Course on Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th
300-hour online course in comparative studies of U, Pu and Th. 6 modules covering the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), IAEA INFCIRC/153 (comprehensive safeguards agreements) and Serpent. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course on Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th — 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
Characterise uranium, plutonium and thorium as fertile and fissile materials.
Compare their neutronic behaviour in different spectra.
Analyse their properties as fuel materials.
Evaluate complete fuel cycles and the waste they generate.
Assess the economic and safeguards implications.
Carry out comparative cell calculations with neutronic codes.
Produce a reasoned comparative study.
Who it's for
- Reactor physics engineer who wants to specialise in Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th.
- Fuel cycle analyst who wants to specialise in Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th.
- Researcher in thorium cycles who wants to specialise in Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th.
- Safeguards specialist who wants to specialise in Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th.
- Nuclear strategy consultant who wants to specialise in Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th.
- Advanced reactor engineer who wants to specialise in Comparative Studies of U, Pu and Th.
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to join nuclear research centres.
What you'll work with
- Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
- IAEA INFCIRC/153 (comprehensive safeguards agreements)
- IAEA SSR-2/1 (safety in the design of nuclear power plants)
- IAEA SSG-52 (reactor core design)
- Directive 2011/70/Euratom (spent fuel and waste management)
- IAEA SSR-4 (safety of fuel cycle facilities)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Natural uranium and its isotopic composition1.2Uranium as a resource: reserves and market1.3Plutonium: origin in the reactor and composition by burnup1.4Natural thorium and its relative abundance1.5Concepts of fertile material and fissile material1.6Conversion of fertile into fissile material1.7Vocabulary of cycles and conversion ratios1.8International control framework for each material1.9Public data sources1.10Exercise: compare the composition of the three materials
2.1Cross sections of the main isotopes2.2Neutrons per fission and their spectrum2.3Behaviour in thermal and fast spectra2.4Capture and production of higher actinides2.5Reactivity and its evolution with burnup2.6Temperature and void coefficients2.7Delayed neutron fraction2.8Implications for reactor control2.9Advantages and limitations of each option2.10Practice: compare the reactivity of three fuels
3.1Chemical forms in use: oxides, carbides and metals3.2Comparison of thermal properties3.3Mechanical properties and behaviour under irradiation3.4Thorium dioxide and its stability3.5Mixed oxide fuel and its heterogeneity3.6Compatibility with cladding and coolants3.7Manufacturing difficulties of each option3.8Radiation protection in fabrication3.9Management of fabrication waste3.10Practice: comparative table of properties
4.1Uranium cycle in light water reactors4.2Plutonium recycling in mixed oxide fuel4.3Thorium cycle and the fissile isotope generated4.4Need for starter fissile material4.5Radiotoxicity of waste in each cycle4.6Decay heat and its effect on disposal4.7Complexity of reprocessing in each cycle4.8Secondary waste and its management4.9Industrial status of each cycle4.10Practice: compare waste inventories
5.1Relative costs of each option5.2Industrial infrastructure required5.3Accumulated operational experience5.4Proliferation resistance of each cycle5.5Safeguards and accountancy requirements5.6Physical protection of the material5.7National programmes and their motivation5.8Multi-criteria evaluation criteria5.9Realistic deployment horizon5.10Practice: multi-criteria analysis of the three options
6.1Choice of scenario and objectives6.2Definition of the options to compare6.3Comparative neutronic analysis6.4Materials and fabrication analysis6.5Material and waste balance6.6Economic analysis6.7Safeguards and acceptability analysis6.8Reasoned recommendation and its conditions6.9Study report6.10Defence of the project
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Serpent, OpenMC, SCALE (ORIGEN), Python (matplotlib), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real cell calculation procedures for different fuels, comparison of actinide inventories, and analysis of cycle scenarios. 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.
Characterise uranium, plutonium and thorium as fertile and fissile materials.
Compare their neutronic behaviour in different spectra.
Analyse their properties as fuel materials.
Evaluate complete fuel cycles and the waste they generate.
Assess the economic and safeguards implications.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is 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 totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours a week, compatible with a full-time job.
The work uses Serpent, OpenMC, SCALE (ORIGEN), Python (matplotlib). Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
SEIUM Institute's own diploma on passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It 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 recognised in the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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