Postgraduate Diploma in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis
Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis. 8 modules with ISO 14040 (principles of life cycle assessment), ISO 14044 (requirements for life cycle assessment) and SimaPro. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Postgraduate Diploma in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis — studying from New Zealand
New Zealand's energy sector is distinctive for its high share of renewable generation, drawn from hydroelectric, geothermal and wind resources. Transpower operates the national grid, while distribution networks are run by regional lines companies, and the Electricity Authority regulates the wholesale and retail markets. Energy engineers are employed across generation, transmission, distribution and retail, with demand growing as the country works towards its renewable electricity goals.
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 professional recognition applies to energy and network engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is widely used in the energy sector. The Electricity Authority oversees the electricity market, and the Electricity Engineers' Association is an industry body. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so recognition is decided by employers or the relevant body.
Who employs energy and network engineers in New Zealand?
Major employers include electricity lines companies, generators, transmission operators, gas network businesses and consultancies. Roles often value registration, field experience and knowledge of New Zealand's grid and regulation. A private qualification may support your CV, but it does not guarantee employment or a particular career outcome.
Can I study from New Zealand with a full-time job, and does an employer need to fund it?
Yes. The programmes are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from New Zealand without a student visa. You will have an assigned technical tutor and complete a final project. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's programmes 1,900. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible.
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
Apply the life cycle approach to decision-making.
Define the goal, scope and functional unit of an LCA.
Build life cycle inventories using databases.
Select and apply impact assessment methods.
Calculate a product's carbon footprint according to ISO 14067.
Compare the LCA of different energy technologies.
Communicate results through verifiable environmental declarations.
Who it's for
- Life cycle analyst looking to specialise in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis.
- Carbon footprint consultant looking to specialise in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis.
- Product sustainability technician looking to specialise in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis.
- Ecodesign specialist looking to specialise in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis.
- Environmental declarations verifier looking to specialise in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis.
- ESG reporting manager looking to specialise in Life Cycle and Footprint Analysis.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter renewable energies.
What you'll work with
- ISO 14040 (principles of life cycle assessment)
- ISO 14044 (requirements for life cycle assessment)
- ISO 14067 (carbon footprint of products)
- EN 15804 (environmental declarations of construction products)
- ISO 14025 (type III environmental declarations)
- GHG Protocol (corporate standard)
- Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 (PEF/OEF environmental footprint)
8 modules · 800 h
1.1Origin and evolution of life cycle assessment1.2ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards1.3Attributional and consequential approaches1.4System boundaries from cradle to grave1.5Functional unit and reference flow1.6Primary versus secondary data1.7Carbon footprint versus multi-criteria LCA1.8Uses of LCA in the energy sector1.9Critical review and verification1.10Case study: defining the scope of a wind turbine
2.1Process flow diagrams2.2Collecting supplier data2.3ecoinvent and ELCD databases2.4Cut-off rules and completeness2.5Allocation by mass, energy and economic value2.6System expansion and substitution2.7Data quality and pedigree matrix2.8Modelling electricity and grid mixes2.9Transport and logistics in the inventory2.10Practical: inventory of a photovoltaic module
3.1Midpoint and endpoint impact categories3.2ReCiPe, CML and EF 3.1 methods3.3Global warming and IPCC GWP factors3.4Acidification, eutrophication and ecotoxicity3.5Depletion of mineral and fossil resources3.6Water use and AWARE scarcity3.7Normalisation and weighting3.8Interpretation and contribution analysis3.9Uncertainty analysis with Monte Carlo3.10Laboratory: impact assessment with OpenLCA
4.1GHG Protocol corporate and product4.2Scopes 1, 2 and 34.3Location-based and market-based methods4.4ISO 14064-1 for organisations4.5ISO 14067 for products4.6Scope 3 categories in energy4.7Emission factors and official sources4.8Science-based targets SBTi4.9Offsetting, removals and neutrality4.10Workshop: Scope 1 and 2 inventory of a utility company
5.1Photovoltaics: silicon, thin film and tandem5.2Onshore and offshore wind5.3Lithium-ion batteries and their manufacture5.4Green, blue and grey hydrogen5.5Combined-cycle plants and CCS5.6Heat pumps versus boilers5.7Electricity grids and transformers5.8End of life and component recycling5.9Water footprint of power generation5.10Case study: comparison of LFP and NMC batteries
6.1Environmental product declarations EPD6.2Product category rules PCR6.3EN 15804 and ISO 14025 standards6.4Product Environmental Footprint PEF6.5Battery passport and EU Regulation 2023/15426.6CBAM carbon border adjustment mechanism6.7Communication without greenwashing6.8Directive on green claims6.9Third-party verification6.10Practical: critical review of an inverter EPD
7.1Prospective LCA and future scenarios7.2Integrating LCA with life cycle costing7.3Social LCA and its indicators7.4Multi-criteria analysis for decision-making7.5Dynamic LCA and timing of emissions7.6LCA in green public procurement7.7SimaPro, GaBi and OpenLCA tools7.8Automating calculations with Brightway7.9Integration with BIM and digital twins7.10Laboratory: parametric model with Brightway
8.1Definition of goal and scope8.2Functional unit and system boundaries8.3Inventory data collection8.4Modelling in LCA software8.5Impact assessment8.6Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis8.7Interpretation and recommendations8.8Report compliant with ISO 140448.9Dissertation and presentation8.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, allowing them to combine it with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SimaPro, openLCA, Sphera LCA for Experts (GaBi), ecoinvent database, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures for life cycle inventory modelling, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, and critical review of LCA studies. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Apply the life cycle approach to decision-making.
Define the goal, scope and functional unit of an LCA.
Build life cycle inventories using databases.
Select and apply impact assessment methods.
Calculate a product's carbon footprint according to ISO 14067.
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 Spanish-language level to follow the reading of technical regulations.
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 between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You work with SimaPro, openLCA, Sphera LCA for Experts (GaBi), ecoinvent database. 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 integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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