best nuclear physics phd programs

University of Wisconsin-Madison

DEGREE Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, PhD

Doctoral degree in nuclear engineering

As a PhD student in nuclear engineering and engineering physics, you’ll gain deeper experience studying the interaction of radiation with matter. With a strong emphasis on engineering and applied science, you’ll be able to focus on any of several areas, including researching, designing, developing and deploying fission reactors; fusion engineering; plasma physics; radiation damage to materials; applied superconductivity and cryogenics; and large-scale computing in engineering science.

At a glance

Nuclear engineering and engineering physics department, learn more about what information you need to apply., how to apply.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

GRE scores are optional. Applicants may submit GRE scores, but are not required to do so. Applications without scores are not placed at a disadvantage. However, received scores will be considered as part of our holistic evaluation of applications.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS and PROCESS

Degree: For admission to graduate study in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics, or physical science, and an undergraduate record that indicates an ability to successfully pursue graduate study. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree. All applicants must satisfy requirements that are set forth by the Graduate School .

It is highly recommended that students take courses that cover the same material as these UW-Madison courses before entering the program:

Course and Semester Credits Typical Courses

Differential equations, 3 cr MATH 319 or MATH 320

Advanced mathematics, 3 cr MATH 321

Nuclear physics, 3 cr N E 305

Materials science, metallurgy, or solid-state physics, 3 cr M S & E 350 or M S & E 351

Heat transfer or fluid mechanics, 3 cr CBE 320

Mechanics, 3 cr PHYSICS 311 or E M A 202

Descriptions of course content can be accessed through The Guide . Students may enter without having taken these courses. However, in such cases the students must inform their advisors, who will help them plan courses of study that will provide adequate background for our department’s graduate curriculum. Provisions for admission on probation, or as an applicant for more than one master’s degree (e.g., simultaneous MS degrees in two departments) are given in the Graduate School website .

GPA: The Graduate School requires a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 basis on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor’s degree. In special cases, students with grade point averages lower than 3.0 who meet all the general requirements of the Graduate School may be considered for admission on probation.

GRE: GRE scores are optional. Applicants may submit GRE scores, but are not required to do so. Applications without scores are not placed at a disadvantage. However, received scores will be considered as part of our holistic evaluation of applications.

PhD advisor selection process: PhD applicants are encouraged to identify potential faculty advisors and seek a confirmation. Please review the department Research and People websites and contact those whose research interests align with yours. Only faculty members listed with the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, can serve as graduate advisors. Do not contact Emeritus faculty, Lecturers, Research Scientists, or Faculty Associates. You are also encouraged to inquire about possible funding opportunities. If a faculty member agrees to be your advisor, ask the person to email an acknowledgment to [email protected] .

Each application must include the following:

Graduate School Application
Academic transcripts
Statement of purpose
Three letters of recommendation
GRE Scores (optional – see below for additional information)
English Proficiency Score (if required)
Application Fee

To apply to the NEEP program, complete applications , including supportive materials, must be submitted as described below and received by the following deadline dates:

Fall Semester—December 15
Spring Semester—September 1
Summer Session—December 15

ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT

Within the online application, upload the undergraduate transcript(s) and, if applicable, the previous graduate transcript. Unofficial copies of transcripts will be accepted for review, but official copies are required for admitted students. Please do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or the Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics department unless requested. Please review the requirements set by the Graduate School for additional information about degrees/transcripts.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics and discuss which UW faculty members they would be interested in doing research with during their graduate study (see the Graduate School for more advice on how to structure a personal statement ).

Upload your resume in your application.

THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

These letters are required from people who can accurately judge the applicant’s academic and/or research performance. It is highly recommended these letters be from faculty familiar with the applicant. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically to graduate programs through the online application. See the Graduate School for FAQs regarding letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are due by the deadline listed above.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY SCORE

Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. The UW-Madison Graduate School accepts TOEFL or IETLS scores. Your score will not be accepted if it is more than two years old from the start of your admission term. Country of citizenship does not exempt applicants from this requirement. Language of instruction at the college or university level and how recent the language instruction was taken are the determining factors in meeting this requirement.

For more information regarding minimum score requirements and exemption policy, please see the Graduate School Requirements for Admission .

APPLICATION FEE

Application submission must be accompanied by the one-time application fee. It is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card (MasterCard or Visa) or debit/ATM. Additional information about the application fee may be found here (scroll to the ‘Frequently asked questions).

Fee grants are available through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School .

If you have questions, please contact [email protected] .

RE-ENTRY ADMISSIONS

If you were previously enrolled as a graduate student in the Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics program, have not earned your degree, but have had a break in enrollment for a minimum of a fall or spring term, you will need to re-apply to resume your studies. Please review the Graduate School requirements for previously enrolled students . Your previous faculty advisor (or another NEEP faculty advisor) must be willing to supply advising support and should e-mail the NEEP Graduate Student Services Coordinator regarding next steps in the process.

If you were previously enrolled in a UW-Madison graduate degree, completed that degree, have had a break in enrollment since earning the degree and would now like to apply for another UW-Madison program; you are required to submit a new student application through the UW-Madison Graduate School online application. For NEEP graduate programs, you must follow the entire application process as described above.

