Master’s in Shielding, Blanket and Heat Handling Technologies in Fusion Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in shielding, blanket and heat management technologies for fusion, structured in 12 modules covering the fusion nuclear environment, fusion neutronics, shielding design, breeding blankets, liquid metals and MHD, high heat-flux transfer, divertor and first wall, structural materials and thermomechanical analysis, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Shielding, Blanket and Heat Handling Technologies in Fusion Engineering — studying from Canada
Canada is a global leader in nuclear technology, most notably through CANDU reactor design and the development of medical isotopes. Ontario operates the largest nuclear fleet in the country, with major facilities at Pickering, Darlington and Bruce, while Atomic Energy of Canada Limited leads reactor research at Chalk River. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates all nuclear activity. Engineers work on reactor design, fuel cycle technologies, decommissioning and radiation protection.
Fees for Canada: C$15,500 (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 nuclear engineering?
SEIUM's qualifications are private, not official state degrees, and carry no national accreditation in Canada. Nuclear activities are regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and professional engineering titles are provincially regulated. Nuclear roles often require specific licences or clearances, which a private qualification does not provide. Confirm with employers or the regulator.
Could this qualification help with nuclear career opportunities in Canada?
Canadian nuclear operators, utilities, fuel cycle firms and regulators' supplier networks employ engineers, but they set their own criteria. Many nuclear roles prioritise experience, security clearances and regulator-recognised training. The programme can add technical depth to your profile, but it does not guarantee entry or advancement in this tightly regulated field.
Can I study this online from Canada, and what is the workload?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, and no student visa is required if you study from home. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours. Fees are payable in instalments, employer sponsorship is possible, and you receive an assigned technical tutor for guidance.
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
Characterise the fusion neutron environment.
Perform neutronic calculations of breeding, nuclear heating and activation.
Design shielding for magnets and buildings.
Compare breeding blanket concepts.
Design high heat-flux heat extraction systems.
Select low-activation structural materials.
Analyse the safety and waste of in-vessel components.
Who it's for
- Breeding blanket engineers.
- Fusion neutronics engineers.
- Thermomechanical engineers.
- Fusion materials engineers.
- Plasma-facing component engineers.
- Safety analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the fusion energy sector.
What you'll work with
- RCC-MRx (design and construction rules for mechanical components of nuclear installations)
- ASME BPVC Section III Division 4 (rules for fusion energy devices)
- FENDL-3.2 (fusion evaluated nuclear data library)
- IAEA SSG-91 (safety of fusion facilities)
- ITER Structural Design Criteria for In-vessel Components (SDC-IC)
- EN 13445 (unfired pressure vessels)
- Directive 2013/59/Euratom (basic safety standards for radiation protection)
- OpenMC
- DAGMC
- FISPACT-II
- ANSYS Mechanical
- COMSOL Multiphysics
12 modules · 1900 h
1.114.1 MeV neutrons and their spectrum1.2Nuclear loads on components1.3Nuclear heating and volumetric distribution1.4Displacement damage (DPA)1.5Helium and hydrogen production by transmutation1.6Activation and residual dose1.7Magnet shielding requirements1.8Interface with plasma physics1.9Materials roadmap1.10Case study: nuclear load map of a tokamak sector
2.1Neutron transport in complex geometries2.2MCNP and OpenMC codes for fusion2.3CAD to Monte Carlo conversion with DAGMC2.4FENDL libraries2.5TBR calculation2.6Nuclear heating and magnet response2.7Activation inventory with FISPACT-II2.8R2S shutdown dose2.9Experimental benchmarks2.10Lab: DAGMC model of a simplified sector
3.1Vacuum vessel shielding3.2Shielding of superconducting magnets3.3Materials: steel, water and tungsten carbide3.4Metal hydrides3.5Streaming through penetrations3.6Biological shielding of the building3.7Thickness optimisation3.8Trade-offs between shielding and breeding3.9Shielding in compact tokamaks3.10Practical exercise: optimisation of a multilayer shield
4.1Functional requirements of the blanket4.2HCPB concept: ceramic pebble beds and beryllium4.3WCLL concept: lead-lithium and water4.4DCLL and FLiBe concepts4.5Molten salt blankets4.6Neutron multipliers4.7Li-6 enrichment4.8The ITER TBM programme4.9Comparison of concepts4.10Case study: selection of a blanket concept for DEMO
5.1Properties of lead-lithium5.2Liquid metal flow in magnetic fields5.3MHD pressure drop5.4Insulating coatings5.5Corrosion of steels in Pb-Li5.6Heat transfer under MHD5.7MHD simulation of channels5.8Experimental facilities5.9Purification and chemistry5.10Lab: MHD pressure drop estimation
6.1Heat fluxes on the first wall and divertor6.2Subcooled water cooling6.3Boiling and critical heat flux6.4Helium cooling6.5Extended surfaces and turbulence promoters6.6Hypervapotron and monoblock tubes6.7Alternative coolants6.8Heat transfer correlations6.9Testing in high heat-flux facilities6.10Practical exercise: thermal design of a hypervapotron
7.1Divertor architecture7.2Tungsten-on-copper components7.3Joints and their manufacture7.4Thermal fatigue7.5Erosion and service life7.6Transient loads: ELMs and disruptions7.7Helium-cooled first wall7.8Liquid metal materials7.9Maintenance and replacement7.10Case study: service life of a divertor component
8.1EUROFER97 reduced-activation steels8.2ODS steels8.3Vanadium alloys8.4SiC/SiC composites8.5Tungsten and its alloys8.6Irradiation effects: hardening and embrittlement8.7Swelling8.8The IFMIF-DONES neutron source8.9Property databases8.10Lab: analysis of EUROFER irradiation data
9.1Coupled thermal analysis9.2Thermal stresses9.3RCC-MRx design criteria9.4Creep and fatigue9.5Buckling analysis9.6Electromagnetic forces during disruptions9.7Finite element simulation9.8Design optimisation9.9Experimental validation9.10Practical exercise: thermomechanical analysis in ANSYS
10.1Primary cooling circuits10.2Heat exchangers10.3Tritium extraction from the coolant10.4Permeation through walls10.5Anti-permeation barriers10.6Extraction systems in Pb-Li10.7Integration with the fuel cycle10.8Coolant safety10.9Tritium confinement10.10Workshop: tritium balance of a blanket
11.1Analysis of loss-of-coolant accidents11.2Chemical reactions of liquid metals11.3Classification of activated waste11.4Material recycling11.5Component manufacturing11.6Quality and non-destructive testing11.7Remote maintenance11.8Design codes11.9Licensing11.10Case study: waste classification for a blanket
12.1Definition of the component12.2Requirements and loads12.3Neutronic analysis12.4Thermal design12.5Thermomechanical analysis12.6Materials assessment12.7Safety and waste analysis12.8Conclusions12.9Master's Thesis: written 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, so the programme can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OpenMC, DAGMC, FISPACT-II, ANSYS Mechanical and COMSOL Multiphysics, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for neutronic breeding and shielding calculations, thermal design of high heat-flux components and thermomechanical analysis to RCC-MRx criteria. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: RCC-MRx, ASME BPVC Section III Division 4, FENDL-3.2, IAEA SSG-91, ITER Structural Design Criteria for In-vessel Components, EN 13445, Directive 2013/59/Euratom.
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 OpenMC, DAGMC, FISPACT-II, ANSYS Mechanical and COMSOL Multiphysics, 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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