Master’s in Sensors and Physical Instrumentation
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in sensors and physical instrumentation — IMU, pressure, temperature, calibration and traceability. 12 modules covering metrology, temperature, mechanical, flow and level, optical and photonic, and chemical and environmental sensors, signal conditioning, data acquisition, measurement signal processing, industrial instrumentation and measurement system design, with JCGM 100:2008 (GUM), ISO/IEC 17025 and IEC 60751 and an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Sensors and Physical Instrumentation — studying from Australia
Electronics and embedded systems underpin a wide range of Australian industries, including defence, mining automation, medical devices and consumer technology. The telecommunications sector is significant, with ongoing investment in fibre, mobile networks and satellite communications for remote regions. Research organisations such as CSIRO and university groups contribute to advances in sensing, communications and signal processing. Engineers typically work on hardware design, firmware development, testing and certification. Employers include telecommunications carriers, defence contractors, instrumentation companies and product manufacturers.
Fees for Australia: A$9,410 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Is this qualification recognised for electronics engineering in Australia?
SEIUM's qualifications are private and not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by Engineers Australia or the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Recognition for electronics and telecom roles generally depends on accredited degrees, licences and experience. Employers or the relevant body make the final decision.
Which Australian employers hire embedded and telecom engineers?
Australia has telecommunications carriers, defence electronics firms, medical device makers, mining technology companies and IoT developers. Employers mostly assess your hands-on skills, project record and certifications. Ask prospective employers whether they would consider a private online qualification.
Can I study this part-time while working, and how is it supported?
The courses are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from anywhere in Australia without needing a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, 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
Apply the principles of metrology and uncertainty calculation.
Select physical sensors according to the application.
Design signal conditioning circuits.
Implement data acquisition systems.
Process measurement signals and fuse sensor data.
Specify industrial instrumentation.
Calibrate and validate measurement systems.
Who it's for
- Instrumentation engineers.
- Metrology engineers.
- Calibration technicians aiming to strengthen their technical background.
- Sensor engineers.
- Test engineers.
- R&D engineers working on measurement systems.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the process industry.
What you'll work with
- JCGM 100:2008 (GUM — guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement)
- ISO/IEC 17025 (competence of testing and calibration laboratories)
- IEC 60751 (industrial platinum resistance thermometers)
- IEC 60584-1 (thermocouples — EMF specifications and tolerances)
- IEC 61298 (process measurement and control devices — evaluation methods)
- IEC 60079-11 (explosive atmospheres — intrinsic safety)
- ISO 5167 (flow measurement with differential pressure devices)
- OIML R 117 (dynamic measuring systems for liquids other than water)
- NI LabVIEW
- MATLAB
- Python with NumPy and SciPy
- NI DIAdem
- LTspice
12 modules
1.1The International System of Units1.2Metrological traceability and standards1.3Accuracy, precision and resolution1.4Measurement uncertainty (GUM)1.5Instrument calibration1.6Static characteristics of sensors1.7Dynamic characteristics of sensors1.8Systematic and random errors1.9Calibration laboratories and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation1.10Practical exercise: uncertainty calculation for a thermometer
2.1Thermocouples and their types2.2Pt100 and Pt1000 resistance thermometers2.3NTC and PTC thermistors2.4Semiconductor temperature sensors2.5Non-contact infrared pyrometry2.6Thermography and thermal cameras2.7Cold junction compensation2.8Installation and errors2.9Temperature calibration2.10Lab: comparison of temperature sensors
3.1Strain gauges and their mounting3.2Wheatstone bridges3.3Load cells3.4Pressure sensors3.5Piezoelectric accelerometers and their mounting3.6MEMS inertial sensors3.7LVDT displacement sensors3.8Optical and magnetic encoders3.9Torque sensors3.10Practical exercise: strain-gauge load cell
4.1Insertion electromagnetic flowmeters4.2Ultrasonic flowmeters4.3Coriolis flowmeters4.4Orifice plates4.5Turbine meters4.6Radar level sensors4.7Pressure-based level sensors4.8Thermal flowmeters4.9Selection according to the fluid4.10Case study: selection for a water plant
5.1Photodiodes and phototransistors5.2CCD and CMOS image sensors5.3Optical fibre as a sensor5.4Fibre Bragg gratings5.5Interferometry for displacement measurement5.6Optical absorption spectroscopy5.7LIDAR distance sensors5.8Colour sensors5.9Precision laser instrumentation5.10Lab: strain sensor with a fibre Bragg grating
6.1Electrochemical gas sensors6.2Metal oxide sensors6.3NDIR CO2 sensors6.4pH sensors6.5Electrical conductivity measurement6.6Dissolved oxygen sensors6.7Suspended particulate matter6.8Calibration of environmental sensors6.9Drift and ageing6.10Practical exercise: calibrating a CO2 sensor
7.1Instrumentation amplifiers7.2Analogue anti-aliasing filters7.3Galvanic isolation of signals7.4Precision analogue-to-digital conversion7.54-20 mA loops7.6Sensor excitation7.7Noise and shielding7.8Response linearisation7.9Temperature compensation7.10Lab: conditioning for a bridge circuit
8.1Architecture of a DAQ system8.2Sampling frequency8.3Channel multiplexing8.4Synchronisation between channels8.5Programming in LabVIEW8.6Acquisition with Python8.7Data storage8.8Distributed acquisition systems8.9IEEE 1451 smart sensors8.10Practical exercise: DAQ system in LabVIEW
9.1FIR and IIR digital filtering9.2Spectral analysis of measurements9.3Averaging and noise9.4Sensor fusion9.5Kalman filter9.6Software calibration9.7Outlier detection9.8Data compression9.9Visualisation of measurement results9.10Lab: accelerometer and gyroscope fusion
10.1Process transmitters10.2Communication with the HART protocol10.3Instrumentation in explosive atmospheres10.4Reading P&ID diagrams10.5Instrument data sheets10.6Control loops10.7Safety instrumentation10.8Instrument maintenance10.9Calibration management10.10Workshop: instrument specification for a loop
11.1Measurement requirements11.2Sensor selection11.3System uncertainty calculation11.4System validation11.5Instrument regulations11.6Electromagnetic compatibility of the system11.7Prototype design11.8System cost estimation11.9Measurement system documentation11.10Case study: structural health monitoring system
12.1Definition of the measurement problem12.2System specifications12.3Sensor selection12.4Conditioning design12.5Acquisition system12.6Data processing12.7Calibration and validation12.8Uncertainty analysis12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training 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 the programme with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is NI LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python with NumPy and SciPy, NI DIAdem and LTspice, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for laboratory sensor calibration, dynamic characterisation of transducers and field validation of measurement systems. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: JCGM 100:2008 (GUM), ISO/IEC 17025, IEC 60751, IEC 60584-1, IEC 61298, IEC 60079-11, ISO 5167 and OIML R 117.
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 NI LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python with NumPy and SciPy, NI DIAdem and LTspice, 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 programme 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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