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Master’s in Fatigue, Shift Work and Sleep Management Engineering in Operations

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in Fatigue, Shift Work and Sleep Management Engineering for Operations, with 12 modules covering sleep biology, operational fatigue, shift design, biomathematical models, sleep measurement, FRMS, sector regulations, countermeasures, health and lighting, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Explain the biology of sleep and circadian rhythms.

02

Analyse the relationship between fatigue, shift work and human error.

03

Design shift systems that reduce fatigue risk.

04

Apply biomathematical fatigue models to real schedules.

05

Measure sleep and sleepiness with validated methods.

06

Implement fatigue risk management systems.

07

Propose organisational and environmental countermeasures against fatigue.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Fatigue management specialists.
  • Occupational health and safety technicians dealing with shift work.
  • Shift scheduling analysts.
  • Operational safety consultants.
  • Sleep and performance researchers.
  • FRMS managers.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to move into aviation.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Directive 2003/88/EC (organisation of working time)
  • Regulation (EC) 561/2006 (driving times and rest periods)
  • Regulation (EU) 965/2012 (air operations)
  • Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006)
  • STCW Convention 1978 as amended (seafarers' training and watchkeeping)
  • Royal Legislative Decree 2/2015 (Workers' Statute, Spain)
  • ICAO Doc 9966 (manual for the oversight of FRMS)
  • CIE S 026/E:2018 (optical radiation metrics)
  • SAFTE-FAST
  • R
  • MATLAB
  • ActiLife
  • Excel
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Sleep physiology and sleep stages
  2. 1.2Circadian rhythms and the suprachiasmatic nucleus
  3. 1.3Borbély's two-process model
  4. 1.4Melatonin and light
  5. 1.5Morning and evening chronotypes
  6. 1.6Acute and chronic sleep deprivation
  7. 1.7Sleep inertia
  8. 1.8Naps and their effectiveness
  9. 1.9Common sleep disorders
  10. 1.10Case study: analysis of sleep diaries
  1. 2.1Types of fatigue
  2. 2.2Fatigue and human error
  3. 2.3Fatigue-related accidents
  4. 2.4Fatigue in road transport
  5. 2.5Fatigue in aviation
  6. 2.6Fatigue in rail and maritime transport
  7. 2.7Fatigue in healthcare
  8. 2.8Fatigue in the process industry
  9. 2.9Interaction with workload
  10. 2.10Practical exercise: analysis of a fatigue-related accident
  1. 3.1Rotating and fixed shift systems
  2. 3.2Speed and direction of rotation
  3. 3.3Shift length and overtime
  4. 3.4Rest periods and breaks
  5. 3.5Night shifts and number of consecutive nights
  6. 3.6On-call duty and availability
  7. 3.7Scheduling tools
  8. 3.8Worker participation
  9. 3.9Directive 2003/88/EC on working time
  10. 3.10Workshop: redesign of a shift roster
  1. 4.1Three-process models
  2. 4.2The SAFTE model and the FAST tool
  3. 4.3Boeing Alertness Model
  4. 4.4Limitations of the models
  5. 4.5Validation with field data
  6. 4.6Integration into scheduling
  7. 4.7Risk thresholds
  8. 4.8Responsible use of models
  9. 4.9Comparison of tools
  10. 4.10Lab: assessing a schedule with a fatigue model
  1. 5.1Polysomnography as the gold standard
  2. 5.2Wrist actigraphy and sleep algorithms
  3. 5.3KSS and Epworth sleepiness scales
  4. 5.4Psychomotor vigilance test
  5. 5.5Sleep diaries
  6. 5.6Consumer wearables and their validity
  7. 5.7Drowsiness detection in vehicles
  8. 5.8Organisational fatigue indicators
  9. 5.9Privacy of sleep data
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: actigraphy data analysis
  1. 6.1FRMS concept and components
  2. 6.2ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices
  3. 6.3Regulation (EU) 965/2012 and FTL
  4. 6.4Policy and responsibilities
  5. 6.5Identification of fatigue hazards
  6. 6.6Assessment and mitigation
  7. 6.7Fatigue reporting
  8. 6.8Safety assurance
  9. 6.9Promotion and training
  10. 6.10Case study: FRMS for a regional airline
  1. 7.1Regulation (EC) 561/2006 on driving times
