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Master’s in Multi-Hazard Urban Risk Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in multi-hazard urban risk engineering. 12 modules covering floods, seismic risk, extreme heat and drought, geological, coastal and technological hazards, exposure and vulnerability, cascading effects, quantitative risk assessment and urban resilience, applying the Sendai Framework, Directive 2007/60/EC and HEC-RAS, 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

Characterise the natural and technological hazards of an urban environment.

02

Model floods and seismic scenarios with professional tools.

03

Build exposure and vulnerability models.

04

Analyse interactions and cascading effects between hazards.

05

Quantify risk using probabilistic metrics.

06

Prioritise risk reduction and adaptation measures.

07

Assess urban resilience using international frameworks.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Natural hazard analysts looking to move to a multi-hazard approach.
  • Urban resilience consultants.
  • Civil protection officers.
  • Catastrophe risk modellers in insurance and reinsurance.
  • Climate adaptation planners.
  • Land-use planning specialists.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter public administration and risk management.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
  • Directive 2007/60/EC (assessment and management of flood risks)
  • Royal Decree 903/2010 (assessment and management of flood risks)
  • NCSE-02 (Spanish Seismic-Resistant Construction Standard)
  • Eurocode 8 (UNE-EN 1998) (design of structures for earthquake resistance)
  • Directive 2012/18/EU (Seveso III)
  • Royal Decree 840/2015 (major accidents involving dangerous substances)
  • ISO 31000:2018 (risk management)
  • HEC-RAS
  • OpenQuake
  • QGIS
  • CAPRA
  • Python (GeoPandas)
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Hazard, exposure and vulnerability
  2. 1.2From single-hazard to multi-hazard analysis
  3. 1.3Concurrent, cascading and compound hazards
  4. 1.4The Sendai Framework and systemic risk
  5. 1.5The UNDRR-ISC hazard list
  6. 1.6Urbanisation and risk creation
  7. 1.7Risk and climate change according to the IPCC
  8. 1.8Urban risk indicators
  9. 1.9The experiences of Christchurch, Tohoku and Valencia
  10. 1.10Case study: multi-hazard profile of a Mediterranean city
  1. 2.1Hydrology of urban catchments
  2. 2.2Rainfall-runoff models
  3. 2.3Hydraulics of channels and floodplains
  4. 2.4Pluvial flooding and drainage networks
  5. 2.5Hazard and risk maps
  6. 2.6Spanish National Flood Zone Mapping System
  7. 2.7Depth-damage curves
  8. 2.8Structural and non-structural measures
  9. 2.9Hydrological warning systems
  10. 2.10Lab: 2D flood modelling with HEC-RAS
  1. 3.1Seismicity and seismic hazard
  2. 3.2IGN seismic hazard maps
  3. 3.3Site effects and microzonation
  4. 3.4Seismic vulnerability of buildings
  5. 3.5Fragility curves
  6. 3.6Seismic damage scenarios
  7. 3.7Spanish Seismic-Resistant Construction Standard
  8. 3.8Eurocode 8 and existing buildings
  9. 3.9Liquefaction and induced landslides
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: seismic damage scenario for a neighbourhood
  1. 4.1Heatwaves and mortality
  2. 4.2Urban heat island
  3. 4.3Heat indices and thresholds
  4. 4.4Heat vulnerability maps
  5. 4.5Meteorological and hydrological drought
  6. 4.6Management of urban water resources
  7. 4.7Wildland-urban interface fires
  8. 4.8Heat prevention plans
  9. 4.9Urban climate shelters
  10. 4.10Case study: heat vulnerability map
  1. 5.1Landslides and slope movements
  2. 5.2Land subsidence
  3. 5.3Karst collapses and sinkholes
  4. 5.4Coastal risk and storms
  5. 5.5Sea-level rise
  6. 5.6Tsunamis in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
  7. 5.7Erosion and overtopping
  8. 5.8Geological hazard mapping
  9. 5.9Monitoring with InSAR
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: landslide susceptibility analysis with GIS
  1. 6.1Major accidents involving dangerous substances
  2. 6.2The Seveso III Directive
  3. 6.3Transport of dangerous goods
  4. 6.4Critical infrastructure failures
  5. 6.5Large-scale urban fires
  6. 6.6Natech: natural disasters that trigger technological accidents
  7. 6.7Pollution and environmental emergencies
  8. 6.8Risk in tunnels and car parks
  9. 6.9External emergency plans
  10. 6.10Workshop: analysis of a Natech scenario on an industrial estate
  1. 7.1Exposure inventories
  2. 7.2Building exposure models
  3. 7.3Physical vulnerability by typology
  4. 7.4Social vulnerability and composite indices
  5. 7.5Functional vulnerability of networks
  6. 7.6Transient population and tourists
  7. 7.7Cadastral and census data
  8. 7.8Remote sensing for exposure
  9. 7.9Uncertainty in exposure
  10. 7.10Lab: exposure inventory with cadastral data
  1. 8.1Hazard interaction matrices
  2. 8.2Compound and concurrent events
  3. 8.3Cascades in infrastructure
  4. 8.4Bayesian networks for risk
  5. 8.5Dependency graphs
  6. 8.6Cascade scenarios
  7. 8.7System simulation models
  8. 8.8Loss of service and recovery time
  9. 8.9Historical cascade cases
  10. 8.10Practical exercise: multi-hazard interaction matrix
  1. 9.1Average annual loss
  2. 9.2Loss exceedance curves
  3. 9.3Probabilistic catastrophe models
  4. 9.4The OpenQuake and CAPRA platforms
  5. 9.5Uncertainty analysis
  6. 9.6Risk metrics for the population
  7. 9.7Risk and insurance
  8. 9.8Aggregation of multi-hazard risks
  9. 9.9Communicating probabilistic results
  10. 9.10Lab: calculation of average annual loss with OpenQuake
  1. 10.1Land-use planning and risk
  2. 10.2Nature-based solutions
  3. 10.3Strengthening of buildings and infrastructure
  4. 10.4Multi-hazard early warning systems
  5. 10.5Financial risk transfer
  6. 10.6Climate adaptation plans
  7. 10.7Prioritisation of measures
  8. 10.8Cost-benefit analysis of measures
  9. 10.9Risk governance
  10. 10.10Case study: portfolio of risk reduction measures
  1. 11.1Concepts of urban resilience
  2. 11.2The UNDRR framework for resilient cities
  3. 11.3Indicators and scorecards
  4. 11.4Community resilience
  5. 11.5Economic resilience of the city
  6. 11.6Municipal resilience plans
  7. 11.7Resilient cities networks
  8. 11.8Resilience monitoring
  9. 11.9Post-disaster learning
  10. 11.10Workshop: self-assessment with the Disaster Resilience Scorecard
  1. 12.1Selection of the city and hazards
  2. 12.2Hazard analysis
  3. 12.3Exposure and vulnerability model
  4. 12.4Interaction analysis
  5. 12.5Quantitative risk assessment
  6. 12.6Reduction and adaptation strategy
  7. 12.7Communication of results
  8. 12.8Conclusions and future lines of work
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

