Postgraduate Diploma in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment
Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment. 8 modules with Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (drinking water quality), Royal Decree 3/2023 (technical-sanitary criteria for drinking water) and WAVE (DuPont). Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Postgraduate Diploma in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment — studying from Canada
Canada's infrastructure needs drive significant civil engineering activity, from highways and bridges to urban transit and water systems. Major transit projects in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary involve rail, tunnelling and smart city technologies. Rail operators and suppliers, including Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National, depend on engineering expertise in track, signalling and structures. Provincial ministries of transportation and municipal engineering departments are key employers, alongside consulting firms.
Fees for Canada: C$1,400 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Who regulates civil engineering titles in Canada, and does SEIUM count?
Civil engineers in Canada are typically licensed as Professional Engineers by provincial associations, such as Engineers Canada's member bodies, which set licensing requirements including accredited education and experience. SEIUM is a private institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. They do not by themselves grant a P.Eng. licence, so check with the relevant association.
Are these qualifications useful to rail or smart city employers in Canada?
Canada has significant rail, transit and urban infrastructure work, including major projects in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Public agencies and consultancies usually prioritise licensed engineers and verifiable experience. A SEIUM qualification may complement your profile, but whether it is recognised is for each employer to decide, so it is worth asking them before you commit.
Can I study part-time while working, and is employer funding possible?
Yes, the programmes are 100% online, so you can study from home without a student visa and fit sessions around work. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor supports you. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, depending on your employer's policies.
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 chemistry of the saline feed water.
Design reverse osmosis stages.
Compare thermal processes and emerging desalination technologies.
Integrate energy recovery systems.
Define appropriate intake and pre-treatment.
Adjust post-treatment to meet drinking water quality requirements.
Evaluate brine management and its environmental impact.
Who it's for
- Desalination process engineer looking to specialise in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment.
- Desalination plant manager looking to specialise in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment.
- Water treatment engineer looking to specialise in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment.
- Environmental technician looking to specialise in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment.
- Energy efficiency engineer looking to specialise in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment.
- Treatment plant designer looking to specialise in Desalination: Processes, Energy and Pre/Post-Treatment.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter water management.
What you'll work with
- Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (drinking water quality)
- Royal Decree 3/2023 (technical-sanitary criteria for drinking water)
- ASTM D4189 (silt density index, SDI)
- ASTM D4516 (reverse osmosis data normalisation)
- Law 21/2013 (environmental assessment)
- WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality
8 modules · 800 h
1.1Seawater, brackish water and brines: composition1.2Total dissolved solids and conductivity1.3Carbonate equilibrium and the Langelier index1.4Silica, boron and trace elements1.5Organic matter and fouling potential1.6Osmotic pressure and van 't Hoff equation1.7Open intakes and beach wells1.8Seasonal variability and algal blooms1.9Global installed capacity and trends1.10Practice: analysis of a raw water characterisation
2.1Solution-diffusion transport model2.2Spiral-wound polyamide membranes2.3Recovery, salt rejection and specific flux2.4Concentration polarisation2.5Staging and pass configuration2.6Second pass for boron removal2.7Membrane projection software2.8Data normalisation according to ASTM D45162.9In-situ chemical cleaning2.10Workshop: design of a rack with projection software
3.1Multi-effect distillation (MED)3.2Multi-stage flash distillation (MSF)3.3Mechanical and thermal vapour compression3.4Electrodialysis and reversible electrodialysis3.5Nanofiltration for softening3.6Membrane distillation3.7Forward osmosis3.8Capacitive deionisation3.9Performance and applicability comparison3.10Case study: technology selection for brackish water
4.1Specific energy consumption in kWh/m³4.2Thermodynamic minimum of separation4.3High-pressure pumps and their efficiency4.4Isobaric pressure exchangers4.5Pelton turbines and turbochargers4.6Integration with photovoltaic and wind power4.7Flexible operation and storage4.8Carbon footprint of desalination4.9Energy audit of a plant4.10Practice: energy balance of a 50,000 m³/d plant
5.1Open intake versus subsurface intake5.2Screening and control of marine organisms5.3Coagulation and dissolved air flotation5.4Dual-media granular filtration5.5Ultrafiltration as pre-treatment5.6SDI and MFI indices5.7Antiscalant dosing5.8Dechlorination with sodium bisulphite5.9Management of red tide episodes5.10Laboratory: measurement and interpretation of SDI
6.1Remineralisation with calcite and CO₂6.2Stabilisation and control of aggressiveness6.3Final disinfection6.4Blending with other supply sources6.5Requirements of Royal Decree 3/20236.6Boron and bromide in product water6.7Irrigation water and SAR index6.8Online analytical control6.9Integration into the distribution network6.10Workshop: sizing a calcite bed
7.1Brine discharge through diffusers7.2Modelling of hypersaline plumes7.3Impact on Posidonia oceanica meadows7.4Environmental impact assessment7.5Brine valorisation and salt recovery7.6Zero liquid discharge (ZLD)7.7Operation and maintenance indicators7.8Investment and operating costs7.9Design, build and operate contracts7.10Case study: design of an outfall with diffusers
8.1Target capacity and quality8.2Raw water characterisation8.3Intake and pre-treatment design8.4Reverse osmosis system design8.5Energy recovery and power supply8.6Post-treatment and storage8.7Brine management8.8Cost of produced water8.9Report and presentation8.10Final 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: students progress at their own pace within the intake, making it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software includes WAVE (DuPont), IMSDesign (Hydranautics), advanced Excel, MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Trials are studied using real pilot plant procedures for reverse osmosis, water quality analysis and plant energy audits. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Chemically characterise the saline feed water.
Design reverse osmosis stages.
Compare thermal processes and emerging desalination technologies.
Integrate energy recovery systems.
Define appropriate intake and pre-treatment.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical regulatory reading.
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 comprises 800 hours in total, spread over 6 to 8 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The programme uses WAVE (DuPont), IMSDesign (Hydranautics), advanced Excel and MATLAB. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or diploma in the same area are recognised towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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