Diploma in Lightweight Design and Fatigue Criteria
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in lightweight design and fatigue criteria. 8 modules covering lightweighting strategies, structural optimisation, fatigue fundamentals, welded joints, composites and joints, fatigue simulation and safe-design standards, applying EN 1993-1-9, the IIW Recommendations and Altair OptiStruct, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Lightweight Design and Fatigue Criteria — studying from Canada
Canada's marine sector includes shipbuilding and naval programmes on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, with yards in Halifax, Saint John and Vancouver. The National Shipbuilding Strategy supports the design and construction of federal vessels. Offshore energy activity is centred on Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, while recreational boating and sports nautical manufacturing are active in Ontario and British Columbia. Engineers work on hull design, propulsion, marine systems and classification.
Fees for Canada: C$1,400 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Is this programme recognised by professional bodies in Canada for naval and offshore engineering?
SEIUM's qualifications are private, not official state degrees, and are not accredited nationally in Canada. Marine and offshore engineering is linked to bodies such as Engineers Canada and provincial regulators for professional engineering, and to classification societies for vessel certification. Recognition of a private qualification is decided by employers or the relevant body.
Who in Canada might employ graduates of this area?
Employers could include shipyards, offshore energy firms, naval contractors and marine equipment suppliers, as well as sports nautical manufacturers. Each employer decides how it values a private qualification, and sector-specific experience and certifications are often important. Your final project may help demonstrate applied skills, but no job outcome is guaranteed.
What practical factors should I check before enrolling from Canada?
The programme is online and taught in English, so you can study from any Canadian location with no student visa needed. Programmes range from 300 hours to 1,900 hours, so plan your schedule realistically. Fees are payable in instalments, employer sponsorship is possible, and each student is assigned a technical tutor.
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 lightweighting strategies by material and shape.
Optimise structures with topology and shape methods.
Calculate the fatigue life of metallic components.
Verify welded joints against fatigue.
Assess the fatigue of composites and joints.
Simulate durability with specialist tools.
Apply standards-based safe-design criteria.
Who it's for
- Structural analysis engineers
- Fatigue and durability specialists
- Lightweight design engineers
- Materials engineers
- Finite element analysts
- Test engineers
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into the automotive industry
What you'll work with
- EN 1993-1-9 (Eurocode 3 — fatigue of steel structures)
- IIW Recommendations for Fatigue Design (fatigue design of welded joints and components)
- ASTM E466 (force-controlled constant-amplitude axial fatigue tests)
- ASTM E1049 (cycle counting in fatigue analysis)
- ISO 12107 (statistical planning and analysis of fatigue data)
- DNV-RP-C203 (fatigue design of offshore steel structures)
- FKM Guideline (analytical strength assessment of components)
- Altair OptiStruct
- nCode DesignLife
- Ansys Mechanical
- Ansys Granta Selector
8 modules
1.1Lightweighting by material, shape and concept1.2Structural efficiency indices1.3Material selection with Ashby charts1.4High-strength steels1.5Aluminium and magnesium alloys1.6Titanium in demanding applications1.7Carbon and glass fibre composites1.8High-stiffness sandwich structures1.9Cost per kilogram saved1.10Case study: material selection for a suspension arm
2.1Topology optimisation of components2.2Shape optimisation2.3Thickness optimisation2.4Manufacturing constraints2.5Optimisation with fatigue loads2.6Assisted generative design2.7Interpretation of results2.8Subsequent FEM verification2.9Commercial optimisation tools2.10Lab: topology optimisation of a bracket
3.1Cyclic loads and spectra3.2S-N curves and fatigue limit3.3Mean stress effect3.4Goodman and Haigh diagrams3.5Stress concentration3.6Effect of surface finish3.7Low-cycle fatigue3.8Miner's rule and cumulative damage3.9Rainflow cycle counting3.10Practical exercise: damage calculation with rainflow
4.1Fatigue behaviour of welds4.2Nominal stress method4.3Hot-spot stress method4.4Notch stress method4.5IIW recommendations4.6Eurocode 3 Part 1-94.7Weld improvement by post-weld treatment4.8Weld defects and fatigue4.9Aluminium joints4.10Case study: verification of a welded node
5.1Damage mechanisms in composites5.2S-N curves of laminates5.3Fatigue of adhesive joints5.4Fatigue of bolted joints5.5Effect of moisture and temperature5.6Damage tolerance criteria5.7Crack propagation in metals5.8Linear elastic fracture mechanics5.9Paris law5.10Lab: fatigue test of a specimen
6.1FEM stress calculation6.2Fatigue analysis with nCode6.3Measured loads and road signals6.4Frequency-domain analysis6.5Random vibration and PSD6.6Validation with test rigs6.7Accelerated durability testing6.8Correlation between testing and simulation6.9Durability reports6.10Practical exercise: fatigue analysis with nCode DesignLife
7.1Fail-safe and safe-life design criteria7.2Safety factors in fatigue7.3Standards for pressure vessels and structures7.4Naval and classification standards7.5Aeronautical damage tolerance requirements7.6In-service inspection7.7In-service structural health monitoring7.8Remaining life management7.9Lessons from fatigue failures7.10Case study: analysis of a fatigue failure
8.1Selection of the component8.2Loads and service spectrum8.3Material selection8.4Structural optimisation of the design8.5Fatigue calculation8.6Numerical validation of the component8.7Test plan8.8Design conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Altair OptiStruct, nCode DesignLife, Ansys Mechanical and Ansys Granta Selector, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: topology optimisation of components, fatigue calculation with rainflow counting and verification of welded joints. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: EN 1993-1-9, IIW Recommendations for Fatigue Design, ASTM E466, ASTM E1049, ISO 12107, DNV-RP-C203, FKM Guideline.
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
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An 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 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Altair OptiStruct, nCode DesignLife, Ansys Mechanical and Ansys Granta Selector, 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 final project. 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 are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector; no university degree is required.
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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