, such as mechanical characterisation of laminates, lap and wedge tests on bonded joints, and impact damage and compression-after-impact analysis. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: CMH-17, AC 20-107B, AMC 20-29, ASTM D3039, ASTM D5528, ASTM D1002, ASTM D3762, ASTM D7136.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Abaqus, Ansys Composite PrepPost, Fibersim, HyperSizer and MSC Nastran, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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