Diploma in Ballistic Impact Testing of Aerospace Materials
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in ballistic impact testing of aerospace materials: 8 modules covering impact threats, test facilities, composites and metallic alloys, hydrodynamic ram, explicit simulation and certification, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Ballistic Impact Testing of Aerospace Materials — studying from Ireland
Ireland maintains a small defence force, the Defence Forces, which operates its own engineering corps and equipment maintenance capabilities. Defence procurement and development are handled through the Department of Defence, while much of the wider defence-related industrial activity involves dual-use technologies, electronics and communications systems supplied by domestic and international firms. Engineers in this area typically work on land vehicle maintenance, military communications, protective equipment and systems integration. Policy and procurement are governed by national and European frameworks, including EU defence initiatives.
Fees for Ireland: €1,090 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Ireland
Typical roles
Questions from Ireland
Which Irish bodies oversee defence engineering and does a private qualification count?
Defence in Ireland is overseen by the Department of Defence, and the Defence Forces run their own training and technical structures. Engineers Ireland sets general professional engineering standards. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not state-awarded, and they are not accredited by any national body, so recognition for any defence-related role is decided by the relevant authority or employer.
Do Irish defence and land-systems employers hire people with private online qualifications?
Irish defence-related hiring is limited and often subject to security vetting and specific qualification requirements, so employers set their own criteria. A private online qualification may be taken into account alongside experience, but we cannot say how any employer will view it or guarantee any result. Check requirements for particular roles directly.
Can I study this from Ireland while working, and what is the workload?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Plan your weekly hours realistically around your job.
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 impact threats to aerospace structures.
Operate impact test facilities safely.
Assess impact damage in composites.
Analyse the behaviour of metallic alloys under impact.
Understand hydrodynamic ram in fuel tanks.
Simulate impacts with explicit codes.
Apply the related certification regulations.
Who it's for
- Impact test engineers.
- Explicit simulation analysts.
- Survivability engineers.
- Aerospace structures engineers.
- Impact laboratory technicians.
- Certification engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the aerospace sector.
What you'll work with
- CS 25.631 (bird strike damage, large aeroplanes)
- FAA AC 20-128A (design considerations for minimising hazards from uncontained rotor failure)
- MIL-HDBK-336-1 (survivability, aircraft nonnuclear)
- JSSG-2006 (aircraft structures)
- CS-E 810 (engine compressor and turbine blade failure containment)
- MIL-DTL-27422 (crash-resistant, ballistic-tolerant fuel tanks)
- ASTM D7136 (drop-weight impact damage resistance of composites)
- LS-DYNA
- Abaqus/Explicit
- Ansys AUTODYN
- ZEISS INSPECT Correlate
- Photron FASTCAM Viewer
8 modules
1.1Hail, birds and runway debris1.2Rotor fragments1.3Ballistic impacts on military aircraft1.4Velocity regimes1.5Certification requirements1.6Structural vulnerability1.7Ballistic tolerance1.8Blade containment1.9Hydrodynamic ram1.10Practical: classification of impact threats
2.1Gas guns2.2Standardised projectile launchers2.3Chronographs2.4High-speed cameras2.53D digital image correlation2.6Force and pressure sensors2.7Facility safety2.8Target fixturing2.9Standardised projectiles2.10Lab: velocity measurement with a high-speed camera
3.1Damage mechanisms3.2Delamination3.3Penetration3.4Residual strength3.5Compression after impact3.6Hybrid laminates3.7Ballistic limit velocity3.8C-scan inspection3.9Analytical models3.10Case study: damage after a high-velocity impact
4.1Aluminium alloys4.2Titanium alloys4.3Petalling4.4Plugging4.5Johnson-Cook model4.6Effect of temperature4.7Effect of thickness4.8Multilayer targets4.9Microstructure after impact4.10Workshop: comparison between aluminium and titanium
5.1Phenomenology of hydrodynamic ram5.2Phases of the phenomenon5.3Tank testing5.4SPH and ALE simulation5.5Tank materials5.6Self-sealing tanks MIL-DTL-274225.7Mitigation measures5.8Applicable standards5.9Aircraft survivability5.10Case study: hydrodynamic ram in a wing tank
6.1LS-DYNA6.2Material models6.3SPH method6.4Experimental validation6.5Meshing6.6Element erosion6.7Contact algorithms6.8Uncertainty6.9Optimisation6.10Lab: impact simulation on a panel
7.1Bird strike CS 25.6317.2Fuel tank protection CS 25.9637.3FAA Advisory Circular AC 20-128A7.4Containment CS-E 8107.5MIL-HDBK-336-1 handbook7.6Survivability in JSSG-20067.7Compliance documentation7.8Lessons from incidents7.9Regulatory trends7.10Case study: bird strike compliance justification
8.1Threat definition8.2Material selection8.3Specimen design8.4Test plan8.5Instrumentation8.6Pre-test simulation8.7Analysis of results8.8Test-simulation correlation8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme 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 it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, Abaqus/Explicit, Ansys AUTODYN, ZEISS INSPECT Correlate and Photron FASTCAM Viewer, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practice is based on real procedures for gas gun tests, high-speed camera measurement and hydrodynamic ram tests. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: CS 25.631, FAA AC 20-128A, MIL-HDBK-336-1, JSSG-2006, CS-E 810, MIL-DTL-27422, ASTM D7136.
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.
- 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 LS-DYNA, Abaqus/Explicit, Ansys AUTODYN, ZEISS INSPECT Correlate and Photron FASTCAM Viewer, 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 required), a computer able to run the 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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