CURRENTLY ENROLLED GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSIONS

Students currently enrolled as a graduate student at UW-Madison, whether in NEEP or a non-NEEP graduate program, wishing to apply to this degree program should contact the NEEP Graduate Admissions Team to inquire about the process and deadlines several months in advance of the anticipated enrollment term. Current students may apply to change or add programs for any term (fall, spring, or summer).

Tuition and funding

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Offers of financial support from the Department, College, and University are in the form of research assistantships (RAs), teaching assistantships (TAs), project assistantships (PAs), and partial or full fellowships. Prospective PhD students that receive such offers will have a minimum five-year guarantee of support. The funding for RAs comes from faculty research grants. Each professor decides on his or her own RA offers. International applicants must secure an RA, TA, PA, fellowship, or independent funding before admission is final. Funded students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment. See the program website for additional information.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES FUNDING AND SCHOLARSHIPS

For information on International Student Funding and Scholarships visit the ISS website .

In the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, we strive to design and deploy unique world-class experimental and computational capabilities to translate novel discoveries into transformative technologies. Having a broad range of laboratory facilities and collaborative centers at the right scale for energy and mechanics research is a hallmark of the department. The technologies we develop can solve challenges in energy, health, space, security and many other areas.

View our research

Curricular Requirements

Minimum graduate school requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Required Courses

Students must fulfill the coursework requirements for the nuclear engineering and engineering physics M.S. degree whether receiving the M.S. degree or going directly to the PhD. They must complete an additional 9 credits of technical coursework at the graduate level, beyond the coursework requirement for the MS. Candidates must take three courses numbered 700 or above; must satisfy the Ph.D. technical minor requirement; and must satisfy the PhD non-technical minor requirement.

The candidate is also required to complete, as a graduate student, one course numbered 400 or above in each of the following Areas: fission reactors; plasma physics and fusion; materials; engineering mathematics and computation (see Area Coursework Examples below).

M.S. Coursework Requirements

The following courses, or courses with similar material content, must be taken prior to or during the course of study: N E 427 Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory ; N E 428 Nuclear Reactor Laboratory or N E 526 Laboratory Course in Plasmas ; N E 408 Ionizing Radiation or N E/MED PHYS 569 Health Physics and Biological Effects .

Thesis pathway 1 : maximum of 12 credits for thesis; at least 8 credits of N E courses numbered 400 or above; remaining credits (also numbered 400 or above) must be in appropriate technical areas 2 ; at least 9 credits must be numbered 500 and above; up to 3 credits can be seminar credits.

Non-Thesis pathway 1 : at least 15 credits of N E courses numbered 400 or above; remaining 15 credits (also numbered 400 or above) must be in appropriate technical areas 2 ; at least 12 credits must be at numbered 500 or above; up to 3 credits can be seminar credits.

For both the thesis and non-thesis options, only one course (maximum of 3 credits) of independent study ( N E 699 Advanced Independent Study , N E 999 Advanced Independent Study ) is allowed.

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

Appropriate technical areas are: Engineering departments (except Engineering and Professional Development), Physics, Math, Statistics, Computer Science, Medical Physics, and Chemistry. Other courses may be deemed appropriate by a student’s faculty advisor.

Area Coursework Examples

These courses are examples that would meet the requirement and are not meant to be a restricted list of possible courses. The candidate is required to complete one course in each of the following areas:

Non-Technical Minor Requirements

Ph.D. candidates must complete one of the following four study options prior to receiving dissertator status. As this is a formal Department requirement, the student should select a Non-Technical Minor early in the program, and must complete it to achieve dissertator status (see below). The Non-Technical Minor must be planned with the help of the candidate’s advisor and must be approved by the Department NonTechnical Minor Advisor except for Study Option IV which must be approved by the Department faculty. A Non-Technical Minor Approval Form is available from the Graduate Student Coordinator, and must be filed prior to submission of the doctoral plan form. Courses numbered below 400 may be used as a part of the Non-Technical Minor.

Study Option I : Technology-Society Interaction Coursework. This option is intended to increase the student’s awareness of the possible effects of technology on society and of the professional responsibilities of engineers and scientists in understanding such side effects. These effects could, for example, involve the influence of engineering on advancement of human welfare, on the distribution of wealth in society, or on environmental and ecological systems.

Suggested courses for fulfilling Option I include:

Study Option II : Humanistic Society Studies Coursework. The basic objectives of this option are to help prepare the student to bridge the gap between C.P. Snow’s "Two Cultures." Snow’s 1959 lecture thesis was that the breakdown of communication between the "two cultures" of modern society – the sciences and the humanities – was a major hindrance to solving the world’s problems. Study might be designed to give a greater appreciation of the arts such as the classics, music, or painting, or it might be designed, for example, as preparation for translating technical information to the non-technical public.

