Diploma in Cost Engineering and Design Trade-offs
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in cost engineering and design trade-offs: 8 modules covering product cost engineering, cost estimation models, value analysis to EN 12973, design trade-offs, life cycle costing, project cost management and digital costing tools, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Cost Engineering and Design Trade-offs — studying from the United Kingdom
Product design and human-machine interface work is well established in the United Kingdom, supported by design-led manufacturers, consumer electronics firms, automotive studios and digital product agencies. London, Brighton, Manchester and Cambridge host design teams working on interfaces, usability and product development. Engineers and designers collaborate on user experience for vehicles, medical devices, industrial equipment and consumer goods. The Design Council and professional design bodies promote standards in design practice and innovation.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £1,490 (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 relate to design and human-machine interface (HMI) work?
In the UK, the Design Council, the Chartered Society of Designers and the British Computer Society's usability specialist groups are relevant, and the IET covers many product and interface engineering areas. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these organisations. Contact the relevant body to confirm how your study would be viewed.
Do UK product and design employers value private online qualifications in HMI?
UK product, automotive, medical device and technology firms usually hire on the strength of design portfolios, user research experience and technical skill. A private qualification can add to your profile, but employers decide its relevance. A strong portfolio showing real interface and product work is typically the key factor.
How does online study work for someone already employed in the UK, and what is the workload?
Programmes are fully online, so you can study around your UK job without a student visa. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor will guide your work. Each programme has a defined number of hours, and fees can be paid in instalments. Some employers sponsor job-related study, which varies by employer. Check 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
Break down the cost of a product into material, process and overhead.
Build should-cost estimation models.
Apply value analysis in accordance with EN 12973.
Evaluate design trade-offs between cost, weight, quality and sustainability.
Calculate life cycle cost and total cost of ownership.
Manage cost targets throughout the project.
Use digital costing tools and data integration.
Who it's for
- Cost engineers building should-cost models and cost targets.
- Value analysts running functional analysis and value workshops.
- Technical buyers who negotiate with suppliers on a cost-model basis.
- Project controllers tracking cost through development gates.
- Product engineers who must balance cost, weight and performance.
- Benchmarking managers leading teardown and competitor analysis.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- EN 12973 (value management)
- EN 1325 (value management — vocabulary)
- IEC 60300-3-3 (dependability management — life cycle costing)
- VDI 2884 (purchase, operation and maintenance using life cycle costing)
- VDI 2225-1 (design engineering methodology — technical and economic evaluation)
- IATF 16949 (automotive quality management system)
- aPriori
- Siemens Teamcenter Product Cost Management
- Excel
- SAP S/4HANA
- Power BI
8 modules
1.1Cost structure of a vehicle1.2Material, process and overhead costs1.3Target cost and target costing1.4Cost lifecycle1.5Committed cost versus incurred cost1.6The role of the cost engineer1.7Cost data and sources1.8Cost in electric vehicles1.9Warranty and quality costs1.10Case study: cost breakdown of a headlamp
2.1Analogous and parametric estimation2.2Process-based costing2.3Should-cost and supplier models2.4Tooling cost and amortisation2.5Logistics costs2.6Learning curves2.7Sensitivity to volumes2.8Uncertainty in estimates2.9Costing tools2.10Lab: should-cost model of an injection-moulded part
3.1Value management to EN 129733.2Functional analysis and EN 1325 terminology3.3Value as a function-cost relationship3.4Primary and secondary functions3.5Value analysis workshops3.6Generation of alternatives3.7Evaluation of ideas3.8Implementation of proposals3.9Value engineering with suppliers3.10Workshop: value analysis of a rear seat
4.1Trade-offs between cost, weight and performance4.2Weighted decision matrices4.3Pareto analysis and efficient frontier4.4Cost versus perceived quality4.5Cost versus sustainability4.6Multi-objective optimisation4.7Scenarios and sensitivity analysis4.8Communicating trade-offs to management4.9Managing conflicting requirements4.10Practical exercise: trade-off matrix for three console concepts
5.1Life cycle costing to IEC 60300-3-35.2Total cost of ownership for the customer5.3Maintenance and repair costs5.4Energy costs in use5.5Residual value5.6LCC in purchasing to VDI 28845.7Financial discounting5.8Monetised environmental cost5.9LCC-based decisions5.10Case study: total cost of ownership of two versions of a vehicle
6.1Cost targets by system6.2Cost tracking during development6.3Cost gates in the project6.4Change management and its economic impact6.5Technical negotiation with suppliers6.6Teardown and cost benchmarking6.7Cost reduction plans6.8Cost of complexity and variants6.9Cost indicators6.10Practical exercise: target cost tracking for a system
7.1Cost databases7.2Integration with PLM and ERP7.3Automatic costing tools7.4Spreadsheet models7.5Cost visualisation7.6Cost data quality7.7Price confidentiality7.8Digitalisation of cost engineering7.9Use of AI in estimates7.10Lab: automatic costing with aPriori
8.1System selection8.2Current cost breakdown8.3Should-cost model8.4Value analysis8.5Design alternatives8.6Trade-off analysis8.7Life cycle cost8.8Final recommendation8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Delivered 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 aPriori, Siemens Teamcenter Product Cost Management, Excel, SAP S/4HANA and Power BI, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: should-cost models of real parts, value analysis workshops and trade-off studies between design concepts. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: EN 12973, EN 1325, IEC 60300-3-3, VDI 2884, VDI 2225-1, IATF 16949.
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
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- 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 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with aPriori, Siemens Teamcenter Product Cost Management, Excel, SAP S/4HANA and Power BI, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, 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.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the 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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