Master’s in Impact Biomechanics and Sports Protection Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in impact biomechanics and sports protection engineering: 12 modules covering impact mechanics, injury biomechanics, injury criteria, energy-absorbing materials, helmets, body protectors, sports surfaces, impact testing and certification, numerical simulation, field sensors and athlete-centred design, with Regulation (EU) 2016/425, EN 1078 and LS-DYNA, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Impact Biomechanics and Sports Protection Engineering — studying from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has a strong medical technology and healthcare engineering base, with research in biomechanics, medical devices and wearables across universities and companies in London, Oxford, Leeds and Glasgow. The NHS, medical device manufacturers and digital health firms require engineers who understand clinical requirements and regulatory compliance. Operational safety in workplaces, transport and sport drives work on human factors and ergonomics. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regulates medical devices, and the Health and Safety Executive oversees workplace safety.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £5,770 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Will this qualification be recognised by UK professional bodies such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology or the Institution of Mechanical Engineers?
SEIUM's qualifications are private qualifications, not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by any national body. Professional bodies such as the IET or IMechE decide whether to accept training for membership, usually through their own assessment of your experience and learning. Chartered Engineer status is awarded by the Engineering Council via licensed professional engineering institutions. Check directly with the relevant body before you enrol.
Will UK employers in healthcare technology, wearables or occupational safety value this training on a CV?
Employers decide for themselves how much weight to give a private qualification. Many value evidence of specialist skills, such as a completed final project and demonstrable work on biomechanics or wearable sensor systems, more than the name of the provider. Recognition is not guaranteed, so review relevant job adverts and ask prospective employers how they view online private training before committing.
Can I complete this programme alongside a full-time job in the UK, and does my employer need to fund it?
The programmes are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study at your own pace around work and across UK time zones. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, though you should agree arrangements with your employer in advance.
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
Analyse impact mechanics and their relationship with human injury.
Apply injury criteria such as HIC and BrIC when assessing protective equipment.
Select energy-absorbing materials according to the sports application.
Design helmets and protectors in line with the applicable EN standards.
Run and interpret impact tests with standardised instrumentation.
Simulate impacts using explicit finite elements and validate them experimentally.
Plan the certification of sports PPE under Regulation (EU) 2016/425.
Who it's for
- Sports protective equipment engineers.
- Impact testing laboratory technicians.
- Impact simulation analysts using explicit FE tools.
- Researchers working on sports-related concussion.
- PPE certification managers.
- Sports surface engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join sports equipment manufacturers.
What you'll work with
- Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment (EU requirements and CE marking for PPE)
- EN 1078 (helmets for cyclists)
- EN 1077 (helmets for alpine skiers and snowboarders)
- EN 1621-1 (motorcyclists' limb impact protectors)
- EN 13061 (shin guards for association football)
- EN 1177 (impact-attenuating playground surfacing)
- SAE J211-1 (instrumentation for impact tests)
- EN 960 (headforms for use in testing protective helmets)
- LS-DYNA
- MATLAB
- Abaqus
- HyperMesh
- DIAdem
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Momentum and impulse1.2Elastic and inelastic collisions1.3Coefficient of restitution1.4Absorbed and dissipated energy1.5Acceleration pulse and its duration1.6Stress waves in solids1.7Low- and high-velocity impact1.8Similitude and scaling of impacts1.9Stiffness and damping of protective systems1.10Practical: calculating the pulse in a fall