Suggested areas of study to fulfill Option II include Anthropology, Area Studies, Art, Art History, Classics, Comparative Literature, Contemporary Trends, English (literature), Foreign Languages (literature), Social Work, Sociology, and Speech. Under either Option I or II, the student must take 6 credits of coursework. The courses must be approved by the student’s advisor and the non-technical minor advisor, and the 6 credits should be concentrated in one topical area. Grades in these courses need not meet the Departmental Grade Policy. However, note that all grades in courses numbered 300 or above courses (including grades for Non-Technical Minor courses) are calculated in the Graduate School minimum 3.0 graduation requirement.

Study Option III : Foreign Culture Coursework. This option is intended for the student who desires to live and work in a foreign nation or work with people of a foreign culture. Examples include studies of the history of a foreign nation, of the political stability of a region of the world, of the culture of a particular group within a nation, or of the spoken language of a foreign nation. For Option III the student must take six credits of courses under all of the same conditions and requirements as for Option I and II unless choosing language study. For the latter case, the student must attain a grade of C or better in all courses. If the student has previous knowledge of a language, it is required that either courses beyond the introductory level will be elected or that another language will be elected.

Study Option IV : Technology-Society Interactions Experience. There are many possible technology-society interactions that might be more educational and meaningful for the student as an actual experience than coursework. For example, the student might run for and be elected to a position of alderperson in the city government. Consequently, this option allows the student to pursue a particular aspect of the interaction using his own time and resources.

Study Option IV activity must be planned with the student’s advisor and be approved by the faculty. The effort required should be equivalent to 6 credits of coursework. Upon completion of this program, the student will prepare a written or oral report.

Note: Students from countries in which English is not the native language have inherently fulfilled these non-technical study goals and are exempt from these formal requirements.

Graduate Student Services [email protected] 3182 Mechanical Engineering 1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Carl Sovinec, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

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Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, Ph.D.

A broad program of instruction and research is offered in the principles of the interaction of radiation with matter and their applications, and in several areas of engineering physics. The program has strong engineering and applied science components. It emphasizes several areas of activity, including the research, design, development, and deployment of fission reactors; fusion engineering; plasma physics; radiation damage to materials; applied superconductivity and cryogenics; and large-scale computing in engineering science.

The master's degree may be pursued as a terminal degree in the fission area and in various engineering physics areas, but it is not generally recommended as a final degree in fusion research; students interested in fusion should plan to pursue the Ph.D. degree. About 40 percent of the current graduate students hold undergraduate degrees in nuclear engineering, about 40 percent in physics, and about 20 percent in other disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, and materials science.

The department is considered to have one of the top five nuclear engineering programs in the nation over the last 40 years. It incorporates several research organizations including the Wisconsin Institute of Nuclear Systems, the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment Program, the Fusion Technology Institute, and the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation.

Research may be performed in areas including next generation fission reactor engineering; fluid and heat transfer modeling for transient analysis; reactor monitoring and diagnostics; fuel cycle analysis; magnetic and inertial confinement fusion reactor engineering, including the physics of burning plasmas, plasma-wall interactions, neutron transport, tritium breeding, radiation damage, and liquid-metal heat transfer; experimental and theoretical studies of plasmas including radio frequency heating, magnetic confinement, plasma instabilities, and plasma diagnostics; superconducting magnets and cryogenics; and theoretical and experimental studies of the damage to materials in fission and fusion reactors.

The department places considerable emphasis on establishing research teams or group research, as well as traditional research activity by individual faculty members and their students. The groups frequently involve faculty, scientific staff, and graduate students from several departments, adding a strong interdisciplinary flavor to the research.

Students sometimes perform thesis work at national laboratories such as Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS and PROCESS

Degree: For admission to graduate study in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, an applicant must have a bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, or physical science, and an undergraduate record that indicates an ability to successfully pursue graduate study. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree. All applicants must satisfy requirements that are set forth by the Graduate School .

It is highly recommended that students take courses that cover the same material as these UW-Madison courses before entering the program:

Course and Semester Credits Typical Courses

Differential equations, 3 cr MATH 319 or MATH 320

Advanced mathematics, 3 cr MATH 321

Nuclear physics, 3 cr N E 305

Materials science, metallurgy, or solid-state physics, 3 cr M S & E 350 or M S & E 351

Heat transfer or fluid mechanics, 3 cr CBE 320

Mechanics, 3 cr PHYSICS 311 or E M A 202

Descriptions of course content can be accessed through The Guide . Students may enter without having taken these courses. However, in such cases the students must inform their advisors, who will help them plan courses of study that will provide adequate background for our department's graduate curriculum. Provisions for admission on probation, or as an applicant for more than one master's degree (e.g., simultaneous MS degrees in two departments) are given in the Graduate School website .

GPA: The Graduate School requires a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 basis on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor's degree. In special cases, students with grade point averages lower than 3.0 who meet all the general requirements of the Graduate School may be considered for admission on probation.

Each application must include the following:

Graduate School Application
Academic transcripts
Statement of purpose
Three letters of recommendation
GRE Scores (optional - see below for additional information)
English Proficiency Score (if required)
Application Fee

To apply to the NEEP program, complete applications , including supportive materials, must be submitted as described below and received by the following deadline dates:

Fall Semester—December 15
Spring Semester—September 1
Summer Session—December 15

ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Upload your resume in your application.

THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

These letters are required from people who can accurately judge the applicant's academic and/or research performance. It is highly recommended these letters be from faculty familiar with the applicant. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically to graduate programs through the online application. See the Graduate School for FAQs regarding letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are due by the deadline listed above.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY SCORE

For more information regarding minimum score requirements and exemption policy, please see the Graduate School Requirements for Admission .

APPLICATION FEE

Fee grants are available through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School .

If you have questions, please contact [email protected] .

RE-ENTRY ADMISSIONS

CURRENTLY ENROLLED GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSIONS

Graduate School Resources

Program Resources

Additional Resources

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES FUNDING AND SCHOLARSHIPS

For information on International Student Funding and Scholarships visit the ISS website .

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Mode of instruction definitions.

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Required courses.

M.S. Coursework Requirements

For both the thesis and non-thesis options, only one course (maximum of 3 credits) of independent study ( N E 699 Advanced Independent Study , N E 999 Advanced Independent Study ) is allowed.

Area Coursework Examples

Non-Technical Minor Requirements

Ph.D. candidates must complete one of the following four study options prior to receiving dissertator status. As this is a formal Department requirement, the student should select a Non-Technical Minor early in the program, and must complete it to achieve dissertator status (see below). The Non-Technical Minor must be planned with the help of the candidate's advisor and must be approved by the Department NonTechnical Minor Advisor except for Study Option IV which must be approved by the Department faculty. A Non-Technical Minor Approval Form is available from the Graduate Student Coordinator, and must be filed prior to submission of the doctoral plan form. Courses numbered below 400 may be used as a part of the Non-Technical Minor.

Study Option I : Technology-Society Interaction Coursework. This option is intended to increase the student's awareness of the possible effects of technology on society and of the professional responsibilities of engineers and scientists in understanding such side effects. These effects could, for example, involve the influence of engineering on advancement of human welfare, on the distribution of wealth in society, or on environmental and ecological systems.

Suggested courses for fulfilling Option I include:

Study Option II : Humanistic Society Studies Coursework. The basic objectives of this option are to help prepare the student to bridge the gap between C.P. Snow's "Two Cultures." Snow’s 1959 lecture thesis was that the breakdown of communication between the "two cultures" of modern society - the sciences and the humanities - was a major hindrance to solving the world's problems. Study might be designed to give a greater appreciation of the arts such as the classics, music, or painting, or it might be designed, for example, as preparation for translating technical information to the non-technical public.

Suggested areas of study to fulfill Option II include Anthropology, Area Studies, Art, Art History, Classics, Comparative Literature, Contemporary Trends, English (literature), Foreign Languages (literature), Social Work, Sociology, and Speech. Under either Option I or II, the student must take 6 credits of coursework. The courses must be approved by the student's advisor and the non-technical minor advisor, and the 6 credits should be concentrated in one topical area. Grades in these courses need not meet the Departmental Grade Policy. However, note that all grades in courses numbered 300 or above courses (including grades for Non-Technical Minor courses) are calculated in the Graduate School minimum 3.0 graduation requirement.

Study Option IV activity must be planned with the student's advisor and be approved by the faculty. The effort required should be equivalent to 6 credits of coursework. Upon completion of this program, the student will prepare a written or oral report.

Note: Students from countries in which English is not the native language have inherently fulfilled these non-technical study goals and are exempt from these formal requirements.

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate work from other institutions.

With advisor and NEEP Graduate Studies Committee approval, students may use up to 15 credits of prior graduate coursework that led to a relevant MS degree. Alternatively, with advisor and NEEP Graduate Studies Committee approval, students may use up to 6 credits of relevant coursework from a prior graduate program. Please review the Graduate Program Handbook (see contact box) for information about use and restrictions to this policy.

UW–Madison Undergraduate

With faculty approval, students who have received their undergraduate degree from UW–Madison may apply up to 7 credits numbered 400 or above toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. This work would not be allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken in courses numbered 700 or above. No credits can be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned ten years or more prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

With faculty approval, students who have received an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree (not including UW–Madison) may be eligible to apply up to 7 credits of their undergraduate coursework toward the Minimum Graduate Degree Credit Requirement. No credits can be counted toward the Minimum Graduate Residence Credit Requirement, nor the Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement.

Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master's degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

UW–Madison University Special

With program approval, students are allowed to count up to 15 credits of coursework numbered 400 or above taken as a UW–Madison special student toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement, and the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. UW–Madison coursework taken as a University Special student would not be allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken in courses numbered 700 or above. Coursework earned ten years or more prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

This program follows the Graduate School's Probation policy.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

Each student is required to meet with his or her advisor prior to registration every semester.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

Time limits.

The Ph.D. qualifying examination should be first taken no later than completion of the M.S. requirements, or the beginning of the fifth semester of graduate study, whichever comes first. Students entering the program with a master’s degree in E M A, E P or N E from another institution, and taking the qualifying exam in that same major, must take the exam by the beginning of their third semester.

