Master’s in Urban Emergency Management and Critical Infrastructure Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in urban emergency management and critical infrastructure engineering. 12 modules covering civil protection law, critical infrastructure identification, risk analysis, emergency planning, command centres, alerting, evacuation, recovery and exercises, applying Law 17/2015, Law 8/2011 and QGIS, with an assigned technical tutor.
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 critical infrastructure and its urban interdependencies.
Apply the regulatory framework for civil protection and critical infrastructure.
Analyse risks using standardised methodologies.
Draw up emergency plans and specific protection plans.
Organise coordination and communication in emergencies.
Plan the recovery and continuity of essential services.
Design and evaluate exercises and drills.
Who it's for
- Civil protection officers responsible for territorial and special plans.
- Critical infrastructure security managers.
- Municipal emergency coordinators.
- Crisis management consultants.
- Urban risk analysts.
- Heads of emergency coordination centres.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter public administration and civil protection.
What you'll work with
- Law 17/2015 (Spanish National Civil Protection System)
- Law 8/2011 (protection of critical infrastructure)
- Royal Decree 704/2011 (Critical Infrastructure Protection Regulation)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2557 (resilience of critical entities)
- Royal Decree 393/2007 (Basic Self-Protection Standard)
- ISO 22320:2018 (emergency management)
- ISO 31000:2018 (risk management)
- Royal Decree 524/2023 (Basic Civil Protection Standard)
- QGIS
- ArcGIS
- Pathfinder
- Microsoft Power BI
- HEC-RAS
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Types of emergency in the city1.2The risk management cycle1.3Sendai Framework 2015-20301.4The Spanish National Civil Protection System1.5Critical infrastructure and essential services1.6Interdependencies between sectors1.7Urban vulnerability to emergencies1.8Resilient cities and preparedness1.9Lessons from major urban emergencies1.10Case study: analysis of a recent urban emergency
2.1Law 17/2015 on the National Civil Protection System2.2Basic Civil Protection Standard2.3Territorial and special plans2.4Basic Self-Protection Standard2.5Law 8/2011 on critical infrastructure2.6Directive (EU) 2022/2557 on the resilience of critical entities2.7Municipal emergency plans2.8Powers of the different administrations2.9Operator responsibilities2.10Practical exercise: structure of a municipal territorial plan
3.1Strategic sectors under the law3.2Critical infrastructure catalogue3.3Criticality criteria3.4Mapping of urban assets3.5Dependency analysis3.6Single points of failure3.7Water, energy and telecommunications networks3.8Transport and logistics3.9Health and food3.10Workshop: interdependency map of urban services
4.1Qualitative and quantitative methodologies4.2ISO 31000 applied to infrastructure4.3Threat scenarios4.4Probability and impact4.5Physical vulnerability analysis4.6Natural hazards in urban environments4.7Technological and industrial risks4.8Cascading effects4.9Risk matrices4.10Lab: risk analysis of a water supply network
5.1Structure of emergency plans5.2Planning scenarios5.3Organisation and functions5.4Standard operating procedures5.5Activation levels5.6Municipal action plans5.7Coordination between plans5.8Catalogue of means and resources5.9Implementation and maintenance5.10Practical exercise: action plan for urban flooding
6.1112 emergency coordination centres6.2Forward command posts6.3Incident management system6.4Emergency communications6.5TETRA and broadband networks6.6Geographic information systems in emergencies6.7Decision-making under pressure6.8Interoperability between services6.9Logging and traceability6.10Case study: command post during a blackout
7.1Operator security plans7.2Specific protection plans7.3Physical security of facilities7.4Cybersecurity of control systems7.5Integrated physical and logical security7.6Access management7.7Perimeter protection of facilities7.8Intrusion response7.9Security audits7.10Workshop: specific protection plan for an urban substation
8.1Early warning systems8.2Public warnings: ES-Alert8.3Risk communication8.4Social media in emergencies8.5Disinformation and rumours8.6Communication with vulnerable groups8.7Spokesperson role and media relations8.8Messaging in crisis situations8.9Evaluation of communication8.10Practical exercise: warning protocol for an extreme heat episode
9.1Criteria for evacuation or sheltering in place9.2Routes and assembly points9.3Evacuation of high-rise buildings9.4Evacuation simulation9.5Shelters and care for evacuees9.6People with special needs9.7Urban humanitarian logistics9.8Return to normality9.9Management of fatalities and victims9.10Lab: evacuation simulation of a neighbourhood
10.1Restoration of essential services10.2Prioritisation of repairs10.3Continuity of municipal services10.4Damage assessment10.5Building back better after a disaster10.6Psychosocial support for those affected10.7Recovery funding10.8Insurance and the Spanish Insurance Compensation Consortium10.9Lessons learnt from emergencies10.10Case study: recovery plan after a DANA (cut-off low) flood event
11.1Types: tabletop, functional and full-scale11.2Scenario design11.3Objectives and evaluation criteria11.4Organisation and logistics11.5Evaluation and observers11.6Lessons-learnt reports11.7Multi-year exercise programmes11.8Training of responders11.9Culture of public preparedness11.10Workshop: design of a multi-agency tabletop exercise
12.1Selection of the urban area12.2Inventory of critical infrastructure12.3Analysis of risks and interdependencies12.4Emergency or protection plan12.5Alerting and communication strategy12.6Exercise plan12.7Resilience assessment12.8Conclusions and future lines of work12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
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, so it is compatible with full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, ArcGIS, Pathfinder, Microsoft Power BI and HEC-RAS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. You work on real procedures for multi-agency tabletop exercises, analysis of service interdependencies and urban evacuation simulations. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Law 17/2015; Law 8/2011; Royal Decree 704/2011; Directive (EU) 2022/2557; Royal Decree 393/2007; ISO 22320:2018; ISO 31000:2018; Royal Decree 524/2023.
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
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- 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.
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 QGIS, ArcGIS, Pathfinder, Microsoft Power BI and HEC-RAS, 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, plus 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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