Diploma in Fuel Cycle Economics
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in nuclear fuel cycle economics. 8 modules covering the economic stages of the cycle, uranium and services markets, fuel cost calculation, levelised cost of nuclear electricity, nuclear liabilities, regulation and taxation, and strategic scenarios, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Fuel Cycle Economics — 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: €1,790 (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
Describe the stages of the fuel cycle from an economic perspective.
Analyse how the markets for uranium and fuel cycle services work.
Calculate the levelised fuel cost and its sensitivity.
Determine nuclear LCOE under different financial assumptions.
Estimate waste management and decommissioning liabilities.
Interpret the regulatory, tax and nuclear civil liability framework.
Simulate strategic fuel cycle scenarios with specialised tools.
Who it's for
- Economic analysts in the nuclear sector.
- Fuel procurement managers.
- Energy consultants.
- Market risk analysts.
- Strategic energy planners.
- Nuclear liabilities analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the nuclear energy sector.
What you'll work with
- Euratom Treaty (1957) (European Atomic Energy Community)
- Directive 2011/70/Euratom (management of spent fuel and radioactive waste)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1214 (EU Taxonomy complementary act for nuclear and gas)
- Paris Convention (third party liability in the field of nuclear energy)
- Law 12/2011 (Spanish civil liability for nuclear damage)
- Royal Decree 102/2014 (Spanish spent fuel and radioactive waste management)
- CYCLUS
- MESSAGE (IAEA)
- Python (pandas)
- Microsoft Excel
- @RISK
8 modules
1.1Uranium mining and concentrates1.2Conversion to hexafluoride1.3Enrichment services and SWU1.4Fuel assembly fabrication1.5Irradiation and burnup1.6Back end: pool, ISFSI and geological repository1.7Open versus closed cycle1.8Cost structure of the cycle1.9Value chain and main operators1.10Case study: cost of a reload
2.1Spot market and long-term contracts2.2Uranium price indicators2.3Primary and secondary supply2.4Strategic inventories2.5Geographical concentration of supply2.6Conversion and enrichment markets2.7The Euratom Supply Agency2.8Geopolitical supply risks2.9Supplier diversification2.10Workshop: analysis of a contract portfolio
3.1Feed-to-product ratio and SWU3.2Tails assay optimisation3.3Levelised fuel cost3.4Time value of money in the cycle3.5Work-in-progress inventories and tied-up capital3.6Sensitivity to the uranium price3.7Discharge burnup and economics3.8Back-end costs3.9NEA costing methodologies3.10Practical exercise: levelised cost spreadsheet
4.1LCOE methodology4.2Capital costs and overnight cost4.3Operation and maintenance4.4Discount rate and financing4.5Load factor and service life4.6Economics of life extension4.7Comparison with other technologies4.8System costs and grid integration4.9Uncertainty using Monte Carlo4.10Case study: LCOE of an existing plant
5.1Funds for waste and decommissioning5.2The Enresa funding model5.3Fees and provisions5.4Cost of the deep geological repository5.5Estimating decommissioning costs5.6Intergenerational equity5.7Cost of scenarios with reprocessing5.8Financial discounting of liabilities5.9Auditing of nuclear funds5.10Workshop: estimation of provisions
6.1The Euratom Treaty and energy policy6.2The EU Taxonomy and nuclear activities6.3The Paris Convention on Third Party Liability6.4Spanish Law 12/2011 on nuclear civil liability6.5Taxes on fuel and waste6.6State aid and contracts for difference6.7Financial guarantees and nuclear insurance6.8Sanctions and international trade6.9Safeguards and export controls6.10Practical exercise: tax analysis of a plant
7.1Fuel cycle simulation models7.2The CYCLUS simulator7.3Scenarios with small modular reactors7.4HALEU fuels and new demand7.5Cycles with MOX and fast reactors7.6National energy planning7.7Multi-criteria analysis7.8Sustainability and resource use7.9Uranium market outlook7.10Lab: scenario simulation with CYCLUS
8.1Definition of the study scenario8.2Technical and market assumptions8.3Fuel cost model8.4Calculation of the associated LCOE8.5Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis8.6Liabilities and provisions8.7Strategic recommendations8.8Conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final 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: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so the programme can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is CYCLUS, MESSAGE (IAEA), Python (pandas), Microsoft Excel and @RISK, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: levelised fuel cost models, fuel cycle scenario simulation with CYCLUS and analysis of supply contract portfolios. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Euratom Treaty (1957), Directive 2011/70/Euratom, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1214, the Paris Convention on nuclear third party liability, Spanish Law 12/2011 on civil liability for nuclear damage and Royal Decree 102/2014.
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 CYCLUS, MESSAGE (IAEA), Python (pandas), Microsoft Excel and @RISK, 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 suitable computer 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.
Related programmes
Diploma in Afterburners and Military Power Management
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in afterburners and military power management. 8 modules covering military turbofans, afterburner thermodynamics and design, nozzles, FADEC engine control, power…
Diploma in Nuclear Power Plant Modernisation Programmes
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in nuclear power plant modernisation programmes. 8 modules covering long-term operation, ageing management, I&C modernisation, cybersecurity and human factors, obsolescence…
Diploma in Ethics and Policy of Multi-Domain Operations
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in the ethics and policy of multi-domain operations. 8 modules covering the ethical foundations of security, public defence policy, emerging…
More in Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
All Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships