Course on Coastal Protection against Erosion
Online course of 300 hours in coastal protection against erosion. 6 modules covering coastal dynamics, erosion diagnosis, soft and hard protection solutions and integrated coastal zone management, applying Law 22/1988 on Coasts, Royal Decree 876/2014 and EurOtop with SMC and DSAS, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Coastal Protection against Erosion — studying from Ireland
Ireland's civil engineering sector is driven by public infrastructure investment in roads, water, housing and public transport, alongside rail projects such as Dublin's light rail and commuter rail upgrades. Transport Infrastructure Ireland sets standards for national roads, while Irish Rail and Iarnród Éireann operate and develop the rail network. Smart city initiatives in Dublin and other urban areas create demand for engineers working on sensors, data platforms and integrated mobility systems. Typical employers include contractors, consultancies, local authorities and public agencies, with Engineers Ireland providing professional recognition.
Fees for Ireland: €546 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Ireland
Typical roles
Questions from Ireland
Is a SEIUM qualification recognised for chartered civil or rail engineering status in Ireland?
Chartered engineer status in Ireland is administered by Engineers Ireland, which sets its own criteria for membership and registration. Rail is regulated in part by the National Transport Authority and Irish Rail-related bodies, while building and infrastructure standards involve other authorities. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so recognition is for those bodies and employers to decide.
Do Irish civil, rail and smart-city employers consider private online engineering study?
Irish infrastructure, consultancy and local authority employers usually weigh chartered status, project experience and relevant degrees heavily. A private online qualification may be considered as supporting evidence of skills, but its value is at each employer's discretion. We cannot promise any outcome, so discuss it with prospective employers.
Can I study alongside a site or office job, and is employer funding common?
The programme is online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Plan for 1,900 hours on a master's, 800 on a postgraduate diploma or 300 on a specialist course. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Many Irish employers have continuing professional development budgets, so ask yours.
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
Understand coastal dynamics and sediment transport.
Diagnose coastal erosion processes using real data and tools.
Design soft solutions such as beach and dune nourishment.
Carry out the preliminary sizing of coastal defence works.
Assess the effects of interventions on adjacent stretches.
Apply coastal and integrated management legislation.
Prepare a justified coastal protection project.
Who it's for
- Coastal engineers.
- Technicians in coastal administration offices.
- Coastal management consultants.
- Coastal process modellers.
- Coastal environmental technicians.
- Municipal beach managers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join the coastal administration.
What you'll work with
- Law 22/1988 (Spanish Coastal Law)
- Royal Decree 876/2014 (General Coastal Regulation)
- Law 2/2013 (protection and sustainable use of the coastline)
- Law 21/2013 (environmental assessment)
- ICZM Protocol (integrated management of Mediterranean coastal zones, Barcelona Convention)
- ROM 0.0-01 and ROM 1.0-09 (recommendations for maritime works)
- EurOtop (2018) (manual on wave overtopping)
- Directive 2014/89/EU (maritime spatial planning)
- SMC (Coastal Modelling System)
- DSAS (Digital Shoreline Analysis System)
- QGIS
- MIKE 21
- XBeach
6 modules
1.1Coastal morphology and beach types1.2Waves: generation, propagation and breaking1.3Tides and storm surges1.4Longshore currents and longshore transport1.5Cross-shore transport and the equilibrium profile1.6Sediment budget and physiographic units1.7Influence of rivers and dams on sediment supply1.8Wind action and dunes1.9Wave data: buoys and reanalysis1.10Case study: physiographic unit of a stretch of coast
2.1Natural and human causes of erosion2.2Shoreline evolution from orthophotos2.3Analysis with DSAS2.4Topobathymetric profile surveys2.5Calculation of the flooding level2.6Maritime climate and extreme regime2.7Depth of closure2.8Vulnerability and indicators2.9SMC Coastal Modelling System2.10Practical exercise: retreat rates from historical imagery
3.1Beach nourishment and replenishment3.2Selection of sediments and offshore borrow areas3.3Design of the fill profile3.4Durability and periodic renourishment3.5Dune restoration3.6Sand bypassing at ports3.7Nature-based solutions: seagrass meadows and reefs3.8Managed coastal retreat3.9Environmental impacts of nourishment3.10Workshop: calculating the volume of a beach nourishment
4.1Groynes and how they work4.2Detached breakwaters and tombolos4.3Rock armour and longitudinal revetments4.4Armour layer design with Hudson and Van der Meer4.5Overtopping and EurOtop formulae4.6Submerged artificial reefs4.7Side effects on adjacent stretches4.8Materials and construction4.9Inspection and maintenance4.10Lab: preliminary sizing of a protective rock revetment
5.1Coastal Law and the maritime-terrestrial public domain5.2Strategy for the Adaptation of the Coast to Climate Change5.3Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM)5.4Protection plans and prioritisation5.5Environmental impact assessment5.6Involvement of users and municipalities5.7Funding and responsibilities5.8Monitoring with video imaging5.9Communicating coastal risk5.10Case study: erosion of the Ebro Delta
6.1Characterisation of the stretch and its problem6.2Maritime climate analysis6.3Diagnosis of coastal evolution6.4Formulation of alternatives6.5Preliminary sizing of the solution6.6Assessment of impacts and effects6.7Budget and monitoring plan6.8Justification of the chosen alternative6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your 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 the intake, so it fits around your work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SMC (Coastal Modelling System), DSAS (Digital Shoreline Analysis System), QGIS, MIKE 21 and XBeach, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures for analysing shoreline evolution, calculating beach nourishments and preliminary sizing of defence works. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Law 22/1988, Royal Decree 876/2014, Law 2/2013, Law 21/2013, Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), ROM 0.0-01 and ROM 1.0-09, EurOtop (2018), Directive 2014/89/EU.
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
- No prior qualification 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 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with SMC (Coastal Modelling System), DSAS (Digital Shoreline Analysis System), QGIS, MIKE 21 and XBeach, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, 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.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, 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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