Master’s in Nuclear Safety and Probabilistic Risk Assessment Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in nuclear safety engineering and probabilistic risk analysis, structured in 12 modules covering safety principles, applied reliability, event and fault trees, human reliability analysis, Level 1, 2 and 3 PSA, internal and external hazards, PSA applications, modelling tools and complementary deterministic safety, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Nuclear Safety and Probabilistic Risk Assessment Engineering — studying from Australia
Australia does not operate nuclear power plants, but nuclear science and technology play important roles in research, medicine, mining and regulation. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation operates research reactors and produces radiopharmaceuticals, while uranium mining is conducted in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Nuclear engineering skills support regulatory oversight, radiation safety and decommissioning activities. Employers include ANSTO, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, mining companies and specialist consultancies.
Fees for Australia: A$15,800 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Does this programme meet Australian nuclear licensing or regulatory requirements?
No. SEIUM qualifications are private and are not accredited by any national body. Nuclear activities in Australia are regulated by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and related authorities, which set their own competency requirements. Check directly with the regulator and your employer about any qualifications needed for a specific role.
Which Australian organisations might consider this training for nuclear-related roles?
Australian employers in this area include research organisations, radiation protection services, mining and resources companies, and consultancies working on nuclear-related projects. Hiring depends on each organisation's requirements and on security and licensing needs. A private qualification is unlikely to be sufficient alone, so combine it with relevant experience.
Is the programme workable alongside a job, and how is it funded?
The programmes are delivered entirely online in English with an assigned technical tutor, allowing study from Australia around work commitments. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Review the programme length, from 300 to 1,900 hours, and plan carefully.
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
Understand safety principles and the deterministic and probabilistic approaches.
Apply reliability techniques and Bayesian statistics to components.
Build event trees and fault trees for safety systems.
Quantify human error with recognised methods.
Develop Level 1, 2 and 3 PSA and their uncertainty analyses.
Assess fire, flooding and seismic risks.
Use PSA in risk-informed decision-making.
Who it's for
- PSA analysts looking to deepen their modelling and quantification skills.
- Nuclear safety engineers who want to integrate probabilistic methods into their work.
- Human reliability specialists.
- External hazards engineers working on fire, flooding or seismic analysis.
- Regulatory risk assessors.
- Risk analysis consultants.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the nuclear power sector.
What you'll work with
- IAEA SSG-3 Development and Application of Level 1 PSA (IAEA guide on Level 1 probabilistic safety assessment)
- IAEA SSG-4 Development and Application of Level 2 PSA (IAEA guide on Level 2 probabilistic safety assessment)
- ASME/ANS RA-S-1.4-2021 (PRA standard for advanced non-LWR nuclear power plants)
- Regulatory Guide 1.200 (technical adequacy of PRA results for risk-informed activities)
- Regulatory Guide 1.174 (use of PRA in risk-informed decisions on licensing basis changes)
- IAEA SF-1 Fundamental Safety Principles (IAEA fundamental safety principles)
- NUREG/CR-6850 (fire PRA methodology for nuclear power facilities)
- CSN Instruction IS-25 (Spanish requirements on probabilistic safety assessments)
- RiskSpectrum PSA
- SAPHIRE
- CAFTA
- MELCOR
- MACCS
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1The IAEA fundamental safety objective1.2The ten principles of SF-11.3Risk, hazard and social acceptability1.4Quantitative safety objectives1.5Deterministic versus probabilistic approach1.6Defence in depth and its five levels1.7Classification of events by frequency1.8Safety margin and conservatism1.9Risk-informed decision-making1.10Case study: safety objectives of different regulators
2.1Probability theory and Boolean algebra2.2Exponential, Weibull and lognormal distributions2.3Failure rate and the bathtub curve2.4Component availability and unavailability2.5Failures on demand and failures during operation2.6Bayesian parameter inference2.7Reliability databases: NUREG/CR-6928 and ZEDB2.8Test and repair times2.9Uncertainty propagation2.10Practical exercise: Bayesian estimation of a failure rate
