Master’s in Fusion Engineering (Tokamak/Stellarator)
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in fusion engineering (tokamak/stellarator), structured in 12 modules covering toroidal magnetic confinement, MHD equilibrium, stability and disruptions, transport, stellarator optimisation, heating and current drive, power exhaust, diagnostics, plasma control and device engineering, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Fusion Engineering (Tokamak/Stellarator) — 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 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 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
Understand the topology of toroidal magnetic confinement.
Calculate MHD equilibria in tokamaks and stellarators.
Analyse plasma stability and disruptions.
Model transport and confinement.
Optimise stellarator configurations.
Design heating, diagnostic and control systems.
Assess future fusion reactor concepts.
Who it's for
- Plasma physicists.
- Fusion engineers.
- Plasma control engineers.
- Diagnostics specialists.
- Plasma heating engineers.
- Researchers in stellarator optimisation.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the fusion energy sector.
What you'll work with
- ITER Physics Basis (reference physics basis for ITER design)
- IAEA SSG-91 (safety of fusion facilities)
- ASME BPVC Section III Division 4 (rules for fusion energy devices)
- RCC-MRx (design and construction rules for mechanical components of nuclear installations)
- IEC 61788 (superconductivity measurements)
- ISO 21009 (cryogenic vessels)
- IEC 61508 (functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable systems)
- FreeGS
- VMEC
- SIMSOPT
- SOLPS-ITER
- IMAS
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Toroidal topology and rotational transform1.2Magnetic surfaces1.3Flux coordinates1.4Safety factor q1.5Tokamak: plasma current1.6Stellarator: confinement by external coils1.7Tokamak-stellarator comparison1.8Reference devices: JET, ITER, W7-X and JT-60SA1.9European programmes1.10Case study: comparative analysis of W7-X and ITER
2.1Ideal MHD equations2.2Force and pressure balance2.3The Grad-Shafranov equation2.4Shaped plasmas: elongation and triangularity2.5Plasma beta2.63D equilibrium in stellarators2.7The VMEC code2.8Equilibrium reconstruction with EFIT2.9Plasma shape control2.10Lab: solving Grad-Shafranov with FreeGS
3.1Ideal and resistive modes3.2Kink and ballooning modes3.3Tearing modes and NTMs3.4Edge-localised modes (ELMs)3.5Operational limits3.6Disruptions and their physics3.7Runaway electrons3.8Disruption mitigation3.9Prediction with machine learning3.10Practical exercise: stability analysis with public data
4.1Neoclassical transport4.2Turbulent transport4.3ITG and TEM turbulence modes4.4IPB98 confinement time scaling4.5H-mode and the pedestal4.6Neoclassical optimisation in stellarators4.7Gyrokinetic simulation4.8Integrated transport models4.9The ASTRA and JINTRAC codes4.10Lab: transport simulation with a 1D model
5.1Quasi-symmetry theory5.2Quasi-isodynamicity and omnigeneity5.3Numerical optimisation of configurations5.4The STELLOPT and SIMSOPT codes5.5Coil design5.6Manufacturing tolerances5.7Magnetic islands and the island divertor5.8Lessons from Wendelstein 7-X5.9Compact stellarators5.10Practical exercise: coil optimisation with SIMSOPT
6.1Ohmic heating6.2Neutral beam injection6.3Electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH)6.4Ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH)6.5Lower hybrid waves6.6Non-inductive current drive6.7Gyrotrons6.8Negative ion sources6.9Coupling to the plasma6.10Case study: heating power balance
7.1Plasma edge physics7.2The scrape-off layer (SOL)7.3Divertor configurations7.4Plasma detachment7.5Radiation and impurity seeding7.6Loads on divertor targets7.7The SOLPS-ITER codes7.8Advanced divertors7.9Island divertor in stellarators7.10Lab: estimation of divertor loads
8.1Magnetics: coils and flux loops8.2Interferometry and polarimetry8.3Thomson scattering8.4Spectroscopy8.5Neutron diagnostics8.6Bolometry8.7Reflectometry8.8Integration of diagnostics in ITER8.9Integrated data analysis8.10Practical exercise: analysis of Thomson scattering profiles
9.1Real-time control systems9.2Vertical position control9.3Shape control9.4Profile control9.5Density control9.6Machine protection9.7Reinforcement learning in control9.8ITER control architectures9.9Control simulators9.10Lab: simplified vertical control in Simulink
10.1Vacuum vessel10.2Superconducting coils10.3Cryostat and cryogenics10.4In-vessel components10.5Remote maintenance10.6Electrical power supply systems10.7Integration and assembly10.8Lessons from the ITER assembly10.9Manufacturing of non-planar coils10.10Workshop: analysis of assembly tolerances
11.1DEMO design11.2Spherical reactors: STEP11.3Compact high-field tokamaks11.4Stellarator reactors11.5Availability and maintenance11.6The tritium cycle11.7Materials and the IFMIF-DONES source11.8Safety and licensing11.9Fusion economics11.10Case study: comparison of reactor concepts
12.1Definition of the confinement problem12.2Literature review12.3Selection of models and codes12.4Equilibrium or transport calculation12.5Stability or control analysis12.6Engineering implications12.7Discussion of results12.8Conclusions12.9Master's Thesis: written 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 the programme can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is FreeGS, VMEC, SIMSOPT, SOLPS-ITER and IMAS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for MHD equilibrium calculation, stellarator configuration optimisation and analysis of plasma diagnostic data. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ITER Physics Basis, IAEA SSG-91, ASME BPVC Section III Division 4, RCC-MRx, IEC 61788, ISO 21009, IEC 61508.
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 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 FreeGS, VMEC, SIMSOPT, SOLPS-ITER and IMAS, 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 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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