Postgraduate Diploma in Undercarriage for Extreme Climates
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in running gear for extreme climates, with 8 modules covering extreme environments and mobility, wheel and track terramechanics, materials for extreme cold and heat, track and suspension design, tyres and CTIS, and testing and reliability, with an assigned technical tutor.
Postgraduate Diploma in Undercarriage for Extreme Climates — 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: £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 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
Characterise the extreme environments that affect mobility.
Apply terramechanics models to wheels and tracks.
Select steels and elastomers for extreme cold and heat.
Design durable tracks and running gear components.
Adapt suspension and damping to extreme temperatures.
Evaluate tyres and central tyre inflation systems.
Plan reliability testing with sustainability criteria.
Who it's for
- Running gear engineers in the land defence industry.
- Materials engineers dealing with extreme service conditions.
- Terramechanics specialists.
- Climatic test engineers.
- Tyre and wheel engineers.
- Reliability engineers working on off-road vehicles.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the land defence industry.
What you'll work with
- MIL-STD-810H (environmental testing)
- AECTP-300 (NATO climatic testing)
- ASTM D746 (brittleness temperature of elastomers)
- ISO 815-1 (compression set)
- ASTM D2240 (Shore hardness)
- ISO 148-1 (Charpy test)
- Abaqus
- MSC Adams
- MATLAB
- ANSYS Mechanical
8 modules
1.1Climate classification and operating environments1.2Behaviour of frozen ground, snow and permafrost1.3Sands, dunes and desert soils1.4Mud, peat and low-bearing-capacity terrain1.5Terrain parameters: cone index and cohesion1.6Environmental testing to MIL-STD-8101.7Mobility requirements in AECTP 200 standards1.8Ethical and legal framework for military vehicle design1.9Fundamentals of Bekker terramechanics1.10Case study: environmental profile of an Arctic mission
2.1Ground pressure and the MMP index2.2Wheel-soil interaction and rolling resistance2.3Track-soil interaction and slip2.4Bekker-Wong equations for traction2.5Wheel versus track comparison in snow2.6NRMM mobility prediction models2.7Effect of variable inflation pressure2.8Discrete element simulation of terrain2.9Validation with field tests2.10Lab: calculating net traction in snow
3.1Ductile-brittle transition in steels3.2Low-temperature Charpy testing3.3Elastomers and rubbers for low temperatures3.4UV degradation of polymers3.5Lubricants and greases for extreme ranges3.6Behaviour of aluminium and titanium alloys3.7Thermal fatigue and freeze cycles3.8Corrosion from sand, salt and humidity3.9Material selection with Ashby charts3.10Practical exercise: selecting an elastomer for track pads
4.1Track types: steel, rubber and continuous band4.2Links, pins and rubber bushes4.3Drive sprockets, road wheels and idlers4.4Tensioning and catenary control4.5Preventing de-tracking in snow and mud4.6Ice and mud build-up in the running gear4.7Abrasive wear in silica sands4.8Field maintenance and modular replacement4.9Running gear mass and its effect on mobility4.10Workshop: sizing a rubber band track
5.1Torsion bars and hydropneumatic suspensions5.2Dampers for extreme thermal loads5.3Hydraulic fluid viscosity versus temperature5.4Semi-active and active suspension5.5Ride comfort and vibration exposure to ISO 26315.6Wheel travel and obstacle profiles5.7Heat dissipation on undulating terrain5.8Ground clearance and variable ride height5.9Multibody modelling of the suspension5.10Lab: multibody simulation on undulating terrain
6.1Radial tyres for off-road and sand6.2Central tyre inflation systems (CTIS)6.3Run-flat inserts and their thermal behaviour6.4Rubber compounds for severe cold6.5Snow chains and traction devices6.6Tyre heating in the desert6.7STANAG standards for military vehicle tyres6.8Low-temperature rolling tests6.9Tyre fleet management6.10Case study: CTIS strategy for a desert route
7.1Test campaigns in climatic chambers7.2Mobility trials on proving grounds7.3RAM analysis and running gear failure rates7.4FMECA of running gear components7.5Life cycle and total cost of ownership7.6Environmental impact on fragile ecosystems7.7Noise and vibration footprint of the running gear7.8Ethical and export control requirements7.9Technical documentation and traceability7.10Workshop: FMECA of a road wheel assembly
8.1Defining the environment and mobility requirements8.2Choosing a wheeled or tracked configuration8.3Terramechanical analysis of the solution8.4Selecting materials and lubricants8.5Suspension and damping design8.6Environmental test plan8.7Reliability and maintenance analysis8.8Ethical, legal and environmental assessment8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training 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 the intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Abaqus, MSC Adams, MATLAB and ANSYS Mechanical, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for extreme cold and heat climatic chambers, low-temperature Charpy impact tests and mobility trials on snow, sand and mud. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Standards covered: MIL-STD-810H, AECTP-300, ASTM D746, ISO 815-1, ASTM D2240, ISO 148-1.
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.
- A computer capable of running the programme software and an internet connection.
- 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 Abaqus, MSC Adams, MATLAB and ANSYS Mechanical, 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 suitable computer 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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