Master'sAerospace, UAM, Drones & Space Applications open

Master’s in Ice, Icing & De-Icing Systems Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in ice, icing and de-icing systems engineering, with 12 modules covering icing meteorology, ice accretion physics, aerodynamic effects, numerical simulation, pneumatic, thermal and electrothermal protection, ice detection, ground de-icing, tunnel and flight testing and certification, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma

Master’s in Ice, Icing & De-Icing Systems Engineering — studying from the United States

The United States leads global aerospace, anchored by clusters in Seattle, Wichita, Hartford, Huntsville and the Houston area. Major employers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, RTX and GE Aerospace drive demand for engineers in airframes, propulsion, avionics and systems integration. Urban air mobility and commercial drone operations are expanding quickly, creating new roles in eVTOL design, airspace integration and UAS operations. Civil and military programs both rely heavily on certified design, testing and airworthiness processes, making this a strong field for engineers seeking complex, high-impact work.

Fees for the United States: US$9,970 (US Dollars), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in the United States

  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • SAE International
  • RTCA, Inc.

Typical roles

  • Aerospace Engineer
  • Flight Test Engineer
  • Propulsion Systems Engineer
  • UAS Systems Engineer

Questions from the United States

Which professional bodies in the United States recognize engineers in aerospace, and does a private qualification help with licensing?

Aerospace engineering in the US is supported by bodies such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and ABET, which accredits engineering degree programs. Professional Engineer (PE) licensure is granted by individual state licensing boards, not by a federal body. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not state degrees, so they do not by themselves lead to PE licensure. Whether they are recognized for any purpose is decided by employers or the relevant professional body.

Do US employers in aerospace, drones or space value a private engineering postgraduate qualification?

Hiring in US aerospace and space companies, including defense contractors and drone firms, typically weighs accredited degrees, licenses, security clearances and hands-on experience heavily. A private online qualification is judged case by case by each employer, and its value depends on the skills it demonstrates and the candidate's track record. It should be seen as a way to build specialist knowledge rather than a guaranteed credential for any role.

Can I realistically study this from the United States while working full time, and how is it paid for?

The programmes are fully online and taught in English, so you can study from home and no student visa is needed. A master's requires about 1,900 hours, a postgraduate diplomas about 800 hours, and specialist courses about 300 hours, so planning weekly hours is essential. Fees can be paid in instalments, and some employers sponsor staff training, which you should confirm with your own employer.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Understand the meteorology and physics of ice accretion on aircraft.

02

Assess the aerodynamic effects of ice on aerofoils and control surfaces.

03

Simulate ice accretion with validated numerical tools.

04

Design pneumatic, thermal and electrothermal protection systems.

05

Select and integrate ice detection systems.

06

Plan ground de-icing and anti-icing operations.