3.1Internal initiating events3.2Initiating event frequencies3.3Safety functions and success criteria3.4Building event trees3.5Accident sequences and end states3.6Functional and systemic event trees3.7Thermal-hydraulic analysis of success criteria3.8Dependencies between headings3.9Grouping into plant damage states3.10Workshop: event tree for a loss of feedwater
4.1Fault tree logic4.2Modelling of safety systems4.3Minimal cut sets4.4Common cause failures: beta and alpha models4.5Latent failures and periodic testing4.6Unavailability due to maintenance4.7Support dependencies: electrical and cooling4.8Quantification and truncation4.9Model review and documentation4.10Laboratory: fault tree of the safety injection system
5.1Human error and its classification5.2Pre- and post-initiator actions5.3THERP and ASEP methods5.4The SPAR-H method and its multipliers5.5CBDT and HCR/ORE methods5.6Performance shaping factors5.7Dependencies between human actions5.8Analysis of available time5.9Integration into the PSA5.10Practical exercise: SPAR-H quantification of a recovery action
6.1Scope and structure of Level 1 PSA6.2Core damage frequency6.3Integration of event trees and fault trees6.4Importance measures: Fussell-Vesely and RAW6.5Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis6.6The ASME/ANS RA-S standard6.7PSA quality according to RG 1.2006.8Shutdown and low power PSA6.9PSA peer reviews6.10Case study: quantification of a simplified PSA model
7.1Severe accident progression7.2Containment event trees7.3Containment failure modes7.4Large early release frequency7.5Source term and release categories7.6Phenomenology: DCH, steam explosion and hydrogen7.7Atmospheric dispersion and consequences7.8Individual and societal risk7.9MELCOR, MAAP and MACCS codes7.10Workshop: release categorisation for a dry containment
8.1Fire analysis to NUREG/CR-68508.2Internal flooding analysis8.3Seismic: fragility curves and PSHA8.4Seismic margin and SMA8.5External flooding and meteorological phenomena8.6Events affecting multiple units8.7Spent fuel pool risks8.8European stress tests8.9Lessons from Fukushima for PSA8.10Case study: impact of a fire in a cable spreading room
9.1Real-time risk monitor9.2Configuration and on-line maintenance9.3Risk-informed technical specifications9.4Risk-informed in-service inspection9.5Component categorisation according to 10 CFR 50.699.6Event significance assessment9.7The Reactor Oversight Process (ROP)9.8Prioritisation of design modifications9.9Integrated decision-making to RG 1.1749.10Practical exercise: risk assessment of a maintenance configuration
10.1Architecture of RiskSpectrum PSA10.2Modelling in SAPHIRE10.3Management of reliability databases10.4Uncertainty analysis with Monte Carlo10.5Dynamic PSA and DET methods10.6Reliability of passive systems10.7Reliability of safety software10.8Models of digital I&C systems10.9Integration with deterministic analyses10.10Laboratory: building a model in SAPHIRE
11.1Design basis accident analysis11.2Design extension conditions11.3Single failure and acceptance criteria11.4Severe accident analysis11.5BEPU best-estimate methodology11.6Periodic safety review11.7Stress tests and margins11.8Ageing management and risk11.9Communicating risk to the public11.10Case study: deterministic-probabilistic integration of a modification
12.1Selection of the scope of the analysis12.2Collection of plant information12.3Initiating events model12.4System and human reliability models12.5Quantification and results12.6Importance and uncertainty analysis12.7Risk reduction proposals12.8Study conclusions12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
The programme is 100% online 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, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is RiskSpectrum PSA, SAPHIRE, CAFTA, MELCOR and MACCS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: development of a simplified Level 1 PSA, risk assessment of maintenance configurations and review of seismic fragilities. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: IAEA SSG-3 Development and Application of Level 1 PSA, IAEA SSG-4 Development and Application of Level 2 PSA, ASME/ANS RA-S-1.4-2021, Regulatory Guide 1.200, Regulatory Guide 1.174, IAEA SF-1 Fundamental Safety Principles, NUREG/CR-6850, CSN Instruction IS-25.
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's 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 RiskSpectrum PSA, SAPHIRE, CAFTA, MELCOR and MACCS, 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), 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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