2.1Human tolerance to impact2.2Mechanisms of traumatic brain injury2.3Concussion in sport2.4Cervical injuries from flexion–extension2.5Bone fractures and load thresholds2.6Thoracic and abdominal injuries2.7AIS injury severity scales2.8Variability by age and sex2.9Limb injuries in contact sports2.10Case study: analysis of concussions in rugby
3.1Head Injury Criterion (HIC)3.2GSI criterion and the Wayne State curve3.3Rotational acceleration and BrIC3.4Neck Injury Criterion (Nij)3.5Injury risk curves3.6Brain strain metrics3.7Validation of criteria with real-world data3.8Limitations of current metrics3.9Thoracic injury criteria and the viscous criterion3.10Workshop: calculating HIC from a recording
4.1EPS, EPP and EVA foams4.2Viscoelastic and non-Newtonian foams4.3Elastomers and gels4.4Cellular structures and lattices4.5Composites for rigid shells4.6Additive manufacturing of shock absorbers4.7Dynamic compression testing4.8Ageing and temperature effects on materials4.9Auxetic materials for protection4.10Lab: dynamic compression of foams
5.1Anatomy of a helmet5.2Cycling helmets under EN 10785.3Ski helmets under EN 10775.4Equestrian helmets and EN 13845.5Rotational technologies such as MIPS5.6Fit, sizing and retention5.7Ventilation and comfort5.8American football helmets and NOCSAE5.9Motorcycle helmets and UNECE Regulation 22.065.10Practical: conceptual design of a cycling helmet
6.1Back protectors and EN 1621-26.2Knee and elbow protectors under EN 1621-16.3Football shin guards and EN 130616.4Mouthguards and dental protection6.5Chest guards in combat sports6.6Protection in hockey and lacrosse6.7Footwear with impact protection6.8Integration into technical garments6.9Goalkeeper gloves and wrist protection6.10Case study: back protector for motocross
7.1Artificial turf and EN 15330-17.2Sports floors under EN 149047.3Critical fall height and EN 11777.4Playground surfacing7.5Shock absorption and vertical deformation7.6Rotational traction of surfaces and footwear7.7Ageing of surfaces7.8Maintenance and on-site testing7.9Interaction between footwear and sports surface7.10Lab: shock absorption measurement with an artificial athlete
8.1Free-fall and guided drop towers8.2Hybrid III and EN 960 headforms8.3Pendulums and linear impactors8.4Accelerometer instrumentation and SAE J2118.5Thermal conditioning of samples8.6Oblique and rotational tests8.7Measurement uncertainty in impact8.8CE marking and Regulation (EU) 2016/4258.9Penetration and shell strength tests8.10Practical: test protocol under EN 1078
9.1Explicit finite element method9.2Modelling foams in LS-DYNA9.3Head models such as THUMS and GHBMC9.4Contacts, friction and meshing9.5Calibration against physical tests9.6Optimisation of protective geometry9.7Simulation of rotational impacts9.8Model verification and validation9.9Brain injury simulation with detailed models9.10Lab: simulating a helmet in LS-DYNA
10.1Instrumented mouthguards10.2Helmet- and skin-mounted accelerometers10.3Validation of impact sensors10.4Event detection and false positives10.5Cumulative exposure to impacts10.6Video analysis of incidents10.7Concussion removal-from-play protocols10.8Data, privacy and consent10.9Data platforms for medical teams10.10Case study: monitoring impacts over a season
11.1User requirements and anthropometry11.2Thermal comfort and equipment weight11.3Ergonomics and freedom of movement11.4Design for adaptive sport11.5Sustainability and recycling of protectors11.6Sports federation regulations11.7Communicating performance and ethical marketing11.8Liability for defective products11.9Ecodesign and life cycle assessment11.10Workshop: specification of a climbing protector
12.1Identification of the protection need12.2Analysis of the injury mechanisms involved12.3Material selection and concept12.4Numerical model of the protective system12.5Prototyping and impact testing12.6Assessment against injury criteria12.7Certification route and CE marking12.8Usability analysis with athletes12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it is compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, MATLAB, Abaqus, HyperMesh and DIAdem, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for drop tests on an impact tower, laboratory dynamic compression of foams and impact monitoring with instrumented mouthguards. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment, EN 1078, EN 1077, EN 1621-1, EN 13061, EN 1177, SAE J211-1, EN 960.
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
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running 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 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with LS-DYNA, MATLAB, Abaqus, HyperMesh and DIAdem, 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 Master's Thesis. 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 in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme's 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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