Course in Monte Carlo Applied to Radiation Transport
Online 300-hour course in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport. 6 modules covering JCGM 101 (propagation of distributions using Monte Carlo), ANSI/ANS-6.1.1 (fluence-to-dose conversion factors) and MCNP6. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Monte Carlo Applied to Radiation Transport — studying from South Africa
South Africa is one of the few African countries with an operating nuclear power programme, centred on the Koeberg power station near Cape Town, operated by Eskom. The country also has nuclear research and fuel cycle activity through the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, known as Necsa, based at Pelindaba near Pretoria. Nuclear engineers work on reactor operation, safety, fuel management and decommissioning. The National Nuclear Regulator is the independent authority that licenses and oversees nuclear activities.
Fees for South Africa: R 14 900 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the professional bodies in South Africa for this area?
SEIUM qualifications are private and not accredited by any South African body, so they are not official state degrees. Nuclear activities in South Africa are regulated by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), and professional registration runs through ECSA. Acceptance of a private qualification in this regulated field rests with employers or the relevant authority, so verify before enrolling.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in nuclear engineering?
Nuclear employers, including Eskom and specialist contractors, typically require formally recognised qualifications, security clearances and regulatory competence. A private SEIUM qualification may add background knowledge but is unlikely to meet formal requirements on its own. Discuss this with employers in the nuclear sector to understand how they would view it.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
The programme is fully online and taught in English, so you can study from South Africa without a student visa. Master's programmes require 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments and employer sponsorship is possible. Ask SEIUM about time-zone and workload details 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
Apply the probabilistic foundations of the Monte Carlo method to particle transport.
Describe the interaction mechanisms of photons, electrons and neutrons with matter.
Build geometry, material and source models in transport codes.
Apply variance reduction techniques to improve calculation efficiency.
Estimate dosimetric quantities and their statistical uncertainties.
Validate results against benchmarks and reference measurements.
Develop a complete radiation transport simulation.
Who it's for
- Shielding calculation engineer seeking to specialise in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport.
- Radiophysicist seeking to specialise in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport.
- Radiation transport analyst seeking to specialise in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport.
- Medical physics researcher seeking to specialise in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport.
- Radiation protection engineer seeking to specialise in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport.
- Monte Carlo simulation developer seeking to specialise in Monte Carlo applied to radiation transport.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences looking to enter nuclear power plants.
What you'll work with
- JCGM 101 (propagation of distributions using Monte Carlo)
- ANSI/ANS-6.1.1 (fluence-to-dose conversion factors)
- ICRP Publication 116 (conversion coefficients for external exposure)
- ANSI/ANS-8.24 (validation of neutron transport methods for criticality safety)
- ICRU Report 90 (key data for ionising radiation dosimetry)
- ANSI/ANS-10.4 (V&V of nuclear scientific software)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Random variables and distributions 1.2 pseudo-random number generators 1.3 Sampling by Investment and by Rejection 1.4 law of large numbers and central limit theorem 1.5 estimators, Variance and Figure of Merit 1.6 Relative Error and Reliability Criteria 1.7 Random Walk of Particles 1.8 Mean Free Path and Distance Sampling 1.9 Origins of the Method at Los Alamos 1.10 Practice: Monte Carlo Integrals in Python
2.1Photons: photoelectric effect, Compton scattering and pair production2.2Neutron interactions with nuclei2.3Electrons and condensed histories2.4Heavy charged particles and stopping power2.5Attenuation coefficients and the XCOM database2.6Production of secondaries and cascades2.7Kerma, absorbed dose and fluence2.8ICRP 116 conversion coefficients2.9Cut-off thresholds and low-energy physics2.10Workshop: transmission of a gamma beam through lead
3.1MCNP: structure of the input file3.2Geant4: object-oriented architecture3.3PENELOPE and EGSnrc for electrons3.4FLUKA and PHITS for high energies3.5Defining sources and spectra3.6Tallies and track-length estimators3.7Visualisation and debugging of geometries3.8Parallel execution and cluster computing3.9Selecting the code according to the application3.10Laboratory: source and shielding in OpenMC
4.1Implicit capture and Russian roulette4.2Geometry splitting by importance4.3Weight windows and their generation4.4Exponential transform4.5Hybrid methods: CADIS and FW-CADIS4.6ADVANTG and importance maps4.7Point detectors and DXTRAN4.8Risk of bias and its validation4.9Assessment of computational efficiency4.10Practice: deep shielding with FW-CADIS
5.1Shielding calculations for facilities5.2Dosimetry in external beam radiotherapy5.3Detector response functions5.4Activation of structural materials5.5Brachytherapy and nuclear medicine5.6Transport in fusion and in space5.7Occupational dose rate maps5.8Validation with the SINBAD database5.9ANSI/ANS-6.4 standard for concrete shielding5.10Case study: shielding of an accelerator bunker
6.1Definition of the radiological problem6.2Choice of code and data6.3Construction of geometry and source6.4Configuration of tallies6.5Application of variance reduction6.6Statistical analysis of results6.7Comparison with measurements or benchmark6.8Conclusions and technical recommendations6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Fully 100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, making it possible to combine with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MCNP6, Geant4, FLUKA, PHITS, OpenMC, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are based on real Monte Carlo shielding calculation procedures, comparison with experimental benchmarks, and studies of variance reduction techniques. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Apply the probabilistic foundations of the Monte Carlo method to particle transport.
Describe the interaction mechanisms of photons, electrons and neutrons with matter.
Build geometry, material and source models in transport codes.
Apply variance reduction techniques to improve calculation efficiency.
Estimate dosimetric quantities and their statistical uncertainties.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient command of Spanish to follow technical regulatory reading.
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 comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The course works with MCNP6, Geant4, FLUKA, PHITS, OpenMC. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative 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 are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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