Students must submit the doctoral plan of study one month before the end of the semester following the one in which the qualifying exam is passed.

Candidates are expected to pass the Ph.D. preliminary examination no later than the end of the third year of graduate study, or by the end of the second regular semester following the one in which the Ph.D. qualifying examination was passed, whichever is later. A candidate who fails to take the preliminary examination within four years of passing the qualifying examination must retake the qualifying examination.

An oral examination on the findings of the Ph.D. research is required at the end of the thesis work. The candidate must apply for a warrant from the Graduate School through the student services office at least three weeks before the exam. The final oral examination must be taken within five years of passing the preliminary examination.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

Bias or Hate Reporting
Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

NEEP Grievance Procedures

Students who feel that they have been treated unfairly have the right to a prompt hearing of their grievance. Such complaints may involve course grades, classroom treatment, advising, various forms of harassment, or other issues. Any student or potential student may use these procedures.

The student should speak first with the person toward whom the grievance is directed. In most cases, grievances can be resolved at this level.

Should a satisfactory resolution not be achieved, the student should contact the program’s Grievance Advisor to discuss the grievance. The Graduate Student Coordinator can provide students with the name of this faculty member, who facilitates problem resolution through informal channels. The Grievance Advisor is responsible for facilitating any complaints or issues of students. The Grievance Advisor first attempts to help students informally address the grievance prior to any formal complaint. Students are also encouraged to talk with their faculty advisors regarding concerns or difficulties if necessary. University resources for sexual harassment concerns can be found on the UW Office of Equity and Diversity website.

If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student can submit the grievance to the Grievance Advisor in writing, within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.

On receipt of a written complaint, a faculty committee will be convened by the Grievance Advisor to manage the grievance. The program faculty committee will obtain a written response from the person toward whom the complaint is directed. The response will be shared with the person filing the grievance.

The faculty committee will determine a decision regarding the grievance. The Grievance Advisor will report on the action taken by the committee in writing to both the student and the party toward whom the complaint was directed within 15 working days from the date the complaint was received.

At this point, if either party (the student or the person toward whom the grievance is directed) is unsatisfied with the decision of the faculty committee, the party may file a written appeal. Either party has 10 working days to file a written appeal to the College of Engineering.

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs ( [email protected] ) provides overall leadership for graduate education in the College of Engineering (CoE) and is a point of contact for graduate students who have concerns about education, mentoring, research, or other difficulties.

The Graduate School has procedures for students wishing to appeal a grievance decision made at the college level. These policies are described in the Academic Policies and Procedures at https://grad.wisc.edu/academic-policies/ .

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.

Demonstrate an extraordinary, deep understanding of mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles in the field
Demonstrate an ability to formulate, analyze, and independently solve advanced engineering problems
Apply the relevant scientific and technological advancements, techniques, and engineering tools to address these problems
Recognize and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct
Demonstrate an ability to synthesize knowledge from a subset of the biological, physical, and/or social sciences to help frame problems critical to the future of their discipline
Demonstrate an ability to conduct original research and communicate it to their peers

Paul Wilson (Chair) Wendy Crone Chris Hegna Oliver Schmitz Carl Sovinec Kumar Sridharan

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

Adrien Couet

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

Stephanie Diem Benedikt Geiger Benjamin Lindley Juliana Pacheco-Duarte Yongfeng Zhang

See also Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics Faculty Directory .

Requirements
Professional Development
Learning Outcomes

Contact Information

Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics College of Engineering https://engineering.wisc.edu/neep

Graduate Student Services [email protected] 3182 Mechanical Engineering 1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Carl Sovinec, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

Graduate Program Handbook View Here

Graduate School grad.wisc.edu

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100 Best colleges for Nuclear Physics in the United States

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the United States ranked based on their research performance in Nuclear Physics. A graph of 36.7M citations received by 1.06M academic papers made by 606 universities in the United States was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of California - Berkeley

