Master’s in Advanced Ground Sensors Engineering (Hyperspectral, Thermal, Ground Radar)
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in advanced ground-based sensor engineering (hyperspectral, thermal and ground radar). 12 modules covering the academic and ethical framework, radiometry and sensor physics, hyperspectral imaging, infrared thermal imaging, ground radar, ground-penetrating radar, signal and image processing, machine learning for sensors, multi-sensor fusion, platform integration and compliance, with an assigned technical tutor.
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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 physical principles of optical, thermal and radar sensors.
Process hyperspectral images to identify materials.
Apply quantitative infrared thermography.
Process ground radar and ground-penetrating radar signals.
Apply machine learning to advanced sensor data.
Design multi-sensor fusion systems.
Assess the legal, ethical and regulatory framework of dual-use sensors.
Who it's for
- Sensor engineers designing and integrating optical, thermal and radar systems.
- Hyperspectral remote sensing specialists working on material identification.
- Radar engineers processing FMCW, Doppler and ground-penetrating radar data.
- Certified thermographers moving into quantitative and automated analysis.
- Data fusion engineers combining radar, thermal and spectral sources.
- Signal processing researchers focused on detection and classification.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to work in safety and emergency services.
What you'll work with
- Regulation (EU) 2021/821 (EU dual-use export control regime)
- Directive 2014/53/EU (radio equipment)
- Directive 2014/30/EU (electromagnetic compatibility)
- MIL-STD-810H (environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests)
- IEC 60825-1 (safety of laser products)
- ISO 18434-1 (condition monitoring — thermography)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act)
- MATLAB Radar Toolbox
- ENVI
- Python with Spectral
- FLIR Thermal Studio
- ReflexW
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Ground-based remote sensing and its applications1.2The electromagnetic spectrum and atmospheric windows1.3Platforms: fixed, vehicles and robots1.4Civil, security and dual use1.5International law and export controls1.6Privacy and surveillance1.7Ethics of sensor research1.8Data processing chain1.9State of the art1.10Case study: ethics of civil perimeter surveillance
2.1Radiometry and quantities2.2Black-body radiation2.3Emissivity, reflectance and transmission2.4Atmospheric propagation and absorption2.5Photonic and thermal detectors2.6Noise and figures of merit2.7Signal-to-noise ratio and NETD2.8Sensor optics2.9Radiometric calibration of detectors2.10Lab: radiometric budget calculation for a sensor
3.1Principles of imaging spectroscopy3.2Push-broom and snapshot sensors3.3Calibration and atmospheric correction3.4Spectral signatures and libraries3.5Dimensionality reduction3.6Linear spectral unmixing3.7Supervised spectral classification3.8Spectral target and anomaly detection3.9Applications in agriculture, mining and waste3.10Practical exercise: spectral unmixing with public data
4.1SWIR, MWIR and LWIR bands4.2Cooled detectors and microbolometers4.3Calibration and non-uniformity4.4Quantitative thermography and emissivity4.5Thermal contrast and environmental conditions4.6Thermal imaging in industrial inspection4.7Person detection in rescue4.8Thermographic testing standards4.9Fusion of thermal and visible imagery4.10Lab: non-uniformity correction in a microbolometer
5.1The radar equation and range5.2FMCW continuous-wave radar5.3Doppler and micro-Doppler radar5.4Range, velocity and angle resolution5.5MIMO radar and beamforming5.6Ground-based synthetic aperture radar5.7Clutter and its modelling5.8Ground-penetrating radar5.9Civil applications: traffic, infrastructure and rescue5.10Practical exercise: FMCW radar processing
6.1Principles of GPR6.2Antennas and frequencies6.3Radargram processing6.4Migration and inversion6.5Detection of buried utilities6.6Archaeology and heritage6.7Inspection of pavements and structures6.8Humanitarian detection of explosive remnants6.9Utility detection standards6.10Lab: radargram interpretation
7.1Filtering and enhancement7.2Adaptive CFAR detection7.3Target tracking7.4Multi-sensor image registration7.5Super-resolution techniques7.6Data compression7.7Real-time processing7.8Implementation on FPGA and GPU7.9Detection metrics7.10Workshop: CFAR detector on radar data
8.1Classification of spectral signatures8.2Detection in thermal images8.3Micro-Doppler classification8.4Deep networks for radargrams8.5Synthetic data and simulation8.6Learning with few labels8.7Robustness and adversaries8.8Explainability of detections8.9Evaluation in real conditions8.10Practical exercise: human activity classification with micro-Doppler
9.1Fusion levels: data, feature and decision9.2The JDL fusion model9.3Bayesian fusion of detections9.4Dempster-Shafer theory9.5Fusion of hyperspectral and LiDAR9.6Fusion of radar and camera9.7Spatial and temporal alignment9.8Sensor management9.9Evaluation of fused systems9.10Lab: radar-thermal fusion for person detection
10.1Sensors on ground vehicles10.2Sensors on inspection robots10.3Stabilisation and gimbals10.4Size, weight and power10.5Environmental conditions and MIL-STD-810 testing10.6Electromagnetic compatibility of the platform10.7Interfaces and data buses10.8Thermal management of sensors10.9Field maintenance and calibration10.10Case study: sensor integration on a rescue robot
11.1Dual-use export controls11.2European radio equipment regulations11.3Electromagnetic compatibility requirements11.4Laser and radiation safety11.5Privacy and the GDPR in data capture11.6The AI Act and identification systems11.7Thermography and non-destructive testing standards11.8Responsible research and social impact11.9Management of sensitive information11.10Practical exercise: compliance matrix for a multi-sensor system
12.1Definition of the civil or dual-use application12.2Selection of sensor technologies12.3Performance modelling12.4Data acquisition or simulation12.5Processing and algorithms12.6Fusion and evaluation12.7Regulatory and ethical analysis12.8Conclusions and future research lines12.9Master'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 the 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 MATLAB Radar Toolbox, ENVI, Python with Spectral, FLIR Thermal Studio and ReflexW, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: spectral unmixing of hyperspectral images, FMCW and micro-Doppler radar processing, and interpretation of ground-penetrating radar radargrams. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Regulation (EU) 2021/821, Directive 2014/53/EU, Directive 2014/30/EU, MIL-STD-810H, IEC 60825-1, ISO 18434-1, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.
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'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 MATLAB Radar Toolbox, ENVI, Python with Spectral, FLIR Thermal Studio and ReflexW, 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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