Specialise in planning subsea installations and designing subsea structures.
This online course gives you a detailed understanding of the techniques used in installing, inspecting and maintaining subsea systems and infrastructure.
We’ve designed this course for you as a graduate engineer working in, or keen to move into, the offshore industry.
Learn with a university ranked 7th in the UK for Civil Engineering, with direct input from subsea industry professionals and companies operating at the forefront of offshore engineering.
Build credits towards a Masters degree
This online course is part of:
You can use the credits you earn on this short course towards either of these MSc qualifications.
What you’ll study
You’ll cover the design and planning of an installation, through to regular inspection and interventions.
You’ll look at the vessels used to install equipment and the principles of rig set-up and operation. You’ll examine:
- pipelines
- spool design
- the differences between J-lay, S-lay and Reel-lay
- the design of subsea architecture, including the riser and manifold
- the actual installation process, including operational and installation loads, lifting analysis and calculation.
You’ll also examine subsea well access, deep water subsea installation techniques, subsea inspection, survey techniques and understanding spatial/acoustic positioning methods and accuracy.
You’ll study different types of maintenance and repair, the rationale of using divers or diver-less intervention, and how remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) are used in subsea inspection.
By the end of this course, you will…
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Have a detailed understanding of the techniques used for installation, inspection, and maintenance of subsea systems, including seabed hardware, pipelines, risers and principal components.
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Understand the implications of such techniques for the design of subsea components and systems.
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Have a broad awareness of techniques used throughout offshore operations, giving you an appreciation and understanding of system limitations and appropriate applications for different subsea environments.
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Be equipped to successfully plan subsea installations and design subsea structures.
Why study subsea engineering online with the University of Aberdeen?
Pioneering subsea
We’re a founding member of the Global Subsea Universities Alliance, at the forefront of teaching and professional training for ambitious energy engineers.
Led by industry
You’ll benefit from our close working relationships with major subsea companies and entrepreneurs. You’ll learn directly from industry and academics collaborating with industry on cutting-edge research.
20% alumni discount
University of Aberdeen alumni get 20% off this online course.
How you’ll study
Online learning
This distance-learning subsea engineering course is delivered flexibly, 100% online. You can study with us anywhere in the world and manage your study hours to suit you.
Your teaching
This course is taught at Masters level.
Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including:
- online lectures and tutorials
- reading materials
- discussion boards with your colleagues and tutors
- the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
Your tutors
You’ll learn from tutors experienced at high levels of industry and major companies operating in the subsea and offshore sectors.
Industry input
You’ll also benefit from the direct input of an Industry Advisory Board. It constantly reviews your course content, ensuring that you gain the latest industry knowledge and are up to speed with emerging trends, technologies and career opportunities.
This course is assessed entirely online via:
- three projects (worth 30%, 25% and 25% of your final grade)
- one online test (20% of your final grade).
Assessment deadlines
Your assessments will have submission deadlines, either during or at the end of the course. Your course coordinator will let you know when your assessment deadlines are, so you can plan your study time accordingly.
The course totals approximately 150 hours of study and assessment time. That’s around 10 – 15 hours per week.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes. This includes time for independent study, as well as teaching and assessments.
You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.
Activities at fixed times
There may be some activities scheduled for fixed times. This could include coursework and assessments with deadlines, or online meetings with your tutor. Otherwise, you can access and work through the course at your convenience.
Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your course coordinator throughout your course. This could be by email, MyAberdeen, online call, or phone. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.
We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:
- Careers and Employability Service
- Disability support
- IT support
- Library support
- Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
- Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
- Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
- Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier
Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.
Your course coordinator
Dr Majid Aleyassin
Majid is a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, and your course coordinator. He’s been with our School of Engineering as a Researcher and Lecturer since 2006. Majid holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and his research interest is in the field of applied dynamics of solids and structures.
