Apply now
Master'sRegulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation Applications open

Master’s in Passive Safety and International Crashworthiness Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in passive safety and international crashworthiness engineering, structured in 12 modules covering collision physics, biomechanics and injury criteria, impact materials, frontal, side and rollover protection, restraint systems, electric vehicle safety, crash simulation, international regulations, NCAP programmes and accident reconstruction, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor
Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

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.

SIM · LIVE ●
Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Understand the physical principles of collisions and energy management.

02

Apply biomechanical injury criteria.

03

Design structures that withstand frontal and side impacts.

04

Optimise occupant restraint systems.

05

Solve the passive safety challenges of electric vehicles.

06

Simulate collisions with explicit finite element methods.

07

Develop multi-market regulatory and NCAP compliance strategies.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Passive safety engineers at vehicle manufacturers and suppliers.
  • Crash simulation engineers working with explicit FE codes.
  • Restraint systems engineers.
  • Biomechanics specialists.
  • Safety type-approval engineers.
  • Accident analysts and reconstruction experts.
  • Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • UNECE Regulation No. 94 (frontal impact)
  • UNECE Regulation No. 95 (side impact)
  • UNECE Regulation No. 137 (frontal impact with focus on restraint systems)
  • UNECE Regulation No. 135 (pole side impact)
  • FMVSS 208 (occupant crash protection)
  • FMVSS 214 (side impact protection)
  • UNECE Regulation No. 100 (electric powertrain safety)
  • Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 (general vehicle safety)
  • LS-DYNA
  • MADYMO
  • ANSA
  • PC-Crash
  • Altair HyperWorks
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Definition of crashworthiness
  2. 1.2Collision physics
  3. 1.3Conservation of momentum
  4. 1.4Deceleration pulses
  5. 1.5Energy management
  6. 1.6Occupant survival
  7. 1.7History of passive safety
  8. 1.8Injury statistics by impact type
  9. 1.9Real-world impact configurations
  10. 1.10Case study: pulse analysis of a frontal test
  1. 2.1Injury mechanisms
  2. 2.2Head criteria: HIC and BrIC
  3. 2.3Neck criteria: Nij
  4. 2.4Thoracic and viscous criteria
  5. 2.5Abdomen and pelvis criteria
  6. 2.6Limb criteria
  7. 2.7Injury risk curves
  8. 2.8Vulnerable populations and body diversity
  9. 2.9THUMS and GHBMC human body models
  10. 2.10Lab: injury risk curves from test data
  1. 3.1Advanced high-strength steels
  2. 3.2Hot-stamped steels
  3. 3.3Aluminium alloys
  4. 3.4Fibre composites
  5. 3.5High strain rate behaviour
  6. 3.6Material constitutive models
  7. 3.7Joints and joint failure
  8. 3.8Lightweighting versus safety
  9. 3.9Characterisation tests
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: calibrating a material model in LS-DYNA
  1. 4.1Longitudinal rails and absorbers
  2. 4.2Crash boxes
  3. 4.3Subframes and load paths
  4. 4.4Full-width frontal impact
  5. 4.5Partial overlap: ODB and MPDB
  6. 4.6Small overlap test
  7. 4.7Passenger compartment intrusion
  8. 4.8Vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility
  9. 4.9Structural optimisation
  10. 4.10Lab: simulation of an MPDB test
  1. 5.1Side impact with a barrier
  2. 5.2Pole impact
  3. 5.3B-pillar and door reinforcements
  4. 5.4Seat structure
  5. 5.5Far-side impact
  6. 5.6Rollover and roof crush
  7. 5.7Occupant ejection
  8. 5.8Curtain airbags
  9. 5.9Rollover tests
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: intrusion analysis in a pole impact
  1. 6.1Seat belts and their geometry
  2. 6.2Pretensioners and load limiters
  3. 6.3Dual-stage frontal airbags
  4. 6.4Knee and side airbags
  5. 6.5Joint optimisation of restraints
  6. 6.6Rear occupant protection
  7. 6.7ISOFIX and i-Size child restraints
  8. 6.8Anti-whiplash seats and head restraints
  9. 6.9Component testing
  10. 6.10Lab: optimising a restraint system with MADYMO
  1. 7.1Battery protection in a collision
  2. 7.2Post-crash electrical safety
  3. 7.3Battery fire risk
  4. 7.4Skateboard platforms
  5. 7.5Mass distribution
  6. 7.6Autonomous vehicle interiors
  7. 7.7Swivelling seats in autonomous vehicles
  8. 7.8Restraint in unconventional seating postures
  9. 7.9New testing challenges
  10. 7.10Case study: design of side protection for a battery
  1. 8.1Explicit finite element method
  2. 8.2Meshing and model quality
  3. 8.3Contact definition
  4. 8.4Virtual dummy models
  5. 8.5Validation against tests
  6. 8.6Correlation of results
  7. 8.7Optimisation and DoE
  8. 8.8Virtual testing in type approval
  9. 8.9Model management
  10. 8.10Practical exercise: correlating a model with a physical test
  1. 9.1UNECE Regulations R94, R95 and R137
  2. 9.2UNECE Regulation R135 pole impact
  3. 9.3FMVSS 208, 214 and 216
  4. 9.4Chinese GB standards
  5. 9.5Indian and Brazilian standards
  6. 9.6The 1998 Agreement and GTRs
  7. 9.7Regional differences in requirements
  8. 9.8International regulatory harmonisation
  9. 9.9Expected future requirements
  10. 9.10Workshop: comparative table of frontal requirements by market
  1. 10.1Euro NCAP: occupant protection
  2. 10.2IIHS: small overlap
  3. 10.3US NCAP programme
  4. 10.4C-NCAP and K-NCAP
  5. 10.5ANCAP and Latin NCAP
  6. 10.6Global NCAP programme
  7. 10.7Protocols and scoring
  8. 10.8Differences in test configuration
  9. 10.9Multi-market development strategy
  10. 10.10Case study: five stars in two programmes
  1. 11.1In-depth accident databases
  2. 11.2GIDAS and CISS data
  3. 11.3Event data recorders (EDR)
  4. 11.4Collision reconstruction
  5. 11.5Relationship between tests and real accidents
  6. 11.6Real-world safety
  7. 11.7Feedback into design
  8. 11.8Case analysis
  9. 11.9Effectiveness statistics
  10. 11.10Lab: reconstructing a collision with PC-Crash
  1. 12.1Defining the impact case
  2. 12.2Regulatory and NCAP requirements
  3. 12.3Simulation model
  4. 12.4Structural design of the solution
  5. 12.5Restraint system
  6. 12.6Correlation and optimisation
  7. 12.7Multi-market compliance strategy
  8. 12.8Conclusions and future work
  9. 12.9Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

