Course in Urban Air Quality Regulations
Online 300 h course in urban air quality regulations. 6 modules covering Directive 2008/50/EC, Law 34/2007 on air quality and atmospheric protection, and ADMS-Urban. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
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
Identify the main urban pollutants and their effects on health.
Interpret the limit and target values of European and Spanish regulations.
Evaluate air quality based on data from monitoring networks.
Apply quality assurance criteria to measurements.
Design low-emission zones in accordance with Royal Decree 1052/2022.
Prepare protocols for action in response to pollution episodes.
Draft improvement plans with monitoring indicators.
Who it's for
- Municipal environmental technician looking to specialise in Urban Air Quality Regulations.
- Air quality consultant looking to specialise in Urban Air Quality Regulations.
- Atmospheric monitoring network manager looking to specialise in Urban Air Quality Regulations.
- Sustainable mobility technician looking to specialise in Urban Air Quality Regulations.
- Environmental policy analyst looking to specialise in Urban Air Quality Regulations.
- Environmental inspector looking to specialise in Urban Air Quality Regulations.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter local government.
What you'll work with
- Directive 2008/50/EC
- Law 34/2007, Air Quality and Atmosphere Protection
- Royal Decree 102/2011
- Directive (EU) 2024/2881
- Directive (EU) 2016/2284
- Law 7/2021, on climate change and energy transition
- Royal Decree 1052/2022
- UNE-EN 14211
6 modules · 300 h
1.1PM10 and PM2.5: origin and composition1.2Nitrogen dioxide and road traffic1.3Tropospheric ozone and photochemical precursors1.4Sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene1.5Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons1.6Epidemiological evidence and disease burden1.7WHO Air Quality Guidelines 20211.8Urban dispersion and street canyon effect1.9Emission inventories at municipal scale1.10Workshop: emission inventory of a district
2.1Directive 2008/50/EC and limit values2.2Recast Directive (EU) 2024/2881 and the 2030 horizon2.3Directive 2004/107/EC on metals and PAHs2.4National emission ceilings and Directive 2016/22842.5Law 34/2007 on air quality2.6Royal Decree 102/2011 and its technical annexes2.7Allocation of responsibilities among state, regional and local authorities2.8Air quality improvement plans2.9CJEU judgments for exceedances of limits2.10Case study: infringement procedure for NO2
3.1Territorial zoning and agglomerations3.2Criteria for macro- and micro-siting of stations3.3Standardised UNE-EN reference methods3.4Low-cost sensors and their validation3.5Data quality assurance and control3.6Modelling as an assessment technique3.7National Air Quality Index3.8Information and alert thresholds for the public3.9Annual report to the European Commission3.10Laboratory: validation of hourly NO2 series
4.1Municipal obligation under Law 7/20214.2Royal Decree 1052/2022 on LEZs4.3DGT environmental vehicle labelling4.4Perimeter delimitation and phased timetable4.5Enforcement via automatic number plate recognition cameras4.6Penalty regime, exemptions and grace periods4.7Ex ante and ex post impact assessment4.8Distributional effects and social equity4.9Experiences from Madrid, Barcelona and London4.10Case study: LEZ ordinance for a medium-sized city
5.1Protocols for high pollution episodes5.2Traffic and speed restrictions5.3Domestic heating and biomass combustion5.4Port and airport emissions5.5Urban works and diffuse particulate emissions5.6Urban vegetation and dry deposition5.7Coordination with sustainable urban mobility plans5.8Citizen science and public participation5.9Plan monitoring indicators5.10Workshop: NO2 episode response protocol
6.1Regulatory diagnosis of the municipality6.2Statistical analysis of station data6.3Identification of priority sources6.4Selection and cost of measures6.5Estimation of concentration reduction6.6Monitoring and reporting plan6.7Proposed measures for the low-emission zone6.8Communication plan for episodes for the public6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine it with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulation and applied exercises. The working software is ADMS-Urban, AERMOD, openair (R), QGIS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. The assessments are based on real procedures: data validation for a monitoring network, design of a low-emission zone, drafting of an air quality improvement plan. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Identify the main urban pollutants and their effects on health.
Interpret the limit and target values of European and Spanish regulations.
Evaluate air quality based on data from monitoring networks.
Apply quality assurance criteria to measurements.
Design low-emission zones in accordance with Royal Decree 1052/2022.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification required.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
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 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The course uses ADMS-Urban, AERMOD, openair (R), QGIS. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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