The programme is delivered 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 it is compatible with full-time work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is HEC-RAS, OpenQuake, QGIS, CAPRA and Python (GeoPandas), in free, academic or evaluation versions. You work on real procedures for hydraulic modelling of urban floods, seismic damage scenarios and analysis of interactions between hazards. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030; Directive 2007/60/EC; Royal Decree 903/2010; NCSE-02; Eurocode 8 (UNE-EN 1998); Directive 2012/18/EU; Royal Decree 840/2015; ISO 31000:2018.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the Sendai Framework, Directive 2007/60/EC and Royal Decree 903/2010 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:HEC-RAS, OpenQuake, QGIS, CAPRA and Python (GeoPandas), in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a multi-hazard risk assessment of a real city, from hazard and exposure modelling to quantitative risk and a reduction strategy, 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.

Flood modelling
Model urban flooding in 2D with HEC-RAS.
Seismic damage scenario
Build a seismic damage scenario for a neighbourhood.
Hazard interaction matrix
Map interactions and cascades between the hazards of a city.
Probabilistic loss assessment
Calculate average annual loss with OpenQuake.
Master's Thesis
a multi-hazard risk assessment of a real city, from hazard and exposure modelling to quantitative risk and a reduction strategy, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Natural hazard analystUrban resilience consultantCivil protection officerCatastrophe risk modellerClimate adaptation plannerLand-use planning specialist
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 HEC-RAS, OpenQuake, QGIS, CAPRA and Python (GeoPandas), 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, plus a computer able to run the 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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