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Master'sDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Master’s in Submarine Engineering: Pressure Hull and Acoustic Stealth

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in submarine engineering focused on the pressure hull and acoustic stealth, structured in 12 modules covering hydrostatics, pressure hull mechanics, materials and fabrication, collapse analysis, underwater acoustics, noise and vibration control, safety and escape systems and certification, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse the submarine as a system within its legal and ethical context.

02

Calculate submerged hydrostatic equilibrium.

03

Design pressure hulls against collapse.

04

Select materials and control hull fabrication.

05

Understand underwater acoustics and noise sources.

06

Design noise and vibration control solutions.

07

Plan submarine testing, certification and safety.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Submarine structures engineers working on pressure hull design.
  • Naval acoustics engineers dealing with radiated noise and signatures.
  • Noise and vibration engineers working on machinery and propulsion.
  • Submarine safety engineers focusing on escape, rescue and life support.
  • Naval certification engineers working with classification societies.
  • Naval welding engineers handling high-strength steel fabrication.
  • Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the shipbuilding industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • ISO 17208-1 (underwater acoustics: quantities and procedures for describing and measuring underwater sound from ships)
  • DNV rules for submarines and submersibles (classification rules)
  • ANEP-77 (NATO Naval Ship Code)
  • ISO 18405 (underwater acoustics: terminology)
  • MIL-DTL-901E (shock tests for shipboard equipment)
  • MIL-STD-167-1A (mechanical vibrations of shipboard equipment)
  • Directive 2008/56/EC (Marine Strategy Framework Directive)
  • Abaqus
  • MSC Nastran
  • Actran (Hexagon)
  • MATLAB
  • Bellhop (Acoustics Toolbox)
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Historical evolution of the submarine
  2. 1.2General architecture
  3. 1.3Pressure hull and outer hull
  4. 1.4Depth and safety requirements
  5. 1.5Internal arrangement and habitability
  6. 1.6Submarine programmes in open sources
  7. 1.7Civil and research submarines
  8. 1.8Legal and ethical framework
  9. 1.9Crew safety
  10. 1.10Case study: comparative analysis of conventional submarine architectures
  1. 2.1Surfaced and submerged buoyancy
  2. 2.2Transverse and longitudinal stability
  3. 2.3Main ballast tanks
  4. 2.4Compensation and trim tanks
  5. 2.5Balance of weights and volumes
  6. 2.6Variation in water density
  7. 2.7Hull compressibility
  8. 2.8Equilibrium polygon
  9. 2.9Diving safety
  10. 2.10Lab: calculation of the equilibrium polygon
  1. 3.1Cylinders under external pressure
  2. 3.2Interframe buckling
  3. 3.3Overall buckling
  4. 3.4Shell buckling
  5. 3.5Geometric imperfections
  6. 3.6Residual fabrication stresses
  7. 3.7Bulkheads and closures
  8. 3.8Penetrations and reinforcements
  9. 3.9Safety factors
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: collapse pressure calculation of a ring-stiffened cylinder
  1. 4.1High-strength steels for hulls
  2. 4.2Titanium alloys
  3. 4.3Composites in outer structures
  4. 4.4Welding of high-strength steels
  5. 4.5Distortion control
  6. 4.6Circularity measurement
  7. 4.7Non-destructive testing of welds
  8. 4.8Corrosion and cathodic protection
  9. 4.9Fabrication quality
  10. 4.10Case study: welding procedure for a hull ring
  1. 5.1Finite elements of hulls
  2. 5.2Non-linear collapse analysis
  3. 5.3Imperfection sensitivity analysis
  4. 5.4Fatigue from diving cycles
  5. 5.5Fracture mechanics
  6. 5.6Shock analysis: requirements
  7. 5.7Scale model testing
  8. 5.8Model validation
  9. 5.9Classification society rules
  10. 5.10Lab: non-linear collapse analysis with Abaqus
  1. 6.1Sound propagation in water
  2. 6.2Sound speed and profiles
  3. 6.3Transmission loss
  4. 6.4Ocean ambient noise
  5. 6.5Sonar equation: concepts
  6. 6.6Acoustic units and levels
  7. 6.7Radiated noise measurement
  8. 6.8ISO 17208 standards
  9. 6.9Acoustic impact on marine fauna
  10. 6.10Practical exercise: transmission loss calculation
  1. 7.1Machinery noise
  2. 7.2Propeller noise and cavitation
  3. 7.3Flow noise
  4. 7.4Structure-borne noise transmission
  5. 7.5Hull vibration modes
  6. 7.6Auxiliary system noise
  7. 7.7Source characterisation
  8. 7.8Transfer path analysis
  9. 7.9Noise databases
  10. 7.10Case study: transfer path analysis of a pump
  1. 8.1Resilient mounts
  2. 8.2Floating rafts
  3. 8.3Silencers and attenuators
  4. 8.4Damping coatings
  5. 8.5Low-noise propeller design
  6. 8.6Active vibration control
  7. 8.7Acoustic design of auxiliary systems
  8. 8.8Verification of acoustic design
  9. 8.9Acoustic signature management over the life cycle
  10. 8.10Lab: design of a resilient mount
  1. 9.1Submarine safety: programmes
  2. 9.2Emergency blow systems
  3. 9.3Flooding prevention
  4. 9.4Submarine escape and rescue
  5. 9.5Rescue vehicles
  6. 9.6Atmosphere and life support
  7. 9.7Fire prevention
  8. 9.8Safety regulations
  9. 9.9Lessons from accidents
  10. 9.10Workshop: analysis of a historical submarine accident
  1. 10.1Pressure testing of models
  2. 10.2Watertightness tests
  3. 10.3Diving trials
  4. 10.4Radiated noise measurement
  5. 10.5Shock testing
  6. 10.6Classification society certification
  7. 10.7Acceptance by the authority
  8. 10.8Safety documentation
  9. 10.9Non-conformance management
  10. 10.10Practical exercise: diving trials plan
  1. 11.1Hull maintenance
  2. 11.2Periodic inspections
  3. 11.3Life extension
  4. 11.4Decommissioning
  5. 11.5Underwater noise and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
  6. 11.6Law of the sea
  7. 11.7Export controls
  8. 11.8Professional ethics
  9. 11.9Information security
  10. 11.10Case study: life-extension assessment of a hull
  1. 12.1Structural and acoustic requirements
  2. 12.2Conceptual hull design
  3. 12.3Collapse analysis
  4. 12.4Acoustic analysis
  5. 12.5Noise control proposal
  6. 12.6Test plan
  7. 12.7Safety analysis
  8. 12.8Conclusions
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

