Diploma in Radiation-Resistant Alloys
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in radiation-resistant alloys. 8 modules covering radiation damage in metals, irradiation degradation mechanisms, vessel and internals steels, zirconium and nickel alloys, advanced resistant materials, post-irradiation characterisation (ASTM E185-21, 10 CFR 50 Appendix H) and multiscale damage modelling, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Radiation-Resistant Alloys — studying from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom maintains a substantial defence industry, with prime contractors such as BAE Systems and Babcock, and a wide supply chain across the Midlands, the North West, Bristol and Scotland. Land systems, armoured vehicles, munitions and military engineering programmes provide long-term employment for engineers in design, integration, test and sustainment. The Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory oversee procurement and research. Security clearance requirements shape recruitment, and professional standards are maintained through UK defence engineering frameworks.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £910 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK bodies and regulators are relevant to defence and military land systems engineering?
In the UK, the Ministry of Defence sets its own engineering standards and the Engineering Council regulates professional registration. Professional bodies such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Royal Engineers' professional structures are relevant. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so recognition for security-cleared or MOD roles is decided by the employer and the relevant authority.
Will a private qualification help with UK defence industry careers?
UK defence employers, including primes and suppliers, often prioritise security clearance eligibility, relevant experience and formal qualifications recognised by the MOD or industry bodies. A private qualification may support your profile but is unlikely to replace these requirements. Ask prospective employers how they would assess it before enrolling.
Is it practical to study this online while working in the UK, and what about language and funding?
Online study means you can continue working in the UK, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Teaching is in English, so good technical English is essential. Fees can be paid in instalments, and some employers offer training sponsorship, though policies vary. Each programme has a fixed number of hours and an assigned technical tutor. Confirm the workload and costs 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 radiation damage mechanisms in metals and alloys.
Calculate displacements per atom in different irradiation environments.
Assess the embrittlement of vessel steels through surveillance programmes.
Analyse the in-service behaviour of zirconium and nickel alloys.
Select advanced materials for new-generation and fusion reactors.
Interpret post-irradiation characterisation results.
Apply multiscale modelling tools to irradiation damage.
Who it's for
- Nuclear materials engineers working on plant components and new reactor designs.
- Reactor vessel integrity specialists running surveillance programmes.
- Radiation damage researchers in fission and fusion materials.
- Fuel and cladding engineers working with zirconium alloys.
- Hot cell laboratory technicians characterising irradiated specimens.
- Ageing management analysts assessing long-term operation.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the nuclear power sector.
What you'll work with
- ASTM E185-21 (design of surveillance programmes for light-water reactor vessels)
- 10 CFR 50 Appendix H (US reactor vessel material surveillance requirements)
- Regulatory Guide 1.99 Rev. 2 (radiation embrittlement of reactor vessel materials)
- ASTM E2215 (evaluation of surveillance capsules)
- ASTM E521 (neutron radiation damage simulation by charged-particle irradiation)
- ASTM E693 (characterising neutron exposures in iron and low-alloy steels in dpa)
- 10 CFR 50.46 (acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems)
- ASME BPVC Section III (rules for construction of nuclear facility components)
- SRIM/TRIM
- LAMMPS
- MOOSE
- Thermo-Calc
- Abaqus
8 modules
1.1Displacement cascades and dpa1.2NRT model of atomic displacements1.3Vacancies, interstitials and their clusters1.4Recombination and absorption at sinks1.5Transmutation and helium production1.6Fast and thermal neutron spectra1.7Ion irradiation as a surrogate technique1.8Damage calculation with SRIM1.9Time and length scales of damage1.10Practical exercise: calculating dpa profiles with SRIM
2.1Hardening and embrittlement2.2Transition temperature shift2.3Void swelling2.4Irradiation creep2.5Radiation-induced segregation2.6Irradiation growth in zirconium2.7Helium embrittlement2.8Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking2.9Phase instability and precipitation2.10Case study: analysis of surveillance Charpy curves
3.1SA-508 and SA-533 ferritic steels3.2Influence of copper, nickel and phosphorus3.3304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels3.4Reactor vessel surveillance programmes3.5RG 1.99 embrittlement correlations3.6Thermal annealing of vessels3.79–12% Cr ferritic-martensitic steels3.8Eurofer97 reduced-activation steels3.9Welds and heat-affected zones3.10Workshop: estimating end-of-life RTNDT
4.1Zircaloy-2, Zircaloy-4 and ZIRLO4.2Zr-Nb and M5 alloys4.3Hydriding and hydride reorientation4.4Oxidation in high-temperature water4.5Nickel alloys 600 and 6904.6Inconel X-750 and 718 in springs and bolting4.7Embrittlement of nickel alloys4.8Behaviour in a loss-of-coolant accident4.910 CFR 50.46 acceptance criteria4.10Lab: metallography of oxidised cladding
5.1Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels5.2High-entropy alloys5.3Vanadium and tungsten alloys for fusion5.4SiC/SiC composites5.5Interfaces as defect sinks5.6Nanostructuring and grain boundaries5.7Accident-tolerant FeCrAl alloys5.8Materials for Generation IV reactors5.9Selection for sodium-cooled fast reactors5.10Case study: candidate cladding materials for a fast reactor
6.1TEM microscopy of loops and voids6.2Atom probe tomography6.3Nanoindentation of irradiated layers6.4Miniaturised tensile and Charpy specimens6.5Neutron and X-ray diffraction6.6Hot cells and remote handling6.7Positron annihilation spectroscopy6.8ASTM E185 and E2215 standards6.9Traceability of irradiated specimens6.10Practical exercise: interpreting TEM images of irradiation damage
7.1Molecular dynamics of cascades7.2EAM interatomic potentials7.3Kinetic Monte Carlo of defects7.4Cluster dynamics and rate theory7.5Dislocations and crystal plasticity7.6Finite elements with irradiated properties7.7MOOSE framework for nuclear materials7.8Validation with experimental data7.9Uncertainty quantification7.10Lab: simulating a cascade with LAMMPS
8.1Definition of the component and environment8.2Review of irradiation databases8.3Selection of candidate alloys8.4Estimate of accumulated damage8.5Prediction of end-of-life properties8.6Irradiation and test plan8.7Risk and margin analysis8.8Justified technical recommendation8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
The programme is 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 you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SRIM/TRIM, LAMMPS, MOOSE, Thermo-Calc and Abaqus, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for Charpy testing of surveillance specimens, ion irradiation in accelerators and TEM characterisation in hot cells. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ASTM E185-21, 10 CFR 50 Appendix H, Regulatory Guide 1.99 Rev. 2, ASTM E2215, ASTM E521, ASTM E693, 10 CFR 50.46, ASME BPVC Section III.
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.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run the programme's 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 SRIM/TRIM, LAMMPS, MOOSE, Thermo-Calc and Abaqus, 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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