Diploma in Fuel Enrichment and Fabrication
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in nuclear fuel enrichment and fabrication. 8 modules covering conversion to hexafluoride, enrichment and safeguards, ceramic pellet fabrication, cladding and structural components, fuel assembly design, criticality and radiological safety, and quality and materials control, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Fuel Enrichment and Fabrication — 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: €895 (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
Understand the transformation chain from concentrate to UF6.
Explain the principles of enrichment and its safeguards regime.
Describe the fabrication processes for ceramic pellets and cladding.
Analyse the thermomechanical and neutronic design of the fuel assembly.
Apply criticality safety and radiation protection criteria.
Implement quality and nuclear material control systems.
Develop a fuel fabrication project.
Who it's for
- Nuclear fuel fabrication engineers.
- Criticality safety engineers.
- Nuclear quality assurance specialists.
- Nuclear materials engineers.
- Nuclear material accountancy technicians.
- Fuel design engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the nuclear energy sector.
What you'll work with
- INFCIRC/153 (IAEA comprehensive safeguards agreements)
- Additional Protocol, INFCIRC/540 (strengthened IAEA safeguards)
- IAEA SSR-4 (safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities)
- ANSI/ANS-8.1 (nuclear criticality safety outside reactors)
- ISO 7195 (packaging of uranium hexafluoride for transport)
- 10 CFR 50 Appendix B (quality assurance criteria for nuclear facilities)
- Regulation (Euratom) 302/2005 (application of Euratom safeguards)
- IAEA SSR-6 (Rev. 1) (safe transport of radioactive material)
- SCALE (KENO)
- MCNP
- FRAPCON
- Thermo-Calc
8 modules
1.1Uranium concentrates and specifications1.2Purification and uranium chemistry1.3Conversion to UF6: an overview1.4Physico-chemical properties of UF61.5Chemical hazards of UF6 and HF1.6UF6 cylinders according to ISO 71951.7Safe handling and leak control1.8Inspection and recertification of cylinders1.9Transport of UF61.10Case study: risk analysis of a cylinder store
2.1Isotope separation: physical principles2.2Separative work units2.3Historical evolution of the technologies2.4Gas centrifugation: general concept2.5Low-enriched uranium and HALEU2.6Management of depleted uranium2.7Safeguards in enrichment plants2.8The NPT and the Additional Protocol2.9Nuclear Suppliers Group Guidelines2.10Workshop: SWU balance calculations
3.1Deconversion to UO2 powder3.2Pressing and sintering3.3Density, microstructure and grain size3.4Grinding and dimensional control3.5Pellets with gadolinium burnable poison3.6Specific features of MOX fuel3.7Recycling of fabrication rejects3.8Moisture and impurity control3.9Metallographic characterisation3.10Lab: characterisation of ceramic pellets
4.1Zircaloy, ZIRLO and M5 alloys4.2Manufacture of cladding tubes4.3Spacer grids and springs4.4Nozzles and the assembly skeleton4.5End plug welding4.6Accident-tolerant fuels4.7Chromium coatings and SiC cladding4.8Autoclave corrosion testing4.9ASTM standards for zirconium4.10Case study: selection of cladding materials
5.1PWR, BWR and VVER geometries5.2Thermomechanical design of rods5.3Internal pressure and fission gases5.4Neutronic design and enrichment zoning5.5Pellet-cladding interaction5.6Flow-induced vibration and fretting5.7Design codes such as FRAPCON5.8Design licensing5.9Fuels for modular reactors5.10Practical exercise: thermomechanical simulation with FRAPCON
6.1Criticality safety in fabrication plants6.2Control by mass, geometry and moderation6.3The ANSI/ANS-8.1 standard6.4Criticality calculations with KENO and MCNP6.5Criticality alarm systems6.6Radiation protection in fabrication6.7Contamination control and zoning6.8Fabrication waste6.9Lessons from the Tokaimura accident6.10Workshop: criticality analysis of a process step
7.1Quality assurance according to 10 CFR 50 Appendix B7.2Inspection of finished assemblies7.3Batch traceability7.4Nuclear material accountancy and control7.5Euratom and IAEA inspections7.6Licensing of fuel cycle facilities7.7Experience of the Juzbado fuel plant7.8Supplier audits7.9Management of non-conformities7.10Case study: final inspection plan
8.1Product definition and specifications8.2Fabrication process flow8.3Material and supplier requirements8.4Criticality safety analysis8.5Quality and inspection plan8.6Material accountancy and safeguards8.7Risks and preventive measures8.8Conclusions8.9Report 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 standard and applied exercises. The working software is SCALE (KENO), MCNP, FRAPCON and Thermo-Calc, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: metallographic characterisation of ceramic pellets, criticality analyses of fabrication steps and corrosion tests on zirconium alloys. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: INFCIRC/153, Additional Protocol (INFCIRC/540), IAEA SSR-4, ANSI/ANS-8.1, ISO 7195, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, Regulation (Euratom) 302/2005 and IAEA SSR-6 (Rev. 1).
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 SCALE (KENO), MCNP, FRAPCON and Thermo-Calc, 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.
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