Training is 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 the programme can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Abaqus, MSC Nastran, Actran (Hexagon), MATLAB and Bellhop (Acoustics Toolbox), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for pressure hull collapse analysis, noise transfer path analysis and radiated noise measurement. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: ISO 17208-1, DNV rules for submarines and submersibles, ANEP-77, ISO 18405, MIL-DTL-901E, MIL-STD-167-1A, Directive 2008/56/EC.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of ISO 17208-1, DNV rules for submarines and submersibles and ANEP-77 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Abaqus, MSC Nastran, Actran (Hexagon), MATLAB and Bellhop (Acoustics Toolbox), in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A pressure hull and acoustic design project covering collapse analysis, acoustic analysis, noise control proposal and test plan, 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.

Equilibrium polygon
Calculate the submerged equilibrium polygon of a submarine.
Collapse pressure analysis
Calculate and simulate the collapse pressure of a ring-stiffened hull in Abaqus.
Transfer path analysis
Analyse the noise transfer paths of on-board machinery.
Resilient mount design
Design a resilient mount to reduce structure-borne noise.
Master's Thesis
A pressure hull and acoustic design with collapse and noise analysis and test plan, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Submarine structures engineerNaval acoustics engineerNoise and vibration engineerSubmarine safety engineerNaval certification engineerNaval welding engineer
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.

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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 Abaqus, MSC Nastran, Actran (Hexagon), MATLAB and Bellhop (Acoustics Toolbox), 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), 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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