Master’s in Structures Engineering: Damage Tolerance & SHM
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in structures engineering, damage tolerance and SHM, with 12 modules covering fracture mechanics, fatigue and crack growth, design philosophies, composite damage tolerance, numerical damage analysis, NDI, structural maintenance programmes and structural health monitoring, 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
Apply fracture mechanics to the analysis of aircraft structures.
Predict crack growth under real load spectra.
Design structures according to the damage tolerance philosophy.
Assess impact damage in composite materials.
Select non-destructive inspection techniques according to their probability of detection.
Design structural health monitoring systems with embedded sensors.
Prepare the validation and certification of SHM systems.
Who it's for
- Damage tolerance engineers.
- Aircraft structures engineers.
- Non-destructive testing specialists.
- Structural health monitoring engineers.
- Continuing airworthiness engineers.
- Fatigue and fracture analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter aircraft manufacturing.
What you'll work with
- CS-25.571 (EASA damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of structure)
- 14 CFR §25.571 (FAA damage tolerance and fatigue evaluation of structure)
- AC 20-107B (composite aircraft structure)
- AMC 20-29 (composite aircraft structure)
- SAE ARP6461 (guidelines for implementing SHM on fixed-wing aircraft)
- MIL-HDBK-1823A (non-destructive evaluation system reliability assessment)
- EN 4179 (qualification and approval of NDT personnel)
- ATA MSG-3 (maintenance programme development)
- NASGRO
- AFGROW
- Abaqus
- MSC Nastran
- MATLAB
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Stress intensity factor K1.2Fracture modes I, II and III1.3Fracture toughness and KIC1.4J-integral and CTOD1.5Plastic zone and Irwin correction1.6Fracture in composite materials1.7Geometry factors for typical cracks1.8Stress concentration at holes and joints1.9Residual stresses and their influence1.10Lab: calculation of K in a plate with an edge crack
2.1S-N curves and Miner's rule2.2Paris law and the NASGRO model2.3Crack closure and retardation effects2.4Load spectra and rainflow counting2.5TWIST and FALSTAFF standard spectra2.6Multiaxial fatigue in joints2.7Fatigue in riveted structures2.8Crack initiation at notches2.9Widespread fatigue damage (WFD)2.10Practical: crack growth prediction with NASGRO
3.1Safe-life, fail-safe and damage tolerance3.2Evolution after the Comet and Aloha accidents3.3Multiple-load-path structures and crack stoppers3.4Residual strength requirements3.5Reference damage and detectable size3.6Limit of validity (LOV)3.7Safety-critical structures3.8Design of principal structural elements (PSE)3.9Damage tolerance in helicopters3.10Case study: classification of principal structural elements
4.1Damage mechanisms: delamination and matrix cracking4.2Low-energy impact and BVID4.3Compression after impact (CAI)4.4Building-block test pyramid4.5AC 20-107B damage categories4.6Environmental effects: moisture and temperature4.7No-growth versus slow-growth approaches4.8Bonded repairs and their validation4.9Bonded joints and disbond4.10Lab: residual strength analysis after impact
5.1Finite elements for cracks: VCCT5.2Cohesive elements for delamination5.3XFEM and arbitrary propagation5.4Progressive damage models in laminates5.5Global-local submodelling of critical joints5.6Residual strength analysis with FEM5.7Validation with coupon tests5.8Uncertainty and probabilistic analysis5.9Structural digital twins5.10Lab: delamination simulation with VCCT
6.1Conventional and phased-array ultrasonics6.2Eddy current and eddy current array6.3Pulsed and lock-in active thermography6.4Radiography and computed tomography6.5Shearography in composites6.6Probability of detection (POD) and a90/95 curves6.7Personnel qualification according to EN 41796.8Method selection by damage type6.9Inspection of riveted joints6.10Practical: POD study of an eddy current method
7.1MSG-3 structural analysis7.2Supplemental structural inspection programmes (SSID)7.3Corrosion prevention and control programme7.4Inspection intervals and thresholds7.5Structural airworthiness directives7.6Ageing aircraft structural programmes7.7Management of repairs and cumulative damage7.8Integration with the CAMO7.9Structural reliability indicators7.10Case study: interval definition for a longitudinal lap joint
8.1Architecture of an SHM system8.2Scheduled versus condition-based SHM8.3Diagnosis, localisation and quantification8.4Sensor reliability requirements8.5Operational loads monitoring (OLM)8.6Comparative vacuum monitoring8.7Integration with MSG-3 programmes8.8SAE ARP6461 roadmap8.9Economic and availability benefits8.10Workshop: definition of SHM requirements for a fuselage
9.1Lamb guided waves9.2Acoustic emission for crack detection9.3Fibre Bragg gratings9.4PZT piezoelectric sensors9.5Distributed strain measurement9.6Electromechanical impedance with piezoelectric transducers9.7Wireless sensors and energy harvesting9.8Thermal compensation of signals9.9Durability of embedded sensors9.10Lab: crack detection with guided waves
10.1Signal feature extraction10.2Damage indices and baselines10.3Wavelet and Hilbert-Huang transforms10.4Supervised damage classification10.5Unsupervised anomaly detection10.6Neural networks for localisation10.7Management of operational variability10.8Remaining useful life prognosis10.9Uncertainty quantification in diagnosis10.10Practical: damage classifier with guided-wave data
11.1Credibility of SHM with the authority11.2POD demonstration for SHM11.3Laboratory and in-service validation11.4SHM software and DO-178C11.5Aircraft integration requirements11.6Real cases: Airbus and Boeing11.7SHM in helicopters (HUMS)11.8Cost-benefit analysis of SHM across a fleet11.9Maintenance aspects and Part-14511.10Case study: validation plan for a CVM system
12.1Selection of the structural component12.2Characterisation of loads and spectra12.3Crack growth analysis12.4Definition of reference damage12.5Design of the monitoring system12.6Detection and POD simulation12.7Proposal of inspection intervals12.8Economic analysis of the system12.9Master'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 the intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is NASGRO, AFGROW, Abaqus, MSC Nastran and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for crack growth tests on coupons, phased-array ultrasonic inspection and guided-wave monitoring of panels. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: CS-25.571 (EASA), 14 CFR §25.571 (FAA), AC 20-107B, AMC 20-29, SAE ARP6461, MIL-HDBK-1823A, EN 4179, ATA MSG-3.
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
- 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.
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 NASGRO, AFGROW, Abaqus, MSC Nastran and MATLAB, 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 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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