Course in the Economics of Urban Resilience
Online Course of 300 h in the Economics of Urban Resilience. 6 modules covering Regulation (EU) 2021/241 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Regulation (EU) 2020/852 on Taxonomy and R. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in the Economics of Urban Resilience — studying from the United States
Civil and transportation engineering is a large and visible sector in the United States, supported by federal infrastructure investment and active state and municipal programs. Major firms such as AECOM, Jacobs and Kiewit work on highways, bridges, rail and water systems nationwide. Rail engineering, centered on corridors in the Northeast, Midwest and California, is expanding with passenger and freight modernization. Smart city initiatives in cities like Pittsburgh, Boston and Austin integrate sensors, data platforms and digital twins into infrastructure planning and operations.
Fees for the United States: US$830 (US Dollars), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United States
Typical roles
Questions from the United States
What US professional bodies and licences apply to civil and rail engineering?
In the US, civil engineers can obtain the Professional Engineer (PE) licence from state boards, which is often required for public infrastructure sign-off. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is the main professional body. Rail is overseen federally by the Federal Railroad Administration. SEIUM's private qualifications are not official degrees or PE-equivalent credentials, so employers and licensing boards decide any recognition.
Do US civil, rail and smart-city employers value private online engineering qualifications?
US public agencies and engineering firms typically require ABET-accredited degrees, PE licensure for certain roles, and relevant project experience. A private online qualification can support specialist knowledge in areas such as smart infrastructure, but it is not a standard requirement for licensed roles. Its usefulness depends on the employer's policies and on your practical background.
Can a US professional study this part-time while working, and what does the commitment look like?
Yes, the programmes are online, taught in English, and do not require a student visa. The time commitment is about 1,900 hours for a master's, 800 hours for a postgraduate diploma, or 300 hours for a specialist course, so planning is important. Each student has an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments, and some employers sponsor training, so check with yours.
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
Quantify the direct and indirect economic losses caused by disasters.
Carry out cost-benefit analyses of resilience measures.
Apply input-output models to the impact of disruptions.
Identify sources of funding for urban resilience.
Evaluate investments under uncertainty using robust methods.
Integrate equity criteria into economic decision-making.
Communicate the economic value of prevention to decision-makers.
Who it's for
- Urban economist seeking to specialise in the Economics of Urban Resilience.
- Public investment analyst seeking to specialise in the Economics of Urban Resilience.
- Climate finance consultant seeking to specialise in the Economics of Urban Resilience.
- Municipal budget officer seeking to specialise in the Economics of Urban Resilience.
- Economic risk analyst seeking to specialise in the Economics of Urban Resilience.
- Public policy adviser seeking to specialise in the Economics of Urban Resilience.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter local and regional government.
What you'll work with
- Regulation (EU) 2021/241 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility
- Regulation (EU) 2020/852 on Taxonomy
- Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund
- Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 laying down common provisions for the funds
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
- Organic Law 2/2012 on Budgetary Stability and Financial Sustainability
- Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, consolidated text of the Law Regulating Local Finances
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Direct, indirect and macroeconomic losses1.2Impact on urban GDP and employment1.3Statistical value of life1.4Distributional effects of disasters1.5Poverty and vulnerability traps1.6Economic cycle of recovery1.7Loss data: EM-DAT and Munich Re NatCat1.8Fiscal impact on local finances1.9Disasters and housing prices1.10Case study: economic impact of a major flood
2.1Cost-benefit analysis of preventive measures2.2Social discount rate and time horizon2.3Avoided losses and co-benefits2.4Contingent valuation and hedonic pricing methods2.5Valuation of ecosystem services2.6Real options analysis2.7Robust decision-making under uncertainty2.8The triple dividend of resilience2.9European Commission guide to cost-benefit analysis2.10Practice: cost-benefit analysis of a storm tank
3.1Regional input-output tables3.2Leontief inoperability model3.3Computable general equilibrium applied to disasters3.4Supply chain impacts3.5Business interruption in urban retail3.6Modelling economic recovery3.7Rose's economic resilience3.8Local economic resilience indicators3.9Long-term scenarios with climate change3.10Laboratory: input-output model of an urban blackout
4.1Municipal budgets and preventive spending4.2European funds: ERDF and the Solidarity Fund4.3Recovery and Resilience Facility4.4European Investment Bank and green loans4.5Municipal green and resilience bonds4.6Public-private partnerships in infrastructure4.7Value capture and urban taxation4.8Insurance and risk transfer4.9European taxonomy of sustainable activities4.10Workshop: funding plan for a resilience strategy
5.1Political economy of prevention5.2Moral hazard and public aid after disasters5.3Incentives for risk reduction5.4Equity and justice in investment5.5Prioritisation with multi-criteria analysis5.6Ex post evaluation of investments5.7Communicating economic value to decision-makers5.8Experiences of the World Bank and the OECD5.9Accountability and transparency5.10Case study: prioritising a city's investments
6.1Selection of the city and the risk6.2Estimation of expected losses6.3Identification of resilience measures6.4Cost-benefit analysis of the measures6.5Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis6.6Proposed funding strategy6.7Recommendations for public decision-makers6.8Economic executive summary6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Delivered 100% online through the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is R, Python, Microsoft Excel, Stata, GAMS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are based on real procedures: cost-benefit analysis of a preventive infrastructure, estimation of the economic impact of a service interruption, and design of the funding for a resilience strategy. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Quantify the direct and indirect economic losses caused by disasters.
Carry out cost-benefit analyses of resilience measures.
Apply input-output models to the impact of disruptions.
Identify sources of funding for urban resilience.
Evaluate investments under uncertainty using robust methods.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
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 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
The course uses R, Python, Microsoft Excel, Stata and GAMS. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be recognised towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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