Master’s in Operational Continuity Engineering for Urban Services
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in operational continuity engineering for urban services. 12 modules covering business impact analysis, operational risk, continuity strategies for water, energy, transport, waste and ICT, crisis management, continuity plans and ISO 22301 auditing, applying ISO 22301, ISO/TS 22317 and Fusion Risk Management, 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
Carry out impact analyses of essential urban services.
Assess operational disruption risks.
Design continuity strategies for critical services.
Draw up continuity plans in line with ISO 22301.
Organise crisis management structures.
Plan the continuity of ICT and digital services.
Audit and improve continuity management systems.
Who it's for
- Business continuity managers in public and utility organisations.
- Operational risk managers.
- Organisational resilience consultants.
- Crisis management coordinators.
- ISO 22301 auditors.
- Municipal services technical staff.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter local government.
What you'll work with
- ISO 22301:2019 (business continuity management systems)
- ISO 22313:2020 (guidance on the use of ISO 22301)
- ISO/TS 22317:2021 (business impact analysis)
- ISO 22316:2017 (organisational resilience)
- Royal Decree 311/2022 (Spanish National Security Framework)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2557 (resilience of critical entities)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2)
- Royal Decree 3/2023 (technical and health criteria for drinking water)
- Fusion Risk Management
- Microsoft Power BI
- QGIS
- Veeam Backup
- Archer
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1The concept of operational continuity1.2Essential urban services1.3Differences between emergency, crisis and continuity1.4The continuity life cycle1.5The role of top management1.6ISO 22301 and ISO 223131.7Continuity in the public sector1.8Organisational resilience: ISO 223161.9Lessons from pandemics and blackouts1.10Case study: disruption of a waste collection service
2.1Identification of critical processes2.2BIA methodology according to ISO/TS 223172.3Maximum tolerable period of disruption2.4Recovery time and recovery point objectives2.5Resource dependencies2.6Legal, economic and reputational impacts2.7Minimum service level2.8BIA interviews and workshops2.9Validation of results2.10Practical exercise: BIA of the municipal water service
3.1Disruption scenarios3.2Personnel, facility and ICT risks3.3Supplier risks3.4Climate risks to services3.5Cyberattacks on municipal services3.6Power and telecommunications failures3.7Risk matrices3.8Risk treatment3.9Risk register3.10Workshop: risk assessment of municipal public transport
4.1Staffing and relief strategies4.2Alternative work sites4.3Recovery of ICT systems4.4Mutual aid agreements4.5Reserves of critical supplies4.6Backup contracts with suppliers4.7Degraded service modes4.8Remote working as a strategy4.9Cost-benefit analysis of strategies4.10Case study: continuity of a traffic control centre
5.1Supply interruptions5.2Water safety plans5.3Redundancy in drinking water treatment5.4Alternative supply by tanker5.5Sanitation and wastewater treatment in a crisis5.6Drought emergency plans5.7Water quality in emergency situations5.8Remote control and cybersecurity5.9Coordination with health authorities5.10Practical exercise: continuity plan for a treatment plant
6.1Blackouts and their urban impact6.2Generator sets and autonomy6.3Microgrids for critical services6.4Backup energy storage6.5Continuity of telecommunications networks6.6Emergency networks6.7Load prioritisation6.8Coordination with distribution companies6.9Resilience of street lighting6.10Lab: sizing of backup power for critical buildings
7.1Continuity of public transport7.2Minimum services and alternative plans7.3Waste collection in a crisis7.4Disaster waste7.5Street cleaning after extreme events7.6Fleets and reserve fuel7.7Critical workshops and maintenance7.8Coordination with private operators7.9Communication with users7.10Case study: continuity plan for a transport strike
8.1ICT disaster recovery8.2Data centres and the cloud8.3Backups and restoration8.4Ransomware in public administrations8.5The Spanish National Security Framework (ENS)8.6E-government in a crisis8.7Recovery testing8.8Cloud providers and dependency8.9Availability indicators8.10Workshop: ransomware recovery plan for a city council
9.1Crisis management structure9.2Crisis committee and roles9.3Decision-making9.4Escalation and activation9.5Crisis communication9.6Coordination with civil protection9.7Stakeholder management9.8Decision log9.9Stand-down and return to normality9.10Practical exercise: crisis committee during a heatwave
10.1Structure of a continuity plan10.2Response procedures10.3Recovery plans by service10.4Contact and resource lists10.5Documentation and version control10.6Integration with emergency plans10.7Supplier plans10.8Accessibility of the plan during a crisis10.9Training and awareness10.10Case study: drafting a departmental continuity plan
11.1Exercise programme11.2Tabletop exercises and simulations11.3Technical recovery tests11.4Performance indicators11.5Internal audit according to ISO 2230111.6Certification of the system11.7Management review11.8Lessons from recent pandemics and blackouts11.9Continual improvement of the system11.10Workshop: audit of a business continuity management system
12.1Selection of the urban service12.2Impact analysis12.3Risk assessment12.4Strategy design12.5Continuity plan12.6Exercise programme12.7Indicators and improvement12.8Conclusions and future lines of work12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
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 Fusion Risk Management, Microsoft Power BI, QGIS, Veeam Backup and Archer, in free, academic or evaluation versions. You work on real procedures for impact analysis of municipal services, crisis management tabletop exercises and system recovery tests. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ISO 22301:2019; ISO 22313:2020; ISO/TS 22317:2021; ISO 22316:2017; Royal Decree 311/2022; Directive (EU) 2022/2557; Directive (EU) 2022/2555; Royal Decree 3/2023.
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 Fusion Risk Management, Microsoft Power BI, QGIS, Veeam Backup and Archer, 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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