07

Prepare certification documentation for icing conditions.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Ice protection systems engineers.
  • Aeronautical certification engineers.
  • Aerodynamics and CFD engineers.
  • Flight test engineers.
  • Ground de-icing operations specialists.
  • Engine systems engineers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter aircraft manufacturing.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • CS-25 Appendix C and Appendix O (EASA icing envelopes, including SLD)
  • 14 CFR Part 25 §25.1419 and Appendix C (FAA ice protection requirements)
  • CS-E 780 (EASA engine icing requirements)
  • AC 25-28 (compliance of transport category aeroplanes with requirements for flight in icing conditions)
  • SAE AS5681 (performance specification for ground de-icing/anti-icing fluids)
  • SAE ARP4737 (aircraft de-icing/anti-icing methods)
  • SAE ARP5485 (endurance time tests for de-icing/anti-icing fluids)
  • SAE AIR5396 (characterisations of aircraft icing conditions)
  • LEWICE
  • ANSYS FENSAP-ICE
  • ANSYS Fluent
  • MATLAB
  • OpenFOAM
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Ice formation in supercooled clouds
  2. 1.2Liquid water content and droplet diameter
  3. 1.3Supercooled large droplets (SLD)
  4. 1.4Ice crystals and engine icing
  5. 1.5Clear ice, rime ice and mixed ice
  6. 1.6Ground icing and freezing precipitation
  7. 1.7Icing forecasting: CIP and FIP products
  8. 1.8Appendix C, O and P envelopes
  9. 1.9Icing climatology on European routes
  10. 1.10Case study: analysis of a severe icing PIREP
  1. 2.1Droplet collection efficiency
  2. 2.2Messinger heat balance
  3. 2.3Freezing fraction and runback
  4. 2.4Surface roughness and laminar-turbulent transition
  5. 2.5Horn and spearhead ice shapes
  6. 2.6Accretion on leading edges and intakes
  7. 2.7Similarity scaling for testing
  8. 2.8Ice adhesion to metallic and composite substrates
  9. 2.9Ice shedding and fragment trajectories
  10. 2.10Lab: collection calculation with droplet trajectories
  1. 3.1CLmax degradation and drag increase
  2. 3.2Premature stall with contaminated leading edges
  3. 3.3Tail icing and tail stall
  4. 3.4Effects on lateral stability and control
  5. 3.5Ice on propellers and rotors
  6. 3.6Contamination of pitot tubes and probes
  7. 3.7Ice-contaminated tailplane stall (ICTS)
  8. 3.8Critical ice shapes for certification
  9. 3.9Lessons from accidents: ATR 72 Roselawn
  10. 3.10Case study: clean versus iced aerofoil polars
  1. 4.1Eulerian and Lagrangian droplet models
  2. 4.2LEWICE and FENSAP-ICE codes
  3. 4.3Multi-step CFD–accretion coupling
  4. 4.4Adaptive meshing of ice shapes
  5. 4.5SLD modelling: splashing and bouncing
  6. 4.6Simulation of ice crystals in compressors
  7. 4.7Validation with NASA databases
  8. 4.8Parameter uncertainty and sensitivity
  9. 4.9Optimisation of protected zones
  10. 4.10Lab: accretion simulation on a NACA 0012 aerofoil
  1. 5.1Pneumatic de-icing boots
  2. 5.2Sequencing and inflation cycles
  3. 5.3Electro-impulse systems (EIDI)
  4. 5.4Electromechanical expulsion systems
  5. 5.5Protection of propellers and spinners
  6. 5.6Maintenance and typical boot failures
  7. 5.7Integration with the pneumatic system
  8. 5.8Energy consumption and system mass
  9. 5.9Performance comparison by aircraft type
  10. 5.10Workshop: boot sizing for a regional turboprop
  1. 6.1Leading-edge anti-ice with piccolo tube
  2. 6.2Nozzle design and jet distribution
  3. 6.3Heat transfer at the leading edge
  4. 6.4Protection of nacelles and engine intakes
  5. 6.5Running-wet and evaporative modes
  6. 6.6Bleed penalty on fuel consumption
  7. 6.7Temperature control and PRSOV valves
  8. 6.8Runback ice analysis
  9. 6.9Valve failures and their detection
  10. 6.10Practical: heat balance of a wing with bleed air
  1. 7.1Heater mats in composite structures
  2. 7.2De-icing cycles and parting strip zones
  3. 7.3Protection of windscreens and probes
  4. 7.4Icephobic and superhydrophobic coatings
  5. 7.5Graphene and nanotube heating
  6. 7.6Hybrid thermal-mechanical systems
  7. 7.7Architectures for the more-electric aircraft
  8. 7.8Electrical power management in cruise
  9. 7.9Requirements for eVTOL and UAS in icing
  10. 7.10Lab: heater mat design for a slat
  1. 8.1Magnetostrictive vibrating detectors
  2. 8.2Optical and fibre sensors
  3. 8.3Primary versus advisory detection
  4. 8.4Detection of SLD conditions
  5. 8.5Indirect detection through aerodynamic performance
  6. 8.6Ice crystal sensors
  7. 8.7Data fusion and alert logic
  8. 8.8Optimal detector location
  9. 8.9Certification of detection systems
  10. 8.10Case study: automatic anti-ice activation logic
  1. 9.1Type I, II, III and IV fluids
  2. 9.2Holdover times
  3. 9.3Apron de-icing procedures
  4. 9.4Pre-take-off inspection and critical contamination
  5. 9.5Fluids and lift loss at rotation
  6. 9.6Environmental management of glycol
  7. 9.7Remote de-icing facilities
  8. 9.8SAE standards for fluids and procedures
  9. 9.9Operational coordination with the airport
  10. 9.10Case study: de-icing plan for a winter base
  1. 10.1Icing tunnels: IRT, IWT and CIRA IWT
  2. 10.2Cloud and LWC calibration
  3. 10.3Tests with artificial ice shapes
  4. 10.4Flight tests with tanker and natural cloud
  5. 10.5Icing test instrumentation
  6. 10.6Engine tests in ice crystal conditions
  7. 10.7Scaling of test conditions
  8. 10.8Test plan and condition matrix
  9. 10.9Data analysis and numerical correlation
  10. 10.10Practical: design of an icing tunnel campaign
  1. 11.1CS-25.1419 and CS-25.1420 requirements
  2. 11.2Appendix O and SLD requirements
  3. 11.3CS-E 780 engine requirements
  4. 11.4AMC 25.1419 and means of compliance
  5. 11.5Safety analysis of the protection system
  6. 11.6Certification of general aviation aircraft
  7. 11.7Rotorcraft in icing conditions
  8. 11.8Certification plan and compliance checklist
  9. 11.9Operation in icing and the flight manual
  10. 11.10Case study: compliance matrix for a regional aircraft
  1. 12.1Selection of aircraft and icing scenario
  2. 12.2Definition of protection requirements
  3. 12.3Accretion and aerodynamic effects analysis
  4. 12.4Conceptual design of the protection system
  5. 12.5Energy and mass sizing
  6. 12.6Detection and control strategy
  7. 12.7Test and certification plan
  8. 12.8Risk assessment and mitigations
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis: report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

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 the intake, so it can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LEWICE, ANSYS FENSAP-ICE, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB and OpenFOAM, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for icing tunnel tests with ice shapes, accretion simulation on leading edges and natural-cloud flight campaigns. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: CS-25 Appendix C and Appendix O (EASA), 14 CFR Part 25 §25.1419 and Appendix C (FAA), CS-E 780 (EASA), AC 25-28, SAE AS5681, SAE ARP4737, SAE ARP5485, SAE AIR5396.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of CS-25 Appendices C and O, 14 CFR §25.1419 and CS-E 780 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:LEWICE, ANSYS FENSAP-ICE, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB and OpenFOAM, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a complete ice protection system design for an aircraft, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Icing scenario and requirements
Select the aircraft and icing scenario and define the protection requirements.
Accretion and aerodynamic analysis
Simulate ice accretion and assess its aerodynamic effects on the protected surfaces.
Protection system concept
Design the protection system and size its energy consumption and mass.
Detection, testing and certification
Define the detection and control strategy and the test and certification plan.
Master's Thesis
Complete ice protection system project with risk assessment, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Ice protection systems engineerAeronautical certification engineerAerodynamics and CFD engineerFlight test engineerGround de-icing operations specialistEngine systems engineer
Admissions & scholarships

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 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.

FAQ

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 LEWICE, ANSYS FENSAP-ICE, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB and OpenFOAM, 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 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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