For Nuclear Physics

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3. Stanford University

4. Princeton University

5. University of California - Los Angeles

6. University of Maryland - College Park

7. Harvard University

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

9. University of Wisconsin - Madison

10. California Institute of Technology

11. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

12. Cornell University

13. University of Washington - Seattle

14. University of California - Santa Barbara

15. Columbia University

16. University of California-San Diego

17. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

18. University of Texas at Austin

19. University of Chicago

20. Michigan State University

21. Yale University

22. Pennsylvania State University

23. Ohio State University

24. Stony Brook University

25. University of Colorado Boulder

26. University of Pennsylvania

27. University of Florida

28. Texas A&M University - College Station

29. University of Arizona

30. Purdue University

31. Northwestern University

32. Johns Hopkins University

33. University of Rochester

34. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

35. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

36. Iowa State University

37. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

38. University of California - Davis

39. Georgia Institute of Technology

40. Rice University

41. University of Notre Dame

42. University of California - Irvine

43. Boston University

44. Florida State University

45. University of Utah

46. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

47. Carnegie Mellon University

48. University of Virginia

49. University of Southern California

50. University of Iowa

51. Duke University

52. University of Pittsburgh

53. Arizona State University - Tempe

54. University of Delaware

55. New York University

56. University of California - Riverside

57. Washington University in St Louis

58. Vanderbilt University

59. University of California - San Francisco

60. University of California - Santa Cruz

61. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

62. University of New Mexico

63. Brown University

64. Providence College

65. Case Western Reserve University

66. Washington State University

67. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

68. University of Georgia

69. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

70. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

71. University at Buffalo

72. University of Kentucky

73. Colorado State University - Fort Collins

74. University of Houston

75. Tulane University of Louisiana

76. University of New Hampshire

77. University of Illinois at Chicago

78. University of Oregon

79. Wayne State University

80. University of Missouri - Columbia

81. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

82. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

83. Kansas State University

84. University of Cincinnati

85. University of Connecticut

86. Dartmouth College

87. Emory University

88. Northeastern University

89. University of South Carolina - Columbia

90. Old Dominion University

91. Oregon State University

92. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

93. Syracuse University

94. George Washington University

95. University of Alabama in Huntsville

96. College of William and Mary

97. Missouri University of Science and Technology

98. University of Kansas

99. University of Central Florida

100. Tufts University

The best cities to study Nuclear Physics in the United States based on the number of universities and their ranks are Berkeley , Cambridge , Stanford , and Princeton .

Physics subfields in the United States

Propel your Future in Nuclear Science

Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University

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Nuclear Physics Graduate Program in the U.S.

Job Placement

One Year Faster than the National Average

Explore New Nuclear Science Frontiers

Study alongside renowned faculty researchers at a world-leading nuclear science facility. At the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), graduate-student researchers seek to answer fundamental questions in the areas of nuclear science, radiochemistry, and accelerator science. Questions like, why do atoms exist? Where did they come from? How can we use accelerator technology and related technology to solve society’s problems?

As a Michigan State University (MSU) graduate student at FRIB, you’ll receive an individualized curriculum and conduct unique research in nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear chemistry, accelerator physics, or engineering. You’ll graduate well-prepared for a career in research, education, or industry.

Request More Program Info

Why FRIB at Michigan State University?

Top-ranked nuclear physics graduate program in the country.

Prepare for a variety of careers utilizing world-class faculty and research, and graduate one year faster than the national average. Learn and work in a world-leading, state-of-the-art facility to develop crucial skills for research and development and teamwork in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Take Your First Step

Conduct Groundbreaking Research

Contribute meaningfully to society through scientific discovery. You’ll work alongside world-renowned faculty mentors conducting research using what will be the world’s most powerful heavy-ion accelerator as well as state-of-the-art computers and specially designed equipment to make novel discoveries with applications in medicine, national defense, and more. Present your findings at national and international conferences to build your network and expand your career options.

Learn in a Diverse Research Environment

Here at FRIB, students and faculty share a common interest—to contribute to society through scientific discovery. We attract students, faculty, and researchers with diverse backgrounds from all over the world to study and work in a respectful, collaborative, and inclusive environment.

Enjoy Life Both In and Out of the Lab

In addition to exploring your world by conducting research in the lab, we encourage you to also have fun outside of it. Connect with fellow students and scientists on campus in clubs, student organizations, and activities designed for you. And, check out the Lansing area's big-city amenities—museums, sporting events, outdoor activities, diverse restaurants, and cultural events—while maintaining a low cost of living and a small-town feel.

Launch Your Career With One of These Exciting Areas of Study

Nuclear physics and astrophysics.

Conduct leading-edge research to map the nuclear landscape, to understand the forces that bind nucleons into nuclei, to answer questions about the astrophysical origins of nuclear matter, and to address societal needs related to nuclear science and technology.

Nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry

Probe how nuclear matter assembles itself in systems from nuclei to neutron stars, understand neutron reactions important for homeland security and astrophysics, and provide applications for society, including in medicine and industry.

Accelerator physics and engineering

Leverage world-class instruments, systems, and experts at FRIB—a world-unique opportunity on a university campus—to pursue an in-demand career. Benefit from short- and long-term training and collaboration opportunities at partner Department of Energy national laboratories.

Cryogenic engineering

Train at FRIB on state-of-the-art technologies and advancements in the field to become a next-generation cryogenic-system innovator—a career in high-demand in fundamental research and industrial applications.

Graduate Highly Qualified and In-Demand for a Variety of Careers

With a 100% job placement rate and a nationally recognized academic reputation, you'll be ready for a career as a respected physicist, engineer, or chemist.

Our graduates go on to:

conduct research at universities, national laboratories, or in industrial settings, paving the way for more innovative discoveries.
begin their teaching careers at the university level, passing their knowledge and expertise on to the next generation.
work in government or business, advancing policies and technologies that positively impact in the world.

Get Started Today!

Classes start soon . Apply now to get ahead!

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Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE) provides undergraduate and graduate education for students interested in developing and understanding nuclear technologies for the benefit of society and the environment.

