Master’s in Waste Management and Heavy Municipal Services Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in waste management and heavy urban services engineering. 12 modules covering urban services, refuse collection vehicles, containers, street cleaning, sewer services, fleet electrification, route optimisation, operator safety, maintenance, circular economy and service contracting, 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
Select refuse collection and street cleaning vehicles.
Size containers and loading systems.
Optimise collection routes using data.
Plan the electrification of municipal fleets.
Improve operator safety and ergonomics.
Plan the maintenance of urban fleets.
Prepare economic studies for service contracts.
Who it's for
- Waste collection service managers
- Municipal fleet engineers
- Route planners
- Urban environment technicians
- Fleet maintenance managers
- Public procurement specialists
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter municipal services
What you'll work with
- UNE-EN 1501-1 (refuse collection vehicles)
- UNE-EN 840 (mobile waste containers)
- UNE-EN 13019 (road surface cleaning machines)
- Ley 7/2022 (Spanish law on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy)
- Directive 2008/98/EC (Waste Framework Directive)
- Ley 9/2017 (Spanish Public Sector Contracts Act)
- Directive (EU) 2019/1161 (Clean Vehicles Directive)
- ArcGIS Network Analyst
- Geotab
- Microsoft Power BI
- QGIS
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Household waste collection1.2Mechanised street cleaning1.3Sewer network maintenance1.4Green space maintenance1.5Public service contracts1.6Service quality indicators1.7Urban traffic restrictions1.8Noise and night-time schedules1.9Electrification trends1.10Case study: diagnosis of a collection service
2.1Rear, side and top loading2.2Compaction systems2.3Bin lifters and their cycles2.4Automated side-loading collectors2.5Pneumatic collection and alternatives2.6Chassis and bodywork2.7Capacity and axle loads2.8Selection by route type2.9Safety according to EN 15012.10Lab: compaction cycle of a refuse collector
3.1Container types3.2Underground containers and their emptying3.3RFID identification systems3.4On-board waste weighing3.5Fill-level sensors3.6Container-vehicle compatibility3.7Container standards3.8Container maintenance and washing3.9Container stock management3.10Practical exercise: sizing containers by area
4.1Suction sweepers4.2Mechanical brush sweepers4.3Street flushers and scrubbers4.4Compact electric sweepers4.5High-pressure washers4.6Water consumption and recycling4.7Particulates and air quality4.8Sweeping route planning4.9Sweeping productivity4.10Case study: cleaning plan for a historic city centre
5.1Combination jetting and vacuum trucks5.2Vacuum and pressure pumps5.3CCTV sewer inspection5.4Sludge tankers5.5Vehicles for confined spaces5.6Management of cleaning waste5.7Safety in sewer networks5.8Maintenance of high-pressure equipment5.9Sludge transport regulations5.10Practical exercise: selecting a drain-cleaning unit
6.1Battery-electric refuse collectors6.2Compact electric sweepers6.3Hydrogen in municipal vehicles6.4Battery sizing by route6.5Charging infrastructure at depots6.6Night-time energy management6.7Total cost of ownership6.8Public grants and funding6.9Experience from European cities6.10Case study: electrification of a collection fleet
7.1Design of collection sectors7.2Vehicle routing problems7.3Frequencies and schedules7.4Route optimisation software7.5Telematics and weighing data7.6Sensor-based on-demand collection7.7Efficiency indicators7.8Workload balancing7.9Planning for events7.10Lab: collection route optimisation
8.1Risks for collection operatives8.2Rear footboards and their regulation8.3Being struck by vehicles and reversing manoeuvres8.4Cameras and perimeter sensors8.5Manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders8.6Exposure to biological agents8.7Risks of night work8.8Training and procedures8.9Accident investigation8.10Practical exercise: ergonomic assessment of rear loading
9.1Maintenance plans by vehicle type9.2Maintenance of hydraulic equipment9.3Leachate corrosion9.4Management of municipal workshops9.5Availability and fleet reserves9.6Telematics and diagnostics9.7Spare parts and suppliers9.8Costs per kilometre and per hour9.9Outsourcing of maintenance9.10Case study: maintenance plan for refuse collectors
10.1The waste hierarchy10.2Separate collection of fractions10.3Organic fraction and bio-waste10.4Treatment and transfer plants10.5Extended producer responsibility10.6European recycling targets10.7Spanish law on waste and contaminated soils10.8Waste charges and taxation10.9Circular economy indicators10.10Practical exercise: roll-out plan for the fifth (organic) bin
11.1Technical specifications11.2Award criteria11.3Calculating the cost of the service11.4Contractual quality indicators11.5Penalties and bonuses11.6Staff transfer (subrogation)11.7Municipal oversight of the service11.8Relations with citizens11.9Innovation in public contracts11.10Case study: economic study of a contract
12.1Selection of the municipality12.2Service diagnosis12.3Vehicle selection12.4Route design12.5Electrification plan12.6Safety plan12.7Maintenance plan12.8Economic study of the service12.9Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
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 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 ArcGIS Network Analyst, Geotab, Microsoft Power BI and QGIS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for collection route optimisation, ergonomic assessments of operatives and economic studies of contracts. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: UNE-EN 1501-1, UNE-EN 840, UNE-EN 13019, Ley 7/2022, Directive 2008/98/EC, Ley 9/2017, Directive (EU) 2019/1161.
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 ArcGIS Network Analyst, Geotab, Microsoft Power BI and QGIS, 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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