  2. 7.2Tachograph and enforcement
  3. 7.3STCW Convention and rest periods
  4. 7.4MLC 2006 and hours of work
  5. 7.5Railway regulations on driving times
  6. 7.6Healthcare and on-call medical duty
  7. 7.7Industry and Seveso
  8. 7.8Spanish working-time regulations
  9. 7.9Comparison of international hours-of-work limits
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: compliance check in a fleet
  1. 8.1Sleep hygiene
  2. 8.2Strategic naps on long shifts
  3. 8.3Scheduled exposure to light and darkness
  4. 8.4Caffeine and its use
  5. 8.5Nutrition and shift work
  6. 8.6Physical exercise and sleep quality
  7. 8.7Activities and task rotation
  8. 8.8Detection technology
  9. 8.9Organisational interventions on working hours
  10. 8.10Workshop: sleep hygiene programme
  1. 9.1Cardiometabolic risks of shift work
  2. 9.2Night work and cancer
  3. 9.3Mental health and night work
  4. 9.4Reproductive health and pregnancy in shift work
  5. 9.5Shift tolerance in older workers
  6. 9.6Health surveillance protocols for night workers
  7. 9.7Fitness for work and sleep disorders
  8. 9.8Sleep apnoea and driving
  9. 9.9Work-life balance and shift work
  10. 9.10Case study: health surveillance of night workers
  1. 10.1Non-visual effects of light
  2. 10.2Human-centric lighting
  3. 10.3CIE S 026 melanopic metrics
  4. 10.4Lighting design of control rooms
  5. 10.5Noise and rest
  6. 10.6Rest accommodation
  7. 10.7Thermal environments and sleep
  8. 10.8Dynamic lighting technology
  9. 10.9Assessment of facilities
  10. 10.10Practical exercise: melanopic calculation for a control room
  1. 11.1Leadership and fatigue
  2. 11.2Reporting culture
  3. 11.3Fatigue indicators
  4. 11.4Investigation of fatigue-related events
  5. 11.5Managing shift changes
  6. 11.6Subcontracting and fatigue
  7. 11.7Remote work and working hours
  8. 11.8Shared responsibility between employer and worker
  9. 11.9Fatigue audits
  10. 11.10Case study: fatigue audit at a chemical plant
  1. 12.1Target organisation and operation
  2. 12.2Fatigue risk diagnosis
  3. 12.3Analysis of shifts and data
  4. 12.4Biomathematical modelling of the schedules
  5. 12.5Proposal for a new shift system
  6. 12.6Countermeasures and training
  7. 12.7Proposed management system
  8. 12.8Fatigue monitoring indicators
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

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 SAFTE-FAST, R, MATLAB, ActiLife and Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: shift analysis with fatigue models, actigraphy studies with workers and audits of fatigue management systems. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Directive 2003/88/EC, Regulation (EC) 561/2006, Regulation (EU) 965/2012, MLC 2006, STCW 1978 as amended, Royal Legislative Decree 2/2015, ICAO Doc 9966, CIE S 026/E:2018.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of Directive 2003/88/EC, Regulation (EC) 561/2006 and Regulation (EU) 965/2012 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:SAFTE-FAST, R, MATLAB, ActiLife and Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a fatigue risk diagnosis and new shift and management system for a real operation, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Fatigue risk diagnosis
Select an organisation and diagnose its fatigue risk.
Shift and data analysis
Analyse shifts and data and model the schedules biomathematically.
New shift system
Propose a new shift system with countermeasures and training.
Management system and indicators
Define the proposed management system and fatigue monitoring indicators.
Master's Thesis
Present the full proposal in your Master's Thesis, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Fatigue management specialistShift work health and safety technicianShift scheduling analystOperational safety consultantSleep and performance researcherFRMS manager
Admissions & scholarships

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.

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FAQ

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 SAFTE-FAST, R, MATLAB, ActiLife and Excel, 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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