This is an exciting time to study nuclear science and engineering. There is an upsurge of innovative activity in the field, including a drastic increase in nuclear start-up companies, as energy resource constraints, security concerns, and the risks of climate change are creating new demands for safe, secure, cost-competitive nuclear energy systems. At the same time, powerful new tools for exploring, measuring, modeling, and controlling complex nuclear and radiation processes are laying the foundations for major advances in the application of nuclear technologies in medicine and industry as well as in fundamental science.

In response to these developments, the department has created programs of study that prepare students for scientific and engineering leadership roles in energy and non-energy applications of nuclear science and technology. Applications include nuclear fission energy systems, fusion energy systems, quantum engineering, and systems for securing nuclear materials against the threats of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. Underlying these applications are core fields of education and research, including low-energy nuclear physics; plasma physics; thermal sciences; radiation sources, detection, and control; the study of materials in harsh chemo-mechanical, radiation, and thermal environments; and advanced computation and simulation.

Students in nuclear science and engineering study the scientific fundamentals of the field, engineering methods for integrating these fundamentals into practical systems, and the interactions of nuclear systems with society and the environment. Undergraduate and graduate students take core subjects in the field and can then select from a wide variety of application areas through more specialized subjects.

Principle areas of research and education in the department are described below.

Nuclear Fission Energy. Nuclear reactors, utilizing the fission of heavy elements such as uranium, supply approximately 13% of the world's electricity, powering grids, ships and submarines. They produce radioisotopes for medical, biological, and industrial uses, and for long-lived on-board power sources for spacecraft. They can also provide energy for chemical and industrial processing and portable fuel production (e.g., synthetic fuels or hydrogen).

Electricity generation is the most familiar application. In some countries, the fraction of electricity obtained from nuclear power exceeds 50%. In the United States, 100 nuclear power plants supply almost 20% of the nation's electricity. Thirty countries generate nuclear power today, and more than 40 others have recently expressed an interest in developing new nuclear energy programs. Nuclear power is the only low-carbon energy source that is both inherently scalable and already generating a significant share of the world's electricity supplies. Fission technology is entering a new era in which upgraded existing plants, next-generation reactors, and new fuel cycle technologies and strategies will contribute to meeting the rapidly growing global demand for safe and cost-competitive low-carbon electricity supplies.

Fission energy research in the Nuclear Science and Engineering department is focused on developing advanced nuclear reactor designs for electricity, process heat, and fluid fuels production that include passive safety features; developing innovative proliferation-resistant fuel cycles; extending the life of nuclear fuels and structures; and reducing the capital and operating costs of nuclear energy systems. These research goals are pursued via targeted technology options, based on advanced modeling and simulation techniques and state-of-the-art experimental facilities. Progress toward these goals also entails advances in the thermal, materials, nuclear, and computational sciences. The overall objective is to advance the role of nuclear energy as an economical, safe, environmentally friendly, and flexible energy source, thereby contributing to energy security, economic growth, and a sustainable global climate.

Plasma Physics and Fusion Technology. A different source of nuclear energy results from the controlled fusion of light elements, notably hydrogen isotopes. Since the basic source of fuel for fusion can be easily and inexpensively extracted from the ocean or from very abundant lithium, the supply is virtually inexhaustible. Fusion reactions can only readily occur in a fully ionized plasma heated to ultra high temperatures (150 million K). Such hot plasmas cannot be contained by material walls and are usually confined instead by strong magnetic fields. An alternative approach entails inertial confinement, usually achieved with very high-power lasers. Recent progress within the international fusion community increases the likelihood that controlled fusion will become a practical source of energy within the next half-century. Attainment of a fusion power plant involves the solution of many intellectually challenging physics and engineering problems. Included among these challenges are a mastery of the sophisticated field of plasma physics; the discovery of improved magnetic geometries to enhance plasma confinement; the development of materials capable of withstanding high stresses and exposure to intense radiation; and the need for great engineering ingenuity in integrating fusion power components into a practical, safe, and economical system. The department has strong programs in plasma fundamentals, materials for intense radiation fields, and engineering of fusion systems.

Plasma processes are key to many naturally occurring phenomena, and to many practical applications. Solar physics, space weather, and dusty plasma physics, are basic plasma research areas of departmental expertise. Treatment of toxic gases, magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion, ion propulsion, radiation generation, materials processing, and various other industrial applications use the knowledge students gain in applied plasma physics. The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering leads MIT's interdepartmental graduate instruction in plasma physics and many of its research applications.

Nuclear Security. The field of nuclear security concerns itself with the challenges and dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials. Various areas of nuclear security include nuclear nonproliferation, arms control treaty verification, cargo security, as well as nuclear safeguards. In order for nuclear power to retain its societal relevance, it is important for the nuclear community to develop a culture of security just as it has developed a culture of safety. Thus, nuclear security in its broadest sense becomes of paramount importance to the nuclear engineering community. MIT in particular is perfectly positioned to perform long-term research in the field of nuclear security, to make the use of nuclear energy less risky for global security. Part of this effort of necessity contains a component of policy, as well as a component of technological research necessary to stop proliferation, improve nuclear safeguards, and intercept any attempts at nuclear terrorism: a successful program cannot be either purely technology driven or purely policy driven but rather a careful integration of these two areas. MIT is actively pursuing an integration of both technology and policy development.

