Master’s in Energy and Power Engineering for Wearables
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in energy and power engineering for wearables. 12 modules covering energy budgets, batteries, battery management and charging, power conversion, wireless charging, body energy harvesting, ultra-low-power electronics, thermal and electrical safety and EU battery regulation, with an assigned technical tutor.
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
Draw up wearable energy budgets from usage profiles.
Select and characterise batteries suited to each form factor.
Design high-efficiency charging, management and conversion circuits.
Evaluate wireless charging and energy harvesting technologies.
Optimise firmware to minimise energy consumption.
Analyse the thermal and electrical safety risks of the device.
Apply European regulations on batteries, radio equipment and medical devices.
Who it's for
- Power management engineers.
- Low-power electronics designers.
- Battery engineers working on small-format cells.
- Low-power firmware developers.
- Wearable hardware engineers.
- Battery compliance specialists.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter consumer electronics.
What you'll work with
- IEC 62133-2 (safety of portable lithium batteries)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (batteries and waste batteries)
- UN 38.3 Manual (transport testing of lithium batteries)
- IEC 60601-1 (safety of medical electrical equipment)
- Directive 2014/53/EU (radio equipment)
- Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) (restriction of hazardous substances)
- Qi Wireless Power Transfer Specification (wireless charging)
- Directive 2012/19/EU (WEEE) (waste electrical and electronic equipment)
- LTspice
- MATLAB and Simulink
- COMSOL Multiphysics
- Nordic Power Profiler
- Altium Designer
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Consumption profiles by subsystem1.2Energy budget and target battery life1.3Sensor, radio and display consumption1.4Microcontroller low-power modes1.5Volume and weight constraints1.6Surface temperature and skin contact1.7Medical use requirements versus consumption1.8Energy metrics per inference and transmission1.9Daily usage cycles and their current peaks1.10Case study: energy budget of a smartwatch
2.1Electrochemistry of lithium-ion cells2.2Pouch, coin and cylindrical cells2.3Thin-film solid-state batteries2.4Flexible and stretchable batteries2.5Discharge curves and internal resistance2.6Ageing and cycle life2.7Effect of temperature on capacity2.8Thermal safety and thermal runaway2.9Cell selection for a disposable patch2.10Laboratory: characterisation of a pouch cell
3.1CC-CV charging circuits3.2Battery management systems (BMS)3.3State-of-charge estimation3.4State-of-health estimation3.5Overcharge and short-circuit protection3.6Gas gauges and Coulomb counting algorithms3.7Fast charging and its impact on service life3.8Communication with the operating system3.9Power management firmware3.10Practical exercise: state-of-charge algorithm in MATLAB
4.1LDO linear regulators and noise4.2Synchronous buck and boost converters4.3Efficiency at very low loads4.4Switched-capacitor converters4.5Management of multiple voltage rails4.6Start-up sequencing4.7Interference and filtering in biomedical signals4.8PCB design for compact power4.9Integrated PMICs for wearables4.10Laboratory: efficiency of a buck converter at microamps
5.1Inductive and resonant coupling5.2The Wireless Power Consortium Qi standard5.3Coil design for small form factors5.4Alignment and positional tolerance5.5Heating and field exposure5.6NFC charging5.7Long-range radio-frequency power transfer5.8Power for transcutaneous implants5.9Losses in housings and nearby materials5.10Practical exercise: designing a receiver coil
6.1Thermoelectric generators using body heat6.2Piezoelectric harvesting from movement6.3Triboelectric nanogenerators from textile friction6.4Flexible photovoltaic cells6.5Sweat-based biofuel cells6.6Ambient radio-frequency harvesting6.7Conditioning circuits and MPPT6.8Storage in supercapacitors6.9Battery-free and intermittent devices6.10Laboratory: wrist-worn thermoelectric harvester
7.1Subthreshold microcontrollers7.2Real-time clocks and timers7.3Sensors with integrated processing7.4BLE radio and interval optimisation7.5Event-triggered wake-up radios7.6Low-power non-volatile memories7.7Efficient analogue front-ends7.8E-ink and memory displays7.9Event-driven design7.10Practical exercise: reducing the consumption of BLE firmware
8.1Firmware power profiling8.2Energy-aware task scheduling8.3Adaptive sampling policies8.4Data compression to save radio usage8.5Embedded inference and its energy cost8.6Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling8.7Measurement with power analysers8.8Tools such as the Nordic PPK28.9Automated battery-life testing8.10Workshop: adaptive sampling policy
9.1Heat dissipation in small devices9.2IEC 60601-1 contact temperature limits9.3Finite element thermal simulation9.4Battery safety under IEC 62133-29.5Battery transport and UN 38.39.6Emissions and immunity under IEC 60601-1-29.7Isolation and leakage currents9.8Battery abuse testing9.9Thermal risks in the ISO 14971 file9.10Case study: thermal risk analysis of a patch
10.1Co-design of hardware, firmware and battery10.2Block-based power architecture10.3Mechanical integration of batteries10.4Flexible electronics and textiles10.5Sealing and IP protection10.6Manufacturing and production testing10.7Cost and supply chain10.8Reliability and accelerated life testing10.9Ecodesign and end of life10.10Practical exercise: power architecture of a smart ring
11.1Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries11.2WEEE Directive on electrical waste11.3Regulation (EU) 2017/745 for medical wearables11.4Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment11.5RoHS restriction of substances11.6Carbon footprint and LCA11.7Design for repairability and replacement11.8Digital battery passport11.9Labelling and documentation11.10Case study: compliance of a wearable with a removable battery
12.1Device definition and usage profile12.2Detailed energy budget12.3Battery or harvester selection12.4Power stage design12.5Low-power firmware strategy12.6Thermal and battery-life simulation12.7Prototype and consumption measurements12.8Regulatory and sustainability analysis12.9Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online 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 is compatible with full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LTspice, MATLAB and Simulink, COMSOL Multiphysics, Nordic Power Profiler and Altium Designer, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: consumption measurements with power analysers, cell characterisation and charging cycles, and energy harvesting tests on volunteers. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: IEC 62133-2, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, UN 38.3 Manual, IEC 60601-1, Directive 2014/53/EU, Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS), Qi Wireless Power Transfer Specification, Directive 2012/19/EU (WEEE).
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 LTspice, MATLAB and Simulink, COMSOL Multiphysics, Nordic Power Profiler and Altium Designer, 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.
Related programmes
Master’s in Ergonomics & Human Factors Engineering (Transport/Industry)
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in ergonomics and human factors engineering for transport and industry. 12 modules covering sociotechnical systems, cabs and driving positions, control…
Master’s in Advanced Functional Textiles and Smart Fabrics Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in functional textiles and advanced smart fabrics engineering. 12 modules covering fibres and structures, functional finishes, clothing comfort, conductive materials,…
Master’s in Special Transport Environments Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in special transport environments engineering. 12 modules covering risk factors in special environments, ground and air medical transport, tunnels and…
More in Health, Biomechanics, Wearables & Operational Safety
All Health, Biomechanics, Wearables & Operational Safety programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships