Apply now
Master'sDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Master’s in Advanced Materials for Ballistic Protection and Lightweight Structures Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in advanced materials engineering for ballistic protection and lightweight structures. 12 modules covering protection and lightness, high strain-rate mechanics, protective ceramics, fibres and composites, metals and alloys, protection standards and testing, numerical simulation, lightweight structures, occupant protection, emerging materials and sustainability, with NIJ Standard 0101.07, STANAG 4569 and EN 1063, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor
Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

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.

SIM · LIVE ●
Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse the behaviour of materials at high strain rates.

02

Select protective ceramics, fibres, composites and metals.

03

Apply test standards for personal and vehicle protection.

04

Simulate impacts using explicit finite elements.

05

Design lightweight and multifunctional structures.

06

Assess occupant protection.

07

Take into account the sustainability and life cycle of materials.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Protection materials engineers
  • Impact simulation engineers
  • Composites engineers
  • Lightweight structures engineers
  • Test laboratory managers
  • Occupant protection engineers
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to enter defence and security
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • NIJ Standard 0101.07 (ballistic resistance of body armour)
  • STANAG 4569 (protection levels for occupants of armoured vehicles)
  • EN 1063 (security glazing – bullet resistance)
  • EN 1522 (bullet-resistant windows, doors and shutters)
  • AEP-55 (procedures for evaluating vehicle protection levels)
  • MIL-STD-662F (V50 ballistic test procedure)
  • ASTM D3039 (tensile properties of composites)
  • LS-DYNA
  • Abaqus
  • Ansys Granta
  • MATLAB
  • HyperWorks
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Protection requirements for vehicles and personnel
  2. 1.2Trade-off between protection, weight and mobility
  3. 1.3Standardised protection levels
  4. 1.4History of armour
  5. 1.5Civil applications: security, armoured vehicles and buildings
  6. 1.6A protection and life-saving approach
  7. 1.7Life cycle of protection systems
  8. 1.8Trends in materials
  9. 1.9Sustainability
  10. 1.10Case study: requirements analysis for a protective vest
  1. 2.1Stress waves in solids
  2. 2.2High strain-rate behaviour
  3. 2.3Split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB)
  4. 2.4Johnson-Cook constitutive models
  5. 2.5Equations of state
  6. 2.6Failure criteria
  7. 2.7Fragmentation of brittle materials
  8. 2.8Impact testing
  9. 2.9Scaling of results
  10. 2.10Lab: fitting Johnson-Cook parameters
  1. 3.1Alumina, silicon carbide and boron carbide
  2. 3.2Processing and sintering
  3. 3.3Microstructure and properties
  4. 3.4Failure mechanisms under impact
  5. 3.5Confinement of ceramics
  6. 3.6Ceramic-composite systems
  7. 3.7Characterisation tests
  8. 3.8Cost and manufacturing
  9. 3.9Durability
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: ceramics selection with Ansys Granta
  1. 4.1Aramid fibres
  2. 4.2Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene
  3. 4.3S-glass and carbon fibres
  4. 4.4Fabrics and textile structures
  5. 4.5Laminates and matrices
  6. 4.6Energy absorption mechanisms
  7. 4.7Delamination and damage
  8. 4.8Composite manufacturing
  9. 4.9Mechanical testing
  10. 4.10Workshop: laminate design with virtual testing
  1. 5.1High-hardness steels
  2. 5.2Aluminium alloys
  3. 5.3Titanium alloys
  4. 5.4Magnesium alloys
  5. 5.5Weldability and joints
  6. 5.6Heat treatments
  7. 5.7High-entropy alloys
  8. 5.8Metal additive manufacturing
  9. 5.9Corrosion and protection
  10. 5.10Case study: comparison of alloys by mass efficiency
  1. 6.1NIJ 0101.07 for personal protection
  2. 6.2STANAG 4569 for vehicles
  3. 6.3AEP-55 and procedures
  4. 6.4EN 1063 for security glazing
  5. 6.5EN 1522 for doors and windows
  6. 6.6VPAM and European standards
  7. 6.7V50 procedures
  8. 6.8Back-face deformation measurement
  9. 6.9Role of independent test laboratories
  10. 6.10Practical exercise: V50 statistical analysis
  1. 7.1Explicit finite element methods
  2. 7.2LS-DYNA and Abaqus/Explicit
  3. 7.3SPH and meshless methods
  4. 7.4Modelling ceramics and composites
  5. 7.5Validation against tests
  6. 7.6Sensitivity analysis
  7. 7.7Layer optimisation
  8. 7.8Multiscale modelling
  9. 7.9Limitations of simulation
  10. 7.10Lab: impact simulation in LS-DYNA
  1. 8.1Sandwich structures
  2. 8.2Honeycomb and foam cores
  3. 8.3Lattice structures
  4. 8.4Vehicle hull design
  5. 8.5Structural optimisation
  6. 8.6Fatigue and durability
  7. 8.7Adhesive joints
  8. 8.8Structural repair
  9. 8.9Multifunctional structures
  10. 8.10Workshop: optimisation of a sandwich panel
  1. 9.1Injury biomechanics
  2. 9.2Protection against accelerations
  3. 9.3Seats and energy absorption systems
  4. 9.4Occupant protection standards
  5. 9.5Dummies and injury measurement
  6. 9.6Head protection: helmets
  7. 9.7Ergonomics and load
  8. 9.8Occupant testing
  9. 9.9Occupant simulation
  10. 9.10Case study: analysis of an energy-absorbing seat
  1. 10.1Shear-thickening fluids
  2. 10.2Nanotubes and graphene
  3. 10.3Mechanical metamaterials
  4. 10.4Transparent materials: ALON and spinel
  5. 10.5Self-healing materials
  6. 10.6Bio-inspired materials
  7. 10.7Additive manufacturing of structures
  8. 10.8Composite recycling
  9. 10.9Technology readiness
  10. 10.10Practical exercise: critical review of an emerging material
  1. 11.1Certification of protective products
  2. 11.2Quality management
  3. 11.3Export control of materials
  4. 11.4Intellectual property
  5. 11.5Life cycle assessment
  6. 11.6End-of-life recycling
  7. 11.7Costs and market
  8. 11.8European research projects
  9. 11.9Engineering ethics
  10. 11.10Workshop: life cycle assessment of a panel
  1. 12.1Definition of protection requirements
  2. 12.2Materials selection
  3. 12.3Design of the solution
  4. 12.4Numerical simulation
  5. 12.5Test plan
  6. 12.6Weight and cost assessment
  7. 12.7Sustainability analysis
  8. 12.8Conclusions and future work
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training 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 the intake, so you can combine it with your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, Abaqus, Ansys Granta, MATLAB and HyperWorks, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Real procedures are studied, such as high strain-rate characterisation of materials, finite element impact simulation and statistical analysis of V50 tests. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: NIJ Standard 0101.07, STANAG 4569, EN 1063, EN 1522, AEP-55, MIL-STD-662F, ASTM D3039.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of NIJ Standard 0101.07, STANAG 4569 and EN 1063 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:LS-DYNA, Abaqus, Ansys Granta, MATLAB and HyperWorks, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A protection solution designed from requirements to materials selection, numerical simulation, test plan and weight, cost and sustainability assessment, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Requirements and materials
Define the protection requirements and select the materials.
Solution design
Design the protective solution and its layer configuration.
Numerical simulation
Simulate the impact response with explicit finite elements.
Test plan and assessment
Draw up the test plan and assess weight, cost and sustainability.
Master's Thesis
Present conclusions and future work, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Protection materials engineerImpact simulation engineerComposites engineerLightweight structures engineerTest laboratory managerOccupant protection engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's 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.