View Majid’s profileWhere this will take you
Towards a Masters
You’ll earn 15 credits at Masters level (SCQF Level 11) with this course. You can use these credits towards our:
Accredited Masters in Offshore Engineering
Join our accredited online MSc and gain the skills you need to work in a wide variety of roles in the offshore engineering sector, including marine renewables.
View MSc Offshore Engineering
Accredited Masters in Subsea Engineering
Become a subsea engineer with our accredited online MSc. Train in the fundamental skills and technical knowledge demanded by the subsea sector today.
View MSc Subsea EngineeringBuild your learning
We offer a range of specialist online Engineering and technology courses you can use to build your skills.
Many carry credits you can build up into postgraduate qualifications, including Masters degrees:
Careers
This course is designed to help you, as a practising engineer, move into roles with subsea companies. Studying this credit-bearing course can advance your career or help you fulfil a chartered engineering application.
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.
Free career support
Access our free careers service while you study.
- 1:1 appointments
- CV checks
- Interview prep
- Job opportunities
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world.
See the minimum entry requirements above. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check equivalent qualifications from your country.
Visa requirements
You do not need a student visa to study online with us.
English language requirements
Teaching is delivered in English.
If English is not your first language, use our English requirements checklist to see if you need to provide evidence of your English language skills when you apply.
English language tests and scores
If you do need to provide English language test scores, these are the tests and minimum scores we accept for this course or degree.
These are our Postgraduate Standard requirements.
IELTS Academic, IELTS UKVI Academic, and IELTS Online (not IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training)
- 6.5 overall
- 5.5 for listening, reading and speaking
- 6.0 for writing
TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- 90 overall
- 17 for listening
- 18 for reading
- 20 for speaking
- 21 for writing
- TOEFL DI code is 0818
Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency
- 176 overall
- 162 for listening, reading and speaking
- 169 for writing
LanguageCert Academic/LanguageCert Academic SELT
- 70 overall
- 60 for listening, reading and speaking
- 65 for writing
LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator (Written and Spoken) – Online / In-centre
- Overall High Pass
- 33 for listening, reading and speaking
- 38 for writing
Oxford ELLT Digital – English Language Level Test Online
- 7.0 overall
- 5.0 for listening, reading and speaking
- 6.0 for writing
PTE Academic (online test not accepted)
- 62 overall
- 59 for listening, reading, speaking and writing
Duolingo – tests taken from 1 July 2024 onward
- 120 overall
- 95 for listening, reading and speaking
- 105 for writing
University of Aberdeen English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE)
- Pass
- Valid for one year. Refresher can be offered if out of date
Pre-sessional academic English preparation programmes undertaken at other UK universities
- Pass at an equivalent of 6.5 (C1)
- B2 in all four skills
- Certification must be within one year prior to the start of your course
For full information about language requirements, see our English Language Requirements page.
You will need access to:
A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on either:
- Windows 10 or later
- macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later.
Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.
Reliable internet access
We recommend:
- a wired connection
- a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.
Speakers or headphones
- We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
- A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one for some interactive sessions.
Software
We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.
If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.
See our detailed IT requirements for more information.
When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.
But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.
Your most important commitment will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.
Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your studies each week:
- Be realistic
- Create a weekly schedule as a guide
If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.
Fee payment
Your course fee needs to be paid in full before you start your course.
We accept payment via Visa Debit, Visa Credit and Mastercard.
Ways to save
You may be able to get help funding this course via:
- discounts – if any discounts are available for this course, they’ll appear in the section below
- employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors.
Find out more about funding options.
Student card
All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.
This course has no formal entry requirements. You decide if it’s suitable for you.
The course is delivered at Masters level. For this course, you’d usually have at least:
- a 2:2 UK honours degree (or equivalent) in Engineering or Science, or
- passed first course in solid mechanics / statics / computing.
Familiarity with stress and limit loads and primary trigonometry is necessary.
The course projects are take-home assignments and require knowledge of Excel, MATHCAD, or any other computing language.
Apply for this course
