Master’s in DfM/DfA/DfC and Cost Engineering: Cost Targets
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in DfM/DfA/DfC and cost engineering with cost targets, structured in 12 modules covering product cost engineering, target costing, design for manufacture, assembly and cost, cost models, purchasing, tolerances, sustainability and product economics under VDI 2225, EN 1325 and ISO 15686-5, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in DfM/DfA/DfC and Cost Engineering: Cost Targets — studying from South Africa
Materials and manufacturing underpin South Africa's mining, metals, automotive and heavy engineering industries. The country's rich mineral base supports research and production in metallurgy, polymers and advanced materials, and the CSIR and universities contribute to materials science. Quality management and standards compliance are essential for exporters, supported by the South African Bureau of Standards. Engineers in this field work on process control, materials testing and continuous improvement across production lines.
Fees for South Africa: R 185 000 (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, not official state degrees, and are not accredited by any South African body. For quality and manufacturing, relevant bodies include the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and professional engineering institutions, with ECSA handling professional registration. Recognition of a private qualification rests with employers or those bodies, so confirm acceptance with them before you enrol.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in materials and manufacturing?
Manufacturers, materials suppliers and quality departments value practical knowledge of materials behaviour, process control and quality systems. A private advanced qualification can strengthen a CV, especially combined with shop-floor or engineering experience. Its value is judged by each employer, so discuss it with potential employers in your industry to gauge how it would be received.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
The programme is 100% online and in English, so you can study from home and do not need a student visa. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. You get an assigned technical tutor, can pay fees in instalments, and may seek employer sponsorship. Check the time-zone and workload details with SEIUM directly.
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
Structure the cost of a product and deploy cost targets to its components.
Apply design-for-manufacture rules to the main industrial processes.
Reduce part counts and assembly times through DFA analysis.
Build reliable bottom-up and parametric cost models.
Negotiate with suppliers using objective cost data.
Relate tolerances, quality and cost in design.
Prepare business cases that integrate cost, profitability and sustainability.
Who it's for
- Cost engineers seeking a structured methodology for cost targets.
- Design-for-manufacture engineers.
- Should-cost analysts.
- VA/VE value engineers.
- Technical buyers who negotiate on the basis of cost data.
- Product cost managers.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- VDI 2225 (design engineering methodology: technical and economic evaluation)
- EN 1325 (value management: vocabulary and terms)
- ISO 15686-5 (life cycle costing)
- EN 12973 (value management)
- ISO 22514 (statistical methods in process management: capability and performance)
- IATF 16949 (automotive quality management system)
- VDI 2235 (economic decisions in design: cost information)
- aPriori
- Boothroyd Dewhurst DFMA
- Siemens Teamcenter Product Cost Management
- SolidWorks Costing
- Microsoft Excel with Power Query
12 modules
1.1Cost structure of an industrial product1.2Material, process and overhead costs1.3Recurring and non-recurring costs1.4Target cost and target costing1.5Should-cost versus purchase price1.6Learning curves and volume1.7Life cycle cost1.8Influence of design on committed cost1.9Roles of the cost engineer in development1.10Case study: cost breakdown of a component
2.1Market price and target margin2.2Deploying cost to systems and parts2.3Functional analysis and cost per function2.4Value engineering VA/VE2.5Teardown and competitive benchmarking2.6Cost gates in development2.7Tracking the cost gap2.8Negotiation with engineering and purchasing2.9Change management and its impact2.10Workshop: target cost cascade for a subsystem
3.1Design rules for plastic injection moulding3.2Draft angles, wall thicknesses and ribs3.3Design for sheet metal stamping3.4Aluminium die casting3.5Machining: tolerances and accessibility3.6Extrusion and profiles3.7Series additive manufacturing3.8Process selection by volume3.9Surface treatments and their cost3.10Practical exercise: redesign of an injection-moulded housing
4.1The Boothroyd and Dewhurst method4.2Reducing the number of parts4.3Handling and insertion of components4.4Clip, screw and welded joints4.5Poka-yoke in design4.6Automated versus manual assembly4.7Assembly sequence and accessibility4.8MTM standard times4.9Modular design and platforms4.10Lab: DFA analysis with DFMA software
5.1Variant complexity and its cost5.2Component standardisation5.3Commonality across product families5.4Cost of quality and tolerances5.5Logistics and packaging costs5.6Tooling costs and amortisation5.7Make or buy5.8Design for disassembly and service5.9Topology optimisation and weight5.10Case study: variant reduction in a product range
6.1Bottom-up costing by operation6.2Machine and labour rates6.3Parametric cost models6.4Activity-based costing6.5Material and price databases6.6aPriori and Facton tools6.7Cost of injection and stamping tooling6.8Sensitivity to volume and location6.9Validation against real quotations6.10Practical exercise: cost model of a stamped part
7.1Sourcing strategy7.2Quotations and quote breakdown7.3Negotiation based on cost data7.4Raw material indices7.5Logistics costs and tariffs7.6Low-cost country sourcing7.7Supply risks7.8Joint development with suppliers7.9Contracts and productivity clauses7.10Workshop: analysis of a supplier quotation
8.1Tolerances and their effect on cost8.2Tolerance stack-up analysis8.3Process capability Cp and Cpk8.4Design and process FMEA8.5Cost of poor quality8.6Statistical process control8.7Inspection and metrology8.8Taguchi robust design8.9Control plans8.10Case study: tolerances of a critical assembly
9.1Concurrent engineering in development9.2Cross-functional product teams9.3DFM in design reviews9.4CAD tools with manufacturability analysis9.5PLM and cost management9.6Project portfolio management9.7Industrialisation and PPAP9.8Launch and production ramp-up9.9Lessons learned across projects9.10Practical exercise: DFM review of a real design
10.1Combined cost and carbon footprint10.2Recycled materials and cost10.3Design for recycling10.4Remanufacturing and second life10.5Cost of environmental compliance10.6Energy in manufacturing processes10.7Cost-effective ecodesign and its levers10.8Carbon pricing and its impact10.9Product sustainability reporting10.10Case study: low-impact alternative meeting the target cost
11.1Product business case11.2Profitability and payback period11.3Net present value and IRR11.4Scenarios and risk analysis11.5Annual productivity with suppliers11.6Cost reviews in series production11.7Cost reduction on a launched product11.8Communication with financial management11.9Cost indicators in dashboards11.10Workshop: business case with NPV and IRR
12.1Selection of the product or subsystem12.2Analysis of the current cost12.3Definition of the target cost12.4Teardown and benchmarking12.5DFM, DFA and DFC proposals12.6Comparative cost model12.7Validation with manufacturing and purchasing12.8Implementation plan12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training 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 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 aPriori, Boothroyd Dewhurst DFMA, Siemens Teamcenter Product Cost Management, SolidWorks Costing and Microsoft Excel with Power Query, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: teardowns of competitor products, bottom-up cost models of real parts and DFM and DFA reviews with engineering teams. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: VDI 2225, EN 1325 (value management), ISO 15686-5, EN 12973, ISO 22514, IATF 16949, VDI 2235.
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
- 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.
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 aPriori, Boothroyd Dewhurst DFMA, Siemens Teamcenter Product Cost Management, SolidWorks Costing and Microsoft Excel with Power Query, 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 demonstrable professional experience), plus 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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