Urban Port Works Course
Online course of 300 hours in urban port works, structured in 6 modules covering port-city design bases, breakwaters, berthing structures and quays, port urbanisation and facilities, and construction and maintenance, with an assigned technical tutor.
Urban Port Works Course — 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$1,470 (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
Apply the design bases of the Spanish Maritime Works Recommendations (ROM).
Carry out preliminary sizing of rubble-mound and vertical breakwaters against wave action.
Design berthing structures, quays and fender systems.
Design the urbanisation of port areas opened to the city.
Plan marine construction processes while the city remains in operation.
Establish inspection and maintenance plans for port structures.
Develop a basic design for an urban port work.
Who it's for
- Maritime works engineers.
- Port authority technicians.
- Marine construction site managers.
- Port infrastructure consultants.
- Port-city planning technicians.
- Marine structures inspectors.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to work for port authorities.
What you'll work with
- ROM 0.0-01 (general procedure and design bases for maritime and port works)
- ROM 1.0-09 (design and construction of breakwaters)
- ROM 2.0-11 (design and construction of berthing and mooring works)
- Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011 (Spanish State Ports and Merchant Navy Law)
- ROM 0.5-05 (geotechnical recommendations for maritime and port works)
- Structural Code, Royal Decree 470/2021 (Spanish structural concrete and steel code)
- ROM 4.1-94 (design and construction of port pavements)
- PIANC WG 145 (design of fender systems)
- AutoCAD Civil 3D
- SWAN
- Plaxis
- SAP2000
- BREAKWAT
6 modules
1.1Types of port works1.2The port-city interface and compatible uses1.3Stakeholders: port authorities and the municipality1.4Port land-use plan1.5Maritime climate and acting agents1.6Tides, waves and water levels1.7General criteria of the ROM1.8Design life, risk and nature of the works1.9Geotechnics in port areas1.10Case study: reading a special port plan
2.1Rubble-mound breakwaters: Hudson and Van der Meer2.2Vertical breakwaters: the Goda method2.3Wave overtopping2.4Composite breakwaters and berms2.5Rock armour and artificial units2.6Physical model testing2.7Breakwater defects and repair2.8Breakwaters in urban settings2.9Landscape integration of urban breakwaters2.10Workshop: preliminary sizing of a breakwater main armour layer
3.1Caisson gravity quays3.2Piled quays and platforms3.3Sheet piles and anchored walls3.4Mooring and berthing actions3.5Fenders and bollards3.6Earth pressures and seismic loads3.7Durability of concrete in the marine environment3.8Quays for cruise ships and ferries3.9Floating pontoons and anchoring3.10Practical exercise: fender design for a cruise ship
4.1Port pavements under ROM 4.14.2Sewerage and stormwater networks4.3Water supply and fire protection4.4Lighting of quays and roads4.5Electrical and telecommunications networks4.6Seafront promenades and public spaces4.7Road and rail access4.8Passenger terminal buildings4.9Accessibility and safety of the waterfront4.10Case study: urbanisation of a quay opened to the city
5.1Dredging and management of dredged material5.2Fills and ground improvement5.3Caisson placement5.4Marine construction processes5.5Quality control in marine works5.6Health and safety in port works5.7Impacts on urban activity5.8Inspection and monitoring of structures5.9Port maintenance plan5.10Workshop: construction plan for a quay in service
6.1Definition of the intervention6.2Maritime climate study6.3Breakwater or berthing solution6.4Basic structural calculation6.5Urbanisation and urban integration6.6Construction process and phases6.7Impact and disruption study6.8Budget and quantities6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 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 the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is AutoCAD Civil 3D, SWAN, Plaxis, SAP2000 and BREAKWAT, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for preliminary breakwater sizing, quay and fender calculations and planning port works in an urban environment. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ROM 0.0-01; ROM 1.0-09; ROM 2.0-11; Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011; ROM 0.5-05; Structural Code (Royal Decree 470/2021); ROM 4.1-94; PIANC WG 145.
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 AutoCAD Civil 3D, SWAN, Plaxis, SAP2000 and BREAKWAT, 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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