Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality
800-hour online Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality. 8 modules covering Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive), Directive 2008/56/EC (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and MIKE 21. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality — 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$2,160 (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
Describe the oceanographic processes that condition coastal water quality.
Interpret the European and Spanish regulatory framework for coastal waters.
Identify sources of pressure and their impact on water bodies.
Design monitoring networks and surveillance programmes.
Model water quality and the dispersion of discharges.
Assess the ecological and chemical status of coastal waters.
Develop a management and restoration plan for coastal waters.
Who it's for
- Coastal water quality technician wishing to specialise in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality.
- Environmental oceanographer wishing to specialise in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality.
- Marine impact assessment consultant wishing to specialise in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality.
- Monitoring network manager wishing to specialise in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality.
- Water quality modeller wishing to specialise in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality.
- Coastal hydrological planning technician wishing to specialise in Environmental Management and Coastal Water Quality.
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter environmental and coastal administration.
What you'll work with
- Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive)
- Directive 2008/56/EC (Marine Strategy Framework Directive)
- Directive 2006/7/EC (bathing water)
- Royal Decree 817/2015 (monitoring and assessment of the status of surface waters)
- Royal Decree 1341/2007 (management of bathing water quality)
- Law 41/2010 on the protection of the marine environment
- Directive 2008/105/EC (environmental quality standards)
8 modules · 800 h
1.1Physical processes in coastal waters1.2Stratification and mixing1.3Water renewal in bays and harbours1.4Nutrients and eutrophication1.5Dissolved oxygen and hypoxia1.6Turbidity and suspended solids1.7Microbiological contamination1.8Chemical contaminants and metals1.9Harmful algal blooms1.10Case study: water quality diagnosis of a bay
2.1Water Framework Directive and coastal waters2.2Marine Strategy Framework Directive2.3Directive 2006/7/EC on bathing water2.4Royal Decree 1341/2007 on bathing water2.5Law 41/2010 on the protection of the marine environment2.6Spanish marine strategies2.7Urban wastewater directive2.8Environmental quality standards2.9Barcelona Convention and OSPAR2.10Practice: classification of a bathing area
3.1Urban wastewater discharges3.2Submarine outfalls3.3Overflows from combined sewer systems3.4Industrial discharges3.5Agricultural runoff3.6Port activity and navigation3.7Aquaculture3.8Desalination brine3.9Marine litter and microplastics3.10Workshop: inventory of pressures on a water body
4.1Design of sampling networks4.2Oceanographic buoys and sensors4.3CTD profilers4.4Biological indicators and macroinvertebrates4.5Phytoplankton and chlorophyll4.6Seagrass meadows as an indicator4.7Remote sensing with Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-34.8Autonomous vehicles and gliders4.9Data management and validation4.10Laboratory: analysis of data from a CTD survey campaign
5.1Coastal hydrodynamic models5.2Transport and dispersion models5.3Modelling of outfall plumes5.4Faecal bacteria models and decay5.5Eutrophication models5.6Coupling with waves5.7Calibration and validation5.8Management scenarios5.9Operational forecasting systems5.10Practice: modelling of a submarine outfall
6.1Environmental impact assessment of coastal projects6.2Biological quality elements6.3Ecological status indices6.4Assessment of good environmental status6.5Protected habitats and species6.6Marine Natura 2000 network6.7Cumulative impact assessment6.8Environmental monitoring of works6.9Corrective and compensatory measures6.10Case study: assessment of port dredging
7.1Programmes of measures7.2Improvement of coastal sanitation7.3Management of bathing areas7.4Contingency plans for spills7.5National Maritime Response Plan7.6Restoration of seagrass meadows7.7Management of coastal lagoons7.8Participation and communication7.9Management indicators7.10Workshop: management plan for a bathing area
8.1Delineation of the water body8.2Diagnosis of pressures and impacts8.3Design of the monitoring programme8.4Scenario modelling8.5Status assessment8.6Programme of measures8.7Communication and alerts plan8.8Budget and indicators8.9Report and presentation8.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Fully 100% online training 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 MIKE 21, Delft3D, QGIS, R, TELEMAC, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practicals are based on real procedures from oceanographic sampling campaigns, submarine outfall monitoring and ecological status assessment using biological indicators. Assessment is continuous across each 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.
Describe the oceanographic processes that condition coastal water quality.
Interpret the European and Spanish regulatory framework for coastal waters.
Identify sources of pressure and their impact on water bodies.
Design monitoring networks and surveillance programmes.
Model water quality and the dispersion of discharges.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient command of 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 comprises 800 hours in total, spread over 6 to 8 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The programme uses MIKE 21, Delft3D, QGIS, R, TELEMAC. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the 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 diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Please check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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