Master’s in Emergency, Business Continuity and Resilience Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in Emergency, Operational Continuity and Resilience Engineering, with 12 modules covering risk and resilience, civil protection regulations, threat analysis, emergency and self-protection plans, incident management, business continuity, infrastructure resilience, crisis communication, exercises and emergency technology, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Emergency, Business Continuity and Resilience Engineering — studying from South Africa
Health technology and occupational safety are important in South Africa, where mining, manufacturing and healthcare all require strong safety engineering. The Medicines Control Council regulates medical devices, and the Department of Employment and Labour enforces workplace health and safety legislation. Hospitals, medical device distributors and research groups at universities use biomechanics and wearable technology to improve care and worker protection. Demand exists for engineers who can combine human factors knowledge with regulatory compliance.
Fees for South Africa: R 148 000 (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 qualifications, not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by any South African body. Engineering registration in South Africa is handled by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), which registers people based on their own accredited training and experience. Recognition of a private qualification is therefore decided by individual employers or the relevant professional body, so check with them before enrolling.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in health-related engineering or occupational safety?
Employers in medical devices, occupational health, and workplace safety may value advanced, specialised knowledge in biomechanics and wearable technology, especially when paired with practical experience. Because the qualification is private rather than state-recognised, its weight depends on each employer's view. Speak to potential employers in your sector about whether they would consider it alongside your existing qualifications and work history.
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 taught in English, so you can study from home without a student visa. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with an assigned technical tutor and fees payable in instalments. Employer sponsorship is possible. Confirm the schedule and time-zone expectations with SEIUM before enrolling, as these details are not covered here.
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
Understand the concepts of crisis, emergency and resilience.
Apply civil protection and self-protection regulations.
Analyse threats, vulnerabilities and cascading effects.
Draw up emergency and self-protection plans.
Implement ISO 22301 business continuity systems.
Design exercise programmes and crisis communication.
Integrate technology and human factors into emergency management.
Who it's for
- Emergency managers.
- Business continuity managers.
- Civil protection technicians.
- Resilience consultants.
- Crisis coordinators.
- Critical infrastructure analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into civil protection.
What you'll work with
- Law 17/2015 (National Civil Protection System, Spain)
- Royal Decree 393/2007 (Basic Self-Protection Standard, Spain)
- ISO 22301 (business continuity management systems)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2557 (resilience of critical entities)
- Law 8/2011 (protection of critical infrastructure, Spain)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2, cybersecurity)
- ISO 22320 (emergency management)
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
- ArcGIS
- Pathfinder
- HEC-RAS
- Fusion Risk Management
- Microsoft Teams
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Concepts of emergency, crisis and disaster1.2Organisational resilience and ISO 223161.3Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction1.4Natural, technological and social threats1.5Interdependencies and cascading effects1.6Emergency management cycle1.7Risk governance1.8Crisis communication1.9Lessons from recent crises1.10Case study: analysis of a power blackout
2.1Law 17/2015 on the National Civil Protection System2.2Royal Decree 393/2007 Basic Self-Protection Standard2.3Territorial and special plans2.4Law 8/2011 on critical infrastructure2.5Directive (EU) 2022/2557 on resilience2.6NIS2 Directive and cyber resilience2.7Seveso III and external emergency plans2.8Responsibilities of companies2.9Coordination with public services2.10Workshop: self-protection requirements for a facility
3.1Threat identification3.2Vulnerability analysis3.3Emergency scenarios3.4Impact assessment3.5Cascade analysis3.6Climate risks and flooding3.7Physical security threats3.8Cyber risks with physical impact3.9Risk matrices3.10Practical exercise: vulnerability analysis of a hospital
4.1Structure of the self-protection plan4.2Organisation of emergency teams4.3Evacuation procedures4.4Shelter-in-place procedures4.5Protection equipment and resources4.6Implementation and training4.7Mandatory annual drills4.8Maintaining the plan4.9Integration with external plans4.10Case study: self-protection plan for a shopping centre
5.1Incident Command System (ICS)5.2Coordination centres5.3Decision-making under pressure5.4Information management5.5Emergency logistics5.6Coordination with public emergency services5.7Volunteer management5.8Resources and capabilities5.9Closing an emergency5.10Lab: tabletop exercise with ICS
6.1ISO 22301 management systems6.2Business impact analysis (BIA)6.3RTO and RPO objectives6.4Selected continuity strategies6.5Continuity plans6.6IT disaster recovery6.7Continuity of essential suppliers6.8Continuity testing6.9System improvement6.10Practical exercise: BIA of a packaging plant
7.1Critical infrastructure catalogue7.2Energy and grids7.3Water and sanitation7.4Resilience of transport networks7.5Continuity of telecommunications7.6Hospital capacity in mass-casualty emergencies7.7Interdependencies between critical sectors7.8Regional resilience metrics7.9Investing in resilience7.10Case study: resilience of a water network
8.1Communication strategy8.2Spokespersons and spokesperson training8.3Social media in a crisis8.4Public alerts8.5Rumours and disinformation8.6Internal communication during a crisis8.7Media relations8.8Messages for vulnerable groups8.9Post-crisis evaluation of communication8.10Workshop: crisis communication plan
9.1Types of exercises9.2Scenario design9.3Tabletop exercises9.4Full-scale drills9.5Exercise evaluation9.6Lessons learned from exercises9.7Computer simulation9.8Virtual reality for training responders9.9Multi-year exercise programmes9.10Practical exercise: design of a continuity exercise
10.1Behaviour during evacuations10.2Decision-making in a crisis10.3Stress and performance10.4Teamwork10.5Leadership in emergencies10.6Responder fatigue10.7Psychological support for victims and responders10.8Diversity of users10.9Scenario-based training10.10Case study: behaviour during an evacuation
11.1Early warning systems11.2Geographic information systems11.3Drones in emergencies11.4Mission-critical communications and TETRA networks11.5Flood modelling11.6Evacuation modelling11.7Management platforms11.8AI for prediction11.9Cybersecurity of emergency systems11.10Lab: evacuation simulation with Pathfinder
12.1Organisation or territory analysed12.2Threat and vulnerability analysis12.3Emergency plan12.4Business impact analysis12.5Continuity strategies12.6Communication plan12.7Exercise programme12.8Resilience indicators12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online learning on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ArcGIS, Pathfinder, HEC-RAS, Fusion Risk Management and Microsoft Teams, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: drills and tabletop exercises, business impact analyses and evacuation modelling. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Law 17/2015, Royal Decree 393/2007, ISO 22301, Directive (EU) 2022/2557, Law 8/2011, Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2), ISO 22320, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
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
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's 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 ArcGIS, Pathfinder, HEC-RAS, Fusion Risk Management and Microsoft Teams, 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's 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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