Course on Social Innovation in Digital Urban Projects
Online course of 300 hours in social innovation in digital urban projects: 6 modules covering social innovation and the city, design methodologies, technology for the community, governance and funding, and social impact evaluation, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Social Innovation in Digital Urban Projects — studying from the United Kingdom
Civil and infrastructure engineering is a major employment sector in the United Kingdom, with significant activity in transport, water, energy and urban regeneration. Rail projects such as HS2 and ongoing network upgrades by Network Rail create demand for engineers in track, signalling, structures and systems. Smart city initiatives in cities including Manchester, Glasgow and Milton Keynes apply digital technologies to mobility, utilities and public services. Major contractors and consultancies including Balfour Beatty, Arup and AECOM employ civil and rail professionals across the country.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £664 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK professional bodies are relevant to civil and rail engineering qualifications?
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and, for rail, bodies such as the Permanent Way Institution and the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers are relevant in the UK. Chartered status is handled through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so you should confirm with ICE or the relevant institution how your study would be treated.
Do UK civil, rail and smart city employers recognise online private qualifications?
UK infrastructure employers, including consultancies, contractors, rail operators and local authorities, generally recruit based on competence, professional registration and project experience. A private qualification can add to your profile, but employers decide its relevance. Practical experience and progress towards professional registration usually carry more weight.
How does online study fit with a UK working schedule, and what about funding?
Online study lets you keep working in the UK, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Fees are payable in instalments, and some employers support job-related training, which is common practice in general terms but varies by employer. Each programme has a defined number of hours and an assigned technical tutor. Review the hours and funding options before enrolling.
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
Understand the concepts and ecosystems of urban social innovation.
Apply human-centred design and co-creation methodologies.
Select civic technologies that serve the community.
Design sustainable governance and funding models.
Evaluate social impact with quantitative and qualitative indicators.
Prevent risks of exclusion and surveillance in digital projects.
Develop an urban social innovation project with a digital component.
Who it's for
- Social innovation managers.
- Citizen lab facilitators.
- Public service designers.
- Community development officers.
- Social impact consultants.
- Civic technology project coordinators.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into local government.
What you'll work with
- ISO 56002 (innovation management system guidance)
- ISO 37101 (management system for sustainable development in communities)
- ISO 26000 (guidance on social responsibility)
- Ley 5/2011 (Spanish social economy law)
- ISO 37106 (guidance on smart city operating models)
- UNE 178201 (Spanish smart city definition, attributes and requirements)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) (EU General Data Protection Regulation)
- Ley 9/2017 (LCSP) (Spanish Public Sector Contracts Law)
- Miro
- Decidim
- OpenStreetMap
- Sensor.Community
- KoboToolbox
6 modules
1.1Concepts of social innovation1.2The difference between technological and social innovation1.3Urban social challenges1.4Social innovation ecosystems1.5Urban living labs1.6The quadruple helix model1.7The social economy and the third sector1.8Civic technologies and civic tech1.9Critiques of the techno-centric smart city1.10Case study: map of a city's social initiatives
2.1Human-centred design2.2Design thinking applied to public services2.3Ethnographic research and interviews2.4Stakeholder and experience maps2.5Co-creation with citizens2.6Rapid service prototyping2.7Experimentation and pilot tests2.8Scaling solutions2.9Innovation management with ISO 560022.10Workshop: co-creation session on a neighbourhood challenge
3.1Neighbourhood collaborative platforms3.2Citizen data and citizen science3.3Community air quality sensors3.4Collaborative mapping with OpenStreetMap3.5Time banks and collaborative economies3.6Technologies for care and unwanted loneliness3.7Free software and digital commons3.8Inclusive and accessible design3.9Risks of exclusion and surveillance3.10Lab: deploying a citizen sensor network
4.1Collaboration between public administration and the community4.2Public procurement of social innovation4.3Innovation grants and prizes4.4Impact investment4.5Social impact bonds4.6Platform cooperatives4.7Social responsibility under ISO 260004.8Project sustainability4.9The framework of Ley 5/2011 on the social economy4.10Practical exercise: sustainability model for a neighbourhood initiative
5.1Theory of change5.2Social impact indicators5.3Social return on investment5.4Qualitative methods and storytelling5.5Participatory evaluation with the community5.6Measuring social capital5.7Equity and inclusion in outcomes5.8Communicating impact5.9Learning and continuous improvement5.10Case study: impact evaluation of a citizen lab
6.1Identifying the social challenge6.2Stakeholder and community map6.3User research6.4Co-creating the solution6.5Designing the technology component6.6Prototype and pilot6.7Sustainability model6.8Impact evaluation plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
The course is taught 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. You work with Miro, Decidim, OpenStreetMap, Sensor.Community and KoboToolbox, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: a co-creation session on an urban challenge, prototyping a digital community service and evaluating the social impact of a pilot. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: ISO 56002, ISO 37101, ISO 26000, Ley 5/2011, ISO 37106, UNE 178201, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Ley 9/2017 (LCSP).
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.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run 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 Miro, Decidim, OpenStreetMap, Sensor.Community and KoboToolbox, 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 a computer with an internet connection 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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