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 the programme can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, MADYMO, ANSA, PC-Crash and Altair HyperWorks, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for frontal and side impact simulations, correlation of models with physical tests and optimisation of restraint systems. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: UNECE Regulation No. 94 (frontal impact), UNECE Regulation No. 95 (side impact), UNECE Regulation No. 137 (frontal impact with restraint), UNECE Regulation No. 135 (pole side impact), FMVSS 208 (occupant protection), FMVSS 214 (side protection), UNECE Regulation No. 100 (electrical safety), Regulation (EU) 2019/2144.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of UNECE R94, R95, R137 and R135 and FMVSS 208 and 214 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:LS-DYNA, MADYMO, ANSA, PC-Crash and Altair HyperWorks, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a complete crash safety project, from impact case and simulation model to structure, restraints and multi-market compliance, 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.

Impact case and pulse
Define the impact case and analyse the deceleration pulse and injury risk curves.
Material and structure model
Calibrate a material model in LS-DYNA and simulate an MPDB frontal test.
Restraint optimisation
Optimise the restraint system with MADYMO for the chosen impact case.
Model correlation
Correlate the simulation model against a physical test and refine the design.
Master's Thesis
A crash safety solution with a multi-market regulatory and NCAP compliance strategy, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Passive safety engineerCrash simulation engineerRestraint systems engineerBiomechanics specialistSafety type-approval engineerAccident analyst
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An 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.

Apply now Scholarships
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 LS-DYNA, MADYMO, ANSA, PC-Crash and Altair HyperWorks, 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 degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a suitable computer, an internet connection 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.

Keep exploring

Related programmes

See all in Regulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation
Master's9,970 $

Master’s in Active/Passive Safety Engineering, ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in active and passive safety, ADAS and autonomous vehicle engineering, structured in 12 modules covering impact biomechanics, crashworthiness, restraint systems,…

1900 hOnlineRegulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation
Master's8,850 $

Master’s in Environmental Compliance & Global Emissions Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in environmental compliance and global emissions engineering: 12 modules covering vehicle and industrial emissions regulation, carbon markets and CBAM, emissions…

1900 hOnlineRegulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation
Master's9,970 $

Master’s in HARA/ASIL Engineering, Safety Case, ODD and Insufficient Performance.

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in HARA/ASIL, safety case, ODD and performance insufficiency engineering. 12 modules covering hazard analysis, ASIL allocation, ODD specification, SOTIF, scenario-based…

1900 hOnlineRegulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation
Master’s in Passive Safety and International Crashworthiness EngineeringEnrol
Related programmes

More in Regulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation

Master’s in Engineering of EURO/OBD, EPA/CARB, BS-VI India, evaporative, GHG/CO₂, noise; VECTO/WLTP/FTP.View programme →Master’s in Active/Passive Safety Engineering, ADAS & Autonomous VehiclesView programme →Master’s in Type-Approval Routes Engineering: US NCAP, CARB, Labelling & RecallsView programme →Master’s in Engineering for UNECE, FMVSS, Euro NCAP/US NCAP/Latin/ANCAP, dummies, sled & full-scale.View programme →Master’s in Engineering of REACH/ROHS/ELV, IMDS/SCIP, PFAS, Prop 65; Global Supplier Auditing.View programme →Master’s in Multisector RAMS, Reliability and Compliance EngineeringView programme →

All Regulation, Safety, RAMS & Homologation programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships

Scroll to Top
SEIUM – Institute of Advanced Engineering
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.