Apply now Scholarships
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 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, Ansys Granta, MATLAB and HyperWorks, 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 Master's Thesis. 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 in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme's 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.

Keep exploring

Related programmes

See all in Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
Master's11,090 $

Master’s in Routes, Terrain and Geointelligence

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in routes, terrain and geointelligence. 12 modules covering geodesy and cartography, GIS, digital terrain models, optical and radar remote sensing,…

12–14 monthsOnlineDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
Master's11,090 $

Master’s in Tactical Bridges, Modular Fortification and Base Protection Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in tactical bridge, modular fortification and base protection engineering: 12 modules covering deployable structures, structural analysis of bridges, tactical and…

1900 hOnlineDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
Master's11,090 $

Master’s in Sonar and Underwater Acoustics

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in sonar and underwater acoustics: 12 modules covering physical acoustics, ocean propagation, transducers, arrays and beamforming, sonar signal processing, detection,…

12–14 monthsOnlineDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
Master’s in Advanced Materials for Ballistic Protection and Lightweight Structures EngineeringEnrol
Related programmes

More in Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems

Master’s in Advanced Materials for Ballistic ProtectionView programme →Master’s in Safety Case, RAMS and CertificationView programme →Master’s in Ballistic Protection, APS and Multispectral Signature Management EngineeringView programme →Master’s in Chassis, Suspension and Running Gear for Land Platforms EngineeringView programme →Master’s in Ethics, IHL and Human Rights in Defence Technology EngineeringView programme →Master’s in Rotorcraft Transmissions and Gearboxes EngineeringView programme →

All Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships

Scroll to Top
SEIUM – Institute of Advanced Engineering
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.