Program Overview

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Hydrogen Safety - PgCert

Overview

Hydrogen is not more dangerous nor safer compared to other fuels and is fully depends on how professionally it is handled.

Summary

The PgC Hydrogen Safety programme is designed to develop in students the knowledge and skills in the fundamentals of hydrogen safety applicable to existing and foreseeable hydrogen and fuel cell systems and infrastructure. Students will learn scientific and engineering principles of hydrogen safety to understand the origin and phenomenology of hydrogen safety problems. Students will also study advances in the hydrogen safety technologies, including but not limited to prevention and mitigation strategies as well as novel engineering solutions to provide inherently safe deployment of hydrogen systems and infrastructure.

About this course

About

This course aims to:

• Provide the student with an understanding of theories and methodologies that form the fundamentals of hydrogen safety engineering so that they may undertake his/her own professional activities, including but not limited to consultancy, research and scholarship.
• Provide an appropriate knowledge base of the state-of-the-art in hydrogen safety engineering and key regulatory issues pertaining to hydrogen safety.
• Provide the student with up-to-date knowledge in hydrogen releases and dispersion, ignition, flames and jet fires, permeation and embrittlement, etc.
• Develop in the student a capability for independent learning to expand his/her knowledge in the principles of hydrogen safety, and to understand how the boundaries.
• Develop in the student a deeper understanding of hydrogen safety technologies and innovative engineering solutions to provide hydrogen safety.
• Create an environment where the student will be able to expand his/her interest within specialist areas of hydrogen safety.
• Apply knowledge and skills to evaluate different parameters of accidents involving hydrogen using contemporary engineering tools and models.
• Enable the student to estimate hazard distances for their selected harm criteria.
• Develop in the student the ability to deal with complex hydrogen safety engineering issues, involving but not limited to hydrogen releases and dispersion indoors, enclosure fires, deflagrations, pressure effects of the blast wave and thermal effects of fireball after a tank rupture in a fire, thermal protection of storage vessels, etc.
• Provide the student with a conceptual understanding of safety strategies to prevent and mitigate adverse effects of accidents involving hydrogen.
• Critically evaluate and use results on current research in hydrogen safety

Attendance

This programme will be delivered fully online as Distance Learning mode or face-to-face as a block-release based on the demand. Blackboard is the online learning environment employed to deliver the content.

Start dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching and Learning

This course will be delivered fully online or face-to-face as a block release based on the demand. Blackboard is the online learning environment employed to deliver the content. The teaching and learning methods include:

• Online lectures, and where available supporting videos of experiments and simulations
• Online tutorials will be held after each lecture and before each coursework
• Online seminars will be held to discuss topics relevant to each lecture
• Communications tools, including online discussion forums and email
• Self-assessment tools, i.e. student self-evaluation and timed online quizzes
• Engineering and research tools, including e-laboratory, references and search facilities Asynchronous modes of communication are utilised throughout the semester to allow flexibility for the student in learning.

Assessment

Two pieces of coursework, one in the first half, and one in the second half of the semester. Each piece of coursework contributes 50% to the overall module mark. Each piece of the coursework will incorporate problem-based solutions and qualitative questions. The coursework may incorporate tests of factual knowledge, problem solving. The assessment will be integrated with the working environment of students where possible. Online self-assessment quizzes: each lecture is concluded by an online self-assessment quiz. The online self-assessment quizzes are formative assessment but do not count towards the module mark. Successful completion of the quiz of a lecture enables access to a subsequent lecture.

Assessment Rules

• The pass mark for modules is 50%.
• The results of candidates who have successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate shall be graded by order of merit as Pass with Distinction, Pass with Commendation, and Pass.
• The assessment results for the final level of the programme (Level 7) shall determine the overall grading. The weighting of each module's contribution to the final result shall be determined by the module's credit value. The following shall be the minimum overall percentages used to determine the final gradings of candidates for each award:
  • Pass with Distinction - 70%
  • Pass with Commendation - 60%
  • Pass - 50%
• External examiners
  • There is one external examiner for the programme. External examiners are academic subject or professional experts appointed from outside the University. Their key functions are to contribute to the assurance of the standards of the award and the fair treatment of students. They are involved in the moderation and approval of assessments and the moderation of the marking undertaken by internal examiners.

Modules

Year one

Principles of Hydrogen Safety

Year: 1

Status: C

This module is delivered fully online or face-to-face as a block-release and focuses on the fundamentals of hydrogen safety science and engineering. This module combines a variety of disciplines in an engineering framework 'Principles of Hydrogen Safety' that includes but not limited to relevant RCS. Insight into these principles is developed to enable the student to understand the origin and phenomenology of hydrogen safety problems involving unscheduled releases and dispersion of expanded and under-expanded jets, ignition mechanisms, microflames, hydrogen jet fires and associated hazard distances, etc. The case studies are the part of the module to reinforce the best practice in hydrogen safety.

Hydrogen Safety Technologies

Year: 1

Status: C

This module is delivered fully online of in face-to-face mode as a block-release and focuses on advanced hydrogen safety technologies, including breakthrough prevention and mitigation strategies and novel engineering solutions for hydrogen systems and infrastructure. The module reinforces the knowledge and skills of students gained in the module "Principles of Hydrogen Safety" to be able to carry out independent research and consultancy work. The state-of-the-art in safety of hydrogen production, distribution, storage, and use is addressed to equip the student by skills necessary to work in hydrogen industry and train colleagues in hydrogen safety.

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have:

• (a) an Honours or non-Honours degree from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
• (b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent);

English Language Requirements

• English language requirements for international applicants
  • The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
• Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Careers & opportunities

Career options

Core to this PgCert is the maximisation of employability opportunities for applicants through routes to further onward study and skills development. This provision will provide further study opportunities at a pace which suits the student. Upon successful completion of the PG Cert Hydrogen Safety students can progress to another relevant MSc programme

The course will also provide a career development opportunity for a wide range of existing professionals and those with aspirations to work in the area of hydrogen safety. The strategic focus of the PgC is designed to provide graduates with key critical thinking and analytical skills that will be applicable in the growing field of hydrogen technology, identified by DfE as an essential area of growth and projected to be in high demand.

Graduates may also wish to follow a PhD route on graduation to further add to the body of research in the field.

Fees and funding

10% Alumni Discount

Are you a graduate of Ulster University? Did you know you could be eligible for a 10% fees discount.

Tuition Fee Loans Available

Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).

Annual Increase Disclaimer

Important Notice: Annual Fees Increase

Annual Fees Increase Disclaimer

Fees illustrated are based on academic year 25/26 entry and are subject to an annual increase.

If your study continues into future academic years your fees are subject to an annual increase. Please take this into consideration when you estimate your total fees for a degree.

Additional mandatory costs are highlighted where they are known in advance. There are other costs associated with university study.

Additional mandatory costs

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.