Diploma in Thermal-Hydraulic/Neutronic Coupling
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in thermal-hydraulic/neutronic coupling: 8 modules covering reactor neutronics, thermal-hydraulics for coupling, coupling schemes, coupled tools, coupled transients, benchmarks and validation and high-fidelity methods for new reactors, under IAEA SSG-2 (Rev. 1), IAEA SSG-52 and NUREG-0800 (Chapter 15), with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Thermal-Hydraulic/Neutronic Coupling — studying from South Africa
South Africa has a established defence industry centred on companies such as Denel and Paramount Group, with capabilities in land systems, armoured vehicles and munitions. The sector supports engineering roles in systems integration, vehicle design and test and evaluation. Defence procurement and export controls are overseen by government bodies, and the industry works closely with the South African National Defence Force. Engineers in this field typically combine mechanical, electrical and systems skills.
Fees for South Africa: R 27 900 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Which South African bodies regulate or recognise defence and military engineering professionals?
Engineers in South Africa are registered through ECSA under the Engineering Profession Act, and defence programmes are guided by institutions such as the South African National Defence Force and Armscor, which set their own requirements. SEIUM is a private online institute, and its qualifications are not state degrees or accredited by a national body. Recognition is decided by these bodies and your employer, so confirm with them first.
Would this qualification help me find work in South Africa's defence or land systems sector?
South Africa has a defence industry with state-linked entities and private contractors, and employers usually require security clearances, relevant experience and recognised qualifications. A private online programme may support your application but does not guarantee employment or clearance. Check requirements with prospective employers, as roles in this sector can be sensitive and tightly controlled.
Can I study alongside a job, and are there funding options?
The course is 100% online and taught in English, so you need strong English, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Master's programmes are 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, each with an assigned technical tutor. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, so ask whether your employer would fund part of the training.
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
Review the neutronic models relevant to coupling.
Model core thermal-hydraulics at subchannel level.
Design stable and convergent coupling schemes.
Use reference coupled tools.
Simulate transients with neutronic feedback.
Validate results against international benchmarks.
Develop a coupled simulation project.
Who it's for
- Safety analysis engineers.
- Reactor physics engineers.
- Thermal-hydraulics engineers.
- Multiphysics code developers.
- Nuclear simulation researchers.
- Licensing analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to move into the nuclear energy sector.
What you'll work with
- IAEA SSG-2 (Rev. 1) (deterministic safety analysis for nuclear power plants)
- IAEA SSG-52 (design of the reactor core)
- NUREG-0800 (Chapter 15) (transient and accident analysis)
- USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.203 (transient and accident analysis methods)
- 10 CFR 50.46 (acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems)
- ASME NQA-1 (quality assurance requirements for nuclear facilities)
- IAEA SSR-2/1 (Rev. 1) (safety of nuclear power plants: design)
- PARCS
- TRACE
- Serpent
- MOOSE
- OpenFOAM
8 modules
1.1Neutron transport equation1.2Diffusion approximation1.3Cross sections1.4Nuclear data libraries1.5Lattice and nodal calculations1.6Point kinetics1.7Reactivity coefficients1.8Doppler effect1.9Moderator feedback1.10Case study: reactivity coefficients of a core
2.1Conduction in the fuel pellet2.2Heat transfer to the coolant2.3Subchannel analysis2.4System codes2.5Moderator density2.6Effective fuel temperature2.7Boron concentration2.8Boiling and void fraction2.9Mesh correspondence2.10Laboratory: subchannel analysis with CTF
3.1Explicit and implicit coupling3.2Operator splitting3.3Picard iteration3.4Newton-Krylov methods3.5Mesh-to-mesh mapping3.6Field interpolation3.7Convergence criteria3.8Numerical stability3.9Parallelisation3.10Practical exercise: coupling a simplified model
4.1PARCS coupled with TRACE4.2RELAP5-3D4.3Serpent coupled with OpenFOAM4.4The MOOSE framework4.5VERA with MPACT and CTF4.6DYN3D and ATHLET4.7SIMULATE-3K4.8Comparison of capabilities4.9Licensing and access to codes4.10Workshop: setting up a coupled case
5.1Control rod ejection5.2Main steam line break5.3Anticipated transients without scram (ATWS)5.4BWR instabilities5.5Xenon oscillations5.6Boron dilution5.7Load following5.8Acceptance criteria5.9Analysis of results5.10Laboratory: rod ejection transient
6.1OECD/NEA PWR MSLB benchmark6.2BWR Turbine Trip benchmark6.3UAM uncertainty programme6.4Kalinin-3 benchmark6.5Plant data6.6Comparison metrics6.7Uncertainty propagation6.8Sensitivity analysis6.9Documentation6.10Practical exercise: comparison against a benchmark
7.1Coupled Monte Carlo7.2CFD coupled with neutronics7.3Small modular reactors7.4Fast reactors7.5Molten salt reactors7.6High-fidelity multiphysics7.7High-performance computing7.8AI surrogate models7.9Research trends7.10Case study: coupling an SMR
8.1System definition8.2Neutronic model8.3Thermal-hydraulic model8.4Coupling scheme8.5Steady state8.6Selected transient8.7Uncertainty and sensitivity8.8Conclusions8.9Report 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. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is PARCS, TRACE, Serpent, MOOSE and OpenFOAM, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for transient simulations with coupled codes, comparisons against OECD/NEA benchmarks and convergence analysis of coupling schemes. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: IAEA SSG-2 (Rev. 1), IAEA SSG-52, NUREG-0800 (Chapter 15), USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.203, 10 CFR 50.46, ASME NQA-1, IAEA SSR-2/1 (Rev. 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.
- 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.
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 PARCS, TRACE, Serpent, MOOSE 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 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 computer able to run the 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.
Related programmes
Diploma in Military Multimodal Sensor Validation
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in Military Multimodal Sensor Validation. 8 modules covering multimodal sensors, metrology and uncertainty (GUM, ISO 5725), calibration, fusion validation, simulation…
Diploma in Weld Integrity under Irradiation
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in weld integrity under irradiation: 8 modules covering irradiation damage in metals, welding metallurgy, reactor vessel embrittlement, stress corrosion cracking,…
Diploma in Advanced INS Navigation
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in advanced INS navigation. 8 modules covering advanced inertial mechanisation, high-end navigation sensors, error models, alignment and gyrocompassing, filtering and…
More in Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
All Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships