Diploma in Sensors, Telemetry and Synchronisation
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in sensors, telemetry and synchronisation. 8 modules covering sensors in the marine environment, data acquisition, communication networks and buses, time synchronisation, ship-shore telemetry, data processing and fusion and structural and systems monitoring, applying IEEE 1588, IEC 61162-3 (NMEA 2000) and IEC 60945, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Sensors, Telemetry and Synchronisation — studying from the United Kingdom
Naval and offshore engineering is a significant sector in the United Kingdom, with shipbuilding and naval programmes on the Clyde, in Portsmouth, Barrow-in-Furness and Rosyth, and offshore energy activity in Aberdeen and the North Sea. Companies such as BAE Systems Maritime, Babcock and offshore service providers employ engineers in design, construction and maintenance. Sports nautical engineering, including yacht design and marine leisure, is concentrated in the Solent and South Coast. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulates shipping safety, and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects supports professional standards.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £746 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK bodies relate to naval and marine engineering, and does SEIUM training count towards them?
Key UK bodies include the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Maritime qualifications are often regulated through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for certificates of competency. SEIUM's private qualifications are not accredited by these bodies, so any recognition would be decided by them separately.
Will UK offshore, naval or marine employers value a private online engineering qualification?
Employers in these sectors often prioritise certified competencies, sea-going experience and regulatory certificates. A private qualification may support your application where it shows relevant technical depth, but it does not replace statutory requirements. Acceptance is for each employer to decide, so consider how the qualification complements your existing certifications.
Can I study this online from the UK alongside offshore rotations, and is language support available?
Online study can be flexible, but rotation patterns make scheduling important, so plan around your time at sea or on site. Programmes are taught entirely in English, and each learner is assigned a technical tutor. No visa is required to study from within the UK. 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
Select sensors suited to the marine environment.
Design reliable data acquisition systems.
Configure onboard communication networks and buses.
Accurately synchronise multiple data sources.
Implement ship-shore telemetry links.
Process and fuse sensor data in real time.
Apply monitoring to maintenance and structural validation.
Who it's for
- Naval instrumentation engineers.
- Telemetry technicians.
- Embedded systems engineers.
- Monitoring data analysts.
- Structural monitoring engineers.
- Marine electronics integrators.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into competitive sailing and yachting.
What you'll work with
- IEEE 1588 (Precision Time Protocol)
- IEC 61162-3 (NMEA 2000 marine data network)
- IEC 60945 (maritime navigation equipment)
- ISO 16063 (calibration of vibration transducers)
- IEC 62541 (OPC UA)
- Directive 2014/53/EU (Radio Equipment Directive)
- ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 (GUM, uncertainty of measurement)
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- MATLAB
- InfluxDB
- Grafana
- Python
8 modules
1.1Principles of transduction and signal conditioning1.2Strain gauges and Wheatstone bridges1.3Pressure and level sensors in tanks1.4Accelerometers and inertial measurement units1.5Temperature and vibration sensors1.6Fibre Bragg grating optical sensors1.7IP protection and corrosion in saline environments1.8Selection by range, drift and resolution1.9Datasheets and uncertainty1.10Case study: sensor selection for a racing hull
2.1Analogue-to-digital conversion and sampling2.2Nyquist theorem and aliasing2.3Anti-aliasing and digital filters2.4Distributed acquisition architectures2.5Onboard data loggers2.6Power supply and battery management2.7Earthing and electrical noise2.8Efficient storage formats2.9System verification tests2.10Lab: acquiring a strain gauge on a test bench
3.1NMEA 2000 and CAN bus3.2Industrial Ethernet on board3.3MQTT and OPC UA protocols3.4Short-range wireless communications3.5Sensor networks in structures3.6Latency and determinism3.7Redundant network topologies3.8Bus error diagnostics3.9Security in sensor networks3.10Practical exercise: monitoring a CAN bus with an analyser
4.1GNSS time sources and their accuracy4.2IEEE 1588 PTP protocol4.3NTP protocol and its limitations4.4Hardware timestamping4.5Synchronisation between loggers4.6Clock drift and compensation4.7Aligning data at different rates4.8Synchronising video and data4.9Validating synchronisation4.10Workshop: PTP synchronisation of three nodes
5.1UHF and VHF data radio links5.24G and 5G mobile networks near the coast5.3Iridium and Starlink satellite communications5.4Data compression and prioritisation5.5Coverage management and link losses5.6Real-time telemetry for regattas5.7Radiocommunications regulations5.8Energy consumption of telemetry5.9Link security and encryption5.10Case study: telemetry design for an ocean-going boat
6.1Kalman filter and inertial fusion6.2Attitude and heading correction6.3Estimation of boat motions6.4Outlier detection6.5Edge versus cloud processing6.6Time-series databases6.7Real-time visualisation6.8Alarms and operating thresholds6.9Spectral analysis of vibrations6.10Lab: GNSS and IMU fusion with a Kalman filter
7.1Load monitoring in rigging and hull7.2Structural health monitoring in composites7.3Condition-based maintenance7.4Vibrations in shafts and engines7.5Validating calculations with real data7.6Digital twins of boats7.7Integration with management systems7.8In-service calibration7.9Sensor life-cycle management7.10Case study: monitoring plan for a carbon hull
8.1Defining measurement requirements8.2Sensor selection8.3Acquisition design8.4Network and synchronisation design8.5Telemetry link8.6Processing and visualisation8.7Test and validation plan8.8Cost analysis8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. 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 standard and applied exercises. The working software is National Instruments LabVIEW, MATLAB, InfluxDB, Grafana and Python, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: strain gauge calibration on a test bench, PTP synchronisation of acquisition nodes and a telemetry trial during coastal sailing. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: IEEE 1588, IEC 61162-3 (NMEA 2000), IEC 60945, ISO 16063, IEC 62541 OPC UA, Directive 2014/53/EU, ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 (GUM).
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 National Instruments LabVIEW, MATLAB, InfluxDB, Grafana and Python, 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 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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