Course on the Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Areas
Online course of 300 hours in the impact of climate change on coastal zones. 6 modules covering climate and the coastline, physical, ecological and socio-economic impacts, coastal risk assessment and adaptation strategies, applying Law 7/2021, Law 22/1988 on Coasts and the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2021-2030 with QGIS, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on the Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Areas — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,280 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
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
Interpret the climate projections that affect the coast.
Analyse the physical impacts of climate change on the coastline.
Evaluate the associated ecological and socio-economic effects.
Apply coastal risk assessment methodologies.
Select adaptation strategies: protection, accommodation or retreat.
Integrate adaptation into coastal planning.
Prepare an adaptation plan for a stretch of coast.
Who it's for
- Climate change adaptation technicians.
- Coastal engineers.
- Climate risk analysts.
- Coastal planning consultants.
- Municipal environmental officers.
- Researchers in coastal dynamics.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join the coastal administration.
What you'll work with
- Law 7/2021 (climate change and energy transition)
- Law 22/1988 (Spanish Coastal Law)
- National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2021-2030
- Directive 2007/60/EC (assessment and management of flood risks)
- Royal Decree 903/2010 (assessment and management of flood risks)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 (European Climate Law)
- ICZM Protocol (integrated management of Mediterranean coastal zones)
- ISO 14090 (adaptation to climate change: principles, requirements and guidelines)
- QGIS
- C3E coastal scenarios viewer
- Copernicus Marine Service
- CoastSat
- XBeach
6 modules
1.1Physical basis of climate change1.2IPCC reports and SSP scenarios1.3Mean sea-level rise1.4Changes in waves, storms and storm surges1.5Ocean warming and acidification1.6Regional projections for the Spanish coast1.7Uncertainty and projection ranges1.8Data sources: Copernicus and the C3E viewer1.9Coastal vulnerability indices1.10Case study: sea-level projections for a port
2.1Permanent and episodic coastal flooding2.2Beach retreat and the Bruun rule2.3Effects on deltas and wetlands2.4Saline intrusion into coastal aquifers2.5Changes in port operability2.6Overtopping and damage to promenades2.7Compound effects: rainfall and tide2.8Recent extreme events: Storm Gloria2.9Mapping future flooding2.10Practical exercise: calculating retreat with the Bruun rule
3.1Posidonia meadows and their protective role3.2Salt marshes and blue carbon3.3Dunes and coastal ecosystems3.4Fisheries and aquaculture3.5Sun-and-beach tourism3.6Exposed critical infrastructure and housing3.7Economic valuation of damage3.8Inequality and social vulnerability3.9Insurance and residual risk3.10Workshop: estimating coastal flood damage
4.1Hazard, exposure and vulnerability framework4.2IPCC AR6 methodologies4.3Coastal risk indicators4.4Multi-criteria analysis in GIS4.5Coastal flood models4.6Risk to port infrastructure4.7Analysis of thresholds and tipping points4.8Municipal risk sheets4.9Risk communication4.10Lab: coastal risk map in QGIS
5.1Protection, accommodation and retreat5.2Adaptation pathways5.3Nature-based solutions on the coast5.4Coastal adaptation plans5.5Strategy for the Adaptation of the Coast to Climate Change5.6National Climate Change Adaptation Plan5.7Financing adaptation5.8Multi-level governance of adaptation5.9Adaptation monitoring and indicators5.10Case study: adaptation plan for a coastal municipality
6.1Selection of the stretch and its context6.2Reference climate scenarios6.3Analysis of future hazard6.4Assessment of exposure and vulnerability6.5Resulting risk map6.6Definition of adaptation measures6.7Adaptive roadmap6.8Monitoring indicators6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your 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 it fits around your work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, the C3E coastal scenarios viewer, Copernicus Marine Service, CoastSat and XBeach, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures for analysing sea-level rise scenarios, mapping coastal risk and designing adaptation pathways. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Law 7/2021, Law 22/1988, National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2021-2030, Directive 2007/60/EC, Royal Decree 903/2010, Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean, ISO 14090.
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
- No prior qualification is required.
- An 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 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with QGIS, the C3E coastal scenarios viewer, Copernicus Marine Service, CoastSat and XBeach, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, 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.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, 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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