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Master'sDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Master’s in Ballistic Protection, APS and Multispectral Signature Management Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in ballistic protection, APS and multispectral signature management engineering, with 12 modules covering protection materials, STANAG 4569 and AEP-55 testing, explicit impact simulation, occupant protection, active protection systems, signature management, CBRN and fire protection, and the legal and ethical framework, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse platform survivability within its legal and ethical framework.

02

Select protection materials using technical criteria.

03

Interpret protection and testing standards.

04

Apply explicit impact simulation validated against tests.

05

Assess occupant protection and CBRN and fire protection systems.

06

Understand the fundamentals of multispectral signature management.

07

Integrate protection into the design with balanced trade-offs.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Platform survivability engineers seeking a complete view of protection, APS and signatures.
  • Protection materials engineers working with steels, ceramics and composites.
  • Impact simulation analysts using explicit finite element codes.
  • Signature management engineers dealing with thermal, acoustic and visual signatures.
  • Qualification test engineers planning and interpreting standardised tests.
  • System safety engineers working on land vehicle platforms.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • STANAG 4569 (protection levels for occupants of logistic and light armoured vehicles)
  • AEP-55 (procedures for evaluating the protection levels of vehicles)
  • ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (general requirements for the competence of testing laboratories)
  • EN 1063 (security glazing: resistance against bullet attack)
  • NIJ Standard 0108.01 (ballistic resistant protective materials)
  • MIL-STD-882E (system safety)
  • Regulation (EU) 2021/821 (control of dual-use items)
  • LS-DYNA
  • Ansys Autodyn
  • Abaqus/Explicit
  • MuSES (ThermoAnalytics)
  • MATLAB
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Concept of platform survivability
  2. 1.2The survivability onion model
  3. 1.3Crew protection requirements
  4. 1.4Balancing protection, mobility and weight
  5. 1.5History of vehicle protection
  6. 1.6Legal and humanitarian framework
  7. 1.7Ethics of protection research
  8. 1.8Export control of materials
  9. 1.9Open sources and academic literature
  10. 1.10Case study: analysis of the survivability requirements of a public programme
  1. 2.1High-hardness armour steels
  2. 2.2Aluminium and titanium alloys
  3. 2.3Technical ceramics: alumina and boron carbide
  4. 2.4Aramid and UHMW polyethylene composites
  5. 2.5Protective glass and transparencies
  6. 2.6Hybrid materials
  7. 2.7Mechanical characterisation at high strain rates
  8. 2.8Material selection using merit indices
  9. 2.9Manufacturing and quality control
  10. 2.10Lab: material characterisation with standardised tests
  1. 3.1STANAG 4569 and protection levels
  2. 3.2AEP-55 and its volumes
  3. 3.3Civil standards: EN 1063 and EN 1522
  4. 3.4NIJ 0108 standard for materials
  5. 3.5VPAM and European testing standards
  6. 3.6ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories
  7. 3.7Planning of qualification tests
  8. 3.8Safety in test facilities
  9. 3.9Interpretation of results
  10. 3.10Practical: review of a standardised test report
  1. 4.1Fundamentals of impact dynamics
  2. 4.2Explicit finite element methods
  3. 4.3Johnson-Cook constitutive models
  4. 4.4Damage and fracture models
  5. 4.5SPH and meshless methods
  6. 4.6Validation against tests
  7. 4.7Uncertainty in simulation
  8. 4.8Computational resources
  9. 4.9Ethics and information control
  10. 4.10Lab: explicit simulation of impact on a plate with LS-DYNA
  1. 5.1Injury biomechanics
  2. 5.2Standardised injury criteria
  3. 5.3Energy-absorbing seats
  4. 5.4Floors and safety spaces
  5. 5.5Restraint of interior equipment
  6. 5.6Anthropomorphic dummies
  7. 5.7Hearing protection
  8. 5.8Emergency evacuation
  9. 5.9Occupant protection testing
  10. 5.10Case study: interpretation of dummy data from a standardised test
  1. 6.1Concept and classification of APS
  2. 6.2High-level architecture: sensors, processing and response
  3. 6.3Safety regulations for nearby personnel
  4. 6.4Collateral risks and third-party damage
  5. 6.5Integration into the vehicle architecture
  6. 6.6Human oversight requirements
  7. 6.7Ethical and legal debate on automation
  8. 6.8Safety assessment and certification
  9. 6.9State of the art in open sources
  10. 6.10Workshop: risk analysis for nearby personnel
  1. 7.1Visual signatures
  2. 7.2Thermal and infrared signatures
  3. 7.3Acoustic signatures
  4. 7.4Radar signatures at a high level
  5. 7.5Physics of emissivity and reflectance
  6. 7.6Laboratory signature measurement
  7. 7.7Thermal signature modelling
  8. 7.8Low-signature materials and coatings: principles
  9. 7.9Interaction between signature and thermal management
  10. 7.10Lab: emissivity measurement with a thermal camera
  1. 8.1Signature requirements across the life cycle
  2. 8.2Thermal design for signature reduction
  3. 8.3Management of exhaust and heat sources
  4. 8.4Vehicle noise reduction
  5. 8.5Trade-offs with ventilation and cooling
  6. 8.6Thermal signature simulation
  7. 8.7Field signature testing
  8. 8.8Coating maintenance
  9. 8.9Environmental impact of coatings
  10. 8.10Case study: thermal balance and signature of a compartment
  1. 9.1Collective CBRN protection
  2. 9.2Filtration and overpressure systems
  3. 9.3Fire detection and suppression
  4. 9.4Extinguishing agents and regulations
  5. 9.5Fuel tank protection
  6. 9.6Lithium battery risks
  7. 9.7Personnel safety during maintenance
  8. 9.8Testing of suppression systems
  9. 9.9Applicable standards
  10. 9.10Practical: sizing of a compartment fire suppression system
  1. 10.1Protection weight budgets
  2. 10.2Modular and adaptable protection
  3. 10.3Integration into the hull
  4. 10.4Effects on mobility and transportability
  5. 10.5Effects on the centre of gravity
  6. 10.6Maintainability of modules
  7. 10.7Cost of protection
  8. 10.8Multi-objective optimisation
  9. 10.9Configuration management
  10. 10.10Case study: weight optimisation of a modular kit
  1. 11.1International humanitarian law
  2. 11.2Legal review of new technologies
  3. 11.3Dual-use export control
  4. 11.4Information security in research
  5. 11.5Responsible publication
  6. 11.6Safety in test laboratories
  7. 11.7AQAP quality
  8. 11.8Professional responsibility
  9. 11.9Communication with society
  10. 11.10Workshop: analysis of responsible publication of results
  1. 12.1Definition of the survivability problem
  2. 12.2Literature review from open sources
  3. 12.3Selection of materials or systems
  4. 12.4Modelling and simulation
  5. 12.5Standardised test plan
  6. 12.6Analysis of design trade-offs
  7. 12.7Legal and ethical analysis
  8. 12.8Conclusions
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

