Master’s in Offshore Structures Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in offshore structural engineering: 12 modules covering environmental loads, structural types, in-place analysis, tubular joints and fatigue, offshore foundations, floating structures, offshore wind structures, temporary phases and fabrication, accidental and non-linear analysis, structural integrity management and materials, 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
Determine design environmental loads on offshore structures.
Analyse fixed structures using beam and finite element models.
Calculate the fatigue life of welded tubular joints.
Design pile and suction foundations.
Size offshore wind substructures.
Verify fabrication, transport and lifting phases.
Manage the structural integrity of existing platforms.
Who it's for
- Offshore structural engineers working on jackets, topsides and floaters.
- Marine geotechnical engineers designing piles and suction foundations.
- Fatigue and fracture engineers assessing welded tubular joints.
- Structural integrity engineers responsible for ageing platforms.
- Offshore fabrication engineers in heavy steel yards.
- Offshore wind foundation engineers sizing monopiles and jackets.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the offshore oil and gas industry.
What you'll work with
- ISO 19902 (fixed steel offshore structures)
- API RP 2A-WSD (planning, designing and constructing fixed offshore platforms, working stress design)
- DNV-RP-C203 (fatigue design of offshore steel structures)
- ISO 19901-4 (geotechnical and foundation design considerations)
- DNV-ST-0126 (support structures for wind turbines)
- IEC 61400-3-1 (design requirements for fixed offshore wind turbines)
- DNV-ST-N001 (marine operations and marine warranty)
- EN 1993-1-9 (fatigue of steel structures)
- SACS
- DNV Sesam GeniE
- ANSYS Mechanical
- Plaxis 3D
- OpenFAST
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Short- and long-term wave statistics1.2Design wave versus spectral analysis1.3Current loads and velocity profiles1.4Wind loads according to API and DNV1.5Drag and inertia coefficients1.6Marine growth and its effect on loads1.7Seismic loads at offshore sites1.8Ice loads in Arctic seas1.9Load combinations and return periods1.10Practical exercise: wave load calculation on a jacket
2.1Four- and eight-legged steel jackets2.2Concrete gravity-based platforms2.3Monopiles for offshore wind2.4Tripods and transition structures2.5Jack-ups and lattice legs2.6Compliant towers2.7Suction foundation structures2.8Choice of structural type by water depth2.9Historical development of large platforms2.10Case study: substructure selection for 60 m water depth
3.1Beam and joint modelling3.2Linear static analysis3.3Checking of tubular members3.4Local and global buckling of tubes3.5Non-linear pile-soil interaction3.6Dynamic analysis and natural periods3.7Dynamic amplification factors3.8Detailed finite element models3.9Code check according to ISO 199023.10Workshop: in-place analysis of a jacket
4.1K, T, Y and X joint geometries4.2Static strength of tubular joints4.3Stress concentration factors (SCF)4.4Efthymiou equations4.5S-N curves from DNV-RP-C2034.6Cumulative damage and Miner's rule4.7Spectral fatigue analysis4.8Fatigue improvement by grinding and hammer peening4.9Fatigue in welded monopile joints4.10Lab: fatigue life calculation of a K-joint
5.1CPT testing and geotechnical characterisation5.2Driven piles: axial capacity5.3p-y, t-z and q-z curves5.4Suction foundations5.5Gravity bases and stability5.6Scour and scour protection5.7Pile driving and driveability analysis5.8Cyclic behaviour of soils5.9PISA method for monopiles5.10Practical exercise: pile design for a jacket
6.1Hull design of semi-submersibles6.2FPSO hull structure6.3Longitudinal strength of the hull girder6.4Stiffened panels and plate buckling6.5Fatigue analysis of hull details6.6Mooring loads on anchoring structures6.7Floater structures for wind6.8Coupled hydrodynamic-structural analysis6.9DNV standards for floating units6.10Case study: buckling check of a pontoon
7.1Rotor aerodynamic loads7.2Coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic analysis7.3Design of transition pieces7.4Bolted and grouted connections7.5Natural frequency and the 1P and 3P bands7.6Combined wind-wave fatigue7.7IEC 61400-3 standard7.8Requirements of the DNV-ST-0126 standard7.9Series production of XXL monopiles7.10Workshop: natural frequency of a monopile
8.1Load-out analysis8.2Barge transport and sea-fastening8.3Crane lifting and padeye design8.4Jacket launching8.5Upending and positioning8.6Node fabrication and tubular welding8.7Fabrication dimensional tolerances8.8Quality control in fabrication8.9Fabrication yard planning8.10Case study: lift analysis of a topside
9.1Ship impact on structures9.2Dropped objects on deck9.3Explosions and overpressure on topsides9.4Fire resistance of structures9.5Pushover analysis and progressive collapse9.6Structural robustness and redundancy9.7Ductility-level seismic analysis9.8ALS criteria in standards9.9Residual strength assessment9.10Practical exercise: pushover analysis of a jacket
10.1Structural inspection programmes10.2Underwater NDT techniques10.3Flooded member detection10.4Corrosion and cathodic protection monitoring10.5Repairs with clamps and grout10.6Reassessment of existing structures10.7Life extension10.8Structural monitoring with sensors10.9Structural digital twin10.10Case study: risk-based inspection plan
11.1Offshore structural steels and toughness11.2High-strength steels and large thicknesses11.3Concrete in the marine environment11.4Durability and coatings11.5Grouts for connections11.6Composite materials in structures11.7Cathodic protection with sacrificial anodes11.8Impressed current on structures11.9Splash zone coatings11.10Workshop: cathodic protection design for a jacket
12.1Definition of the structure and site12.2Design basis and loads12.3Structural modelling of the whole structure12.4In-place and fatigue analysis12.5Foundation design12.6Verification of temporary phases12.7Technical conclusions and future work12.8Review with the thesis supervisor12.9Master'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 SACS, DNV Sesam GeniE, ANSYS Mechanical, Plaxis 3D and OpenFAST, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: in-place and fatigue analysis of a jacket, sizing of an offshore wind monopile and lift and transport analysis of a topside. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ISO 19902, API RP 2A-WSD, DNV-RP-C203, ISO 19901-4, DNV-ST-0126, IEC 61400-3-1, DNV-ST-N001, EN 1993-1-9.
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'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 SACS, DNV Sesam GeniE, ANSYS Mechanical, Plaxis 3D and OpenFAST, 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 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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