Urban Flood Risk Course
Online 300-hour course in Urban Flood Risk. 6 modules covering Directive 2007/60/CE on the assessment and management of flood risks, Royal Decree 903/2010 on flood risk assessment and management, and HEC-RAS. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Urban Flood Risk Course — studying from Malta
Malta's civil engineering sector is active, driven by ongoing construction, infrastructure upgrades, coastal works and urban regeneration projects across the islands. Demand for civil engineers is closely linked to public works, land development and the modernisation of transport networks. Smart city initiatives, including digital mapping, traffic management and sustainable urban planning, are increasingly relevant. Engineers typically find employment with contractors, consultancies, government departments and utility providers managing infrastructure in a densely populated environment.
Fees for Malta: €644 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Malta
Typical roles
Questions from Malta
Which Maltese bodies regulate civil engineering and related professional practice?
The Chamber of Engineers (KSU) regulates the use of the title 'engineer' in Malta under the Engineering Profession Act. Planning and development matters fall under the Planning Authority, and public works and transport infrastructure involve government agencies including Transport Malta. A SEIUM qualification does not itself grant a regulated title; recognition is decided by employers or the relevant body.
What employers in Malta would value civil, rail or smart city engineering skills?
Malta's construction, infrastructure, consultancy and public sector firms are the main employers, along with transport and utilities bodies. Smart city and digital infrastructure work is growing in some areas. Employers typically look for chartered-level experience and licensing, so a private qualification should be seen as supporting your professional development rather than a substitute for those requirements.
How can I study this while working on site, and what support is there?
The programme is delivered entirely online in English, so you can study from anywhere in Malta without a student visa. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, and the course ends with a final project. Time commitment depends on the programme length, from 300 to 1,900 hours. Ask about instalment payments and employer sponsorship to help manage costs.
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
Analyse the hydrological processes that generate urban floods.
Build calibrated two-dimensional hydraulic flood models.
Prepare hazard and risk maps in accordance with Directive 2007/60/CE.
Design sustainable urban drainage systems and attenuation measures.
Estimate expected damage using depth-damage curves.
Plan emergency response and warning systems.
Evaluate mitigation alternatives using technical and economic criteria.
Who it's for
- Hydraulic Engineer wishing to specialize in urban flood risk.
- Flood Risk Management Technician wishing to specialize in urban flood risk.
- Urban Drainage Consultant wishing to specialize in urban flood risk.
- Civil protection technician wishing to specialise in urban flood risk.
- Hydrological modeller wishing to specialize in urban flood risk.
- Sanitation Infrastructure Manager Wishing to Specialise in Urban Flood Risk.
- Engineering or Science Graduates Seeking to Join River Basin Authorities.
What you'll work with
- Directive 2007/60/CE on the assessment and management of flood risks
- Royal Decree 903/2010 on flood risk assessment and management
- Basic Civil Protection Planning Guideline for Flood Risk
- Royal Decree 849/1986 Regulation of the Public Hydraulic Domain
- Royal Legislative Decree 1/2001 Consolidated Text of the Water Act
- UNE-EN 752 Drain and sewer systems outside buildings
- Flood Risk Adaptation Guide (MITECO)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Typologies: fluvial, pluvial, coastal and dam-break floods1.2Hydrological cycle in impermeabilised catchments1.3IDF curves and design storms1.4Return periods and probability of exceedance1.5Rational method and SCS curve number1.6Unit hydrographs and time of concentration1.7Effect of climate change on extreme precipitation1.8DANA episodes on the Mediterranean coast1.9AEMET data and SAIH networks1.10Practical: building IDF curves from rainfall series
2.1Free-surface flow and Saint-Venant equations2.2One-dimensional and two-dimensional models2.3LiDAR digital terrain models from PNOA2.4Manning roughness in urban environments2.5Depth, velocity and combined hazard2.6Dual modelling of drainage network and surface2.7Calibration with historical events2.8Dam and reservoir failure2.9Coastal flooding from storms and tides2.10Laboratory: 2D HEC-RAS model of an urban reach
3.1Directive 2007/60/CE and its transposition3.2Preliminary flood risk assessment3.3Areas of potentially significant flood risk (ARPSI)3.4Hazard and risk maps of the SNCZI3.5Preferential flow zone and public hydraulic domain3.6Exposure of population, property and services3.7Depth-damage curves for urban uses3.8Expected annual damage and economic losses3.9Social vulnerability to flooding3.10Case study: risk map for a riverside municipality
4.1Combined and separate sewer networks4.2Sizing of collectors and storm tanks4.3Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)4.4Permeable pavements, green swales and rain gardens4.5Floodable parks and attenuation plains4.6Modelling the stormwater network with SWMM4.7Control of combined sewer overflows (CSO)4.8Maintenance and preventive cleaning of gullies4.9Landscape integration of water in the city4.10Workshop: designing SUDS for a housing development
5.1Flood Risk Management Plans (PGRI)5.2Basic Civil Protection Guideline for Floods5.3Warning Thresholds and AEMET Weather Warnings5.4Real-Time Hydrological Warning Systems5.5Road Closures, Underpasses and Car Parks5.6Evacuation of Vulnerable Population5.7Self-protection measures in buildings5.8Recovery, Clean-Up and the Insurance Compensation Consortium5.9Analysis of the 2024 Valencia DANA5.10Case Study: Closure Protocol for Underpasses
6.1Delimitation of the urban study catchment6.2Hydrological analysis of the design storm6.3Construction of the hydraulic model6.4Depth and hazard maps6.5Damage and exposure assessment6.6Proposal of structural measures and SUDS6.7Non-structural and warning measures6.8Cost-benefit analysis of alternatives6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, EPA SWMM, Iber, QGIS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practicals cover real procedures for two-dimensional modelling of a flood on an urban reach, design of sustainable drainage solutions in a neighbourhood, and assessment of expected damage in an area of significant risk. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Analyse the hydrological processes that generate urban floods.
Build calibrated two-dimensional hydraulic flood models.
Prepare hazard and risk maps in accordance with Directive 2007/60/CE.
Design sustainable urban drainage systems and attenuation measures.
Estimate expected damage using depth-damage curves.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
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 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with full-time work.
You will work with HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, EPA SWMM, Iber, QGIS. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
SEIUM's own diploma upon passing continuous assessment and the integrative project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the higher programme. Check the recognition policy when enrolling.
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