The programme is delivered 100% online 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, making it compatible with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, Ansys Autodyn, Abaqus/Explicit, MuSES (ThermoAnalytics) and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for characterising protection materials with standardised tests, explicit impact simulation validated against tests, and thermal signature measurement and modelling. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: STANAG 4569, AEP-55, ISO/IEC 17025:2017, EN 1063, NIJ Standard 0108.01, MIL-STD-882E and Regulation (EU) 2021/821.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of STANAG 4569, AEP-55 and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:LS-DYNA, Ansys Autodyn, Abaqus/Explicit, MuSES (ThermoAnalytics) and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a complete survivability project covering material or system selection, modelling and simulation, a standardised test plan and design trade-off analysis, 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.

Material characterisation
Characterise protection materials using standardised tests.
Explicit impact simulation
Simulate an impact on a plate in LS-DYNA and validate it against test data.
Signature measurement
Measure emissivity with a thermal camera and model the thermal signature of a compartment.
Modular kit optimisation
Optimise the weight of a modular protection kit within the vehicle trade-offs.
Master's Thesis
Develop a complete survivability project with a standardised test plan, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Platform survivability engineerProtection materials engineerImpact simulation analystSignature management engineerQualification test engineerSystem safety engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • 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.

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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, Ansys Autodyn, Abaqus/Explicit, MuSES (ThermoAnalytics) and MATLAB, 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 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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