Quantum Engineering. An exciting new frontier in nuclear science and engineering is to precisely control the quantum mechanical wave function of atomic and subatomic systems. Thus far, this has been achieved only in low-energy processes, particularly nuclear magnetic resonance, a form of nuclear spectroscopy which has allowed the basic techniques needed for quantum control to be explored in unprecedented detail. The department has initiated an ambitious program in this area, which promises to be widely applicable in nanotechnology. The ultimate achievement would be the construction of a "quantum computer," which would be capable of solving problems that are far beyond the capacities of classical computers. Other significant applications are quantum-enabled sensors and actuators, secure communication, and the direct simulation of quantum physics.

Materials for Extreme Environments. An important area of research in the department which unites many of the primary applications of nuclear science and technology involves the study of materials in extreme environments. To achieve the full potential of nuclear energy from both fission and fusion reactors, it is necessary to develop special materials capable of withstanding intense radiation for long periods of time as well as high temperatures and mechanical stresses. It is also crucial to understand the phenomenon of corrosion in radiation environments. To develop a fundamental understanding of these phenomena, chemical and physical processes must be followed at multiple scales, from the atomic to the macroscopic, over timescales from less than a nanosecond to many decades, and even, in the case of nuclear waste, thousands of years. Materials research in the department draws on a wide array of new scientific tools, including advanced compact radiation sources, material probes and characterization at the nanoscale, and advanced computational simulations.

Interdisciplinary Research. Students and faculty in the department work closely with colleagues in several other departments, including Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Political Science, and with the Sloan School of Management. The department is an active participant in the MIT Energy Initiative and in MIT's interdisciplinary programs of instruction and research in the management of complex technological systems and technology and public policy.

Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering (Course 22)

Bachelor of science in engineering (course 22-eng), combined bachelor's and master's programs, minor in nuclear science and engineering, undergraduate study.

The department's undergraduate programs offer a strong foundation in science-based engineering, providing the skills and knowledge for a broad range of careers, with an emphasis on hands-on exploration of the subject matter. The programs develop scientific and engineering fundamentals in the production, interactions, measurement, and control of radiation arising from nuclear processes. In addition, the program introduces students to thermal-fluid engineering and computational methods. Building upon these fundamentals, students understand the principles, design, and appropriate application of nuclear-based or nuclear-related systems that have broad societal impacts in energy, human health, and security—for example, reactors, imaging systems, detectors, and plasma confinement. In addition, they develop professional skills in quantitative research, written and oral technical communication, team building, and leadership. The program provides excellent preparation for subsequent employment, graduate education, and/or research in a broad range of fields. In the nuclear field, there is high demand for nuclear engineers around the world as the nuclear energy industry continues to expand. Other nuclear and radiation applications are increasingly important in medicine, industry, and government.

A characteristic of the curriculum is the development of practical skills through hands-on education to reinforce the fundamentals of the nuclear discipline. This is accomplished through various required and elective subjects, such as a laboratory subject on radiation physics, measurement, and protection ( 22.09 Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection ), and through the laboratory components and exercises of the electronics ( 22.071 Analog Electronics and Analog Instrumentation Design ), ionizing radiation, and computational subjects. Even foundational courses in nuclear unit processes ( 22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation ) and neutronics ( 22.05 Neutron Science and Reactor Physics ) include hands-on activities and analyses of real objects/systems. Examples include measuring the radioactivity of fruits with high potassium content, predicting and measuring the neutron multiplication of a large graphite/uranium pile, and analyzing trace impurities in various foods, minerals, or biological tissues in our nuclear reactor. The concept of experiential learning is continued with a 15-unit design subject focusing on nuclear-centric design and prototyping and/or a 12-unit undergraduate thesis that is normally organized between the student and a faculty member of the department. Thesis subjects can touch on any area of nuclear science and engineering, including nuclear energy applications (fission and fusion) and nuclear science and technology (medical, physical, chemical, security, political science, and materials applications).

The Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering (Course 22) prepares students for a broad range of careers, from practical engineering work in the energy industry to graduate study in a wide range of technical fields, as well as entrepreneurship, law, medicine, and business. The degree program includes foundational subjects in physics, mathematics, and programming, leading to core subjects in the areas of nuclear energy (fission and fusion), as well as nuclear energy policy, social issues surrounding nuclear energy, quantum engineering, radiation physics, and product design.

The Course 22 degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) .

The 22-ENG degree program is designed to offer flexibility within the context of nuclear science and engineering applications. This program is designed to enable students to pursue a deeper level of understanding in a specific nuclear application or interdisciplinary field related to the nuclear science and engineering core discipline. The degree requirements include core subjects relevant to a broad array of nuclear and related interdisciplinary areas, a specialization subject in energy systems, and a senior project, as well as a focus area consisting of 72 units of additional coursework.

A significant part of the 22-ENG degree program consists of focus area electives chosen by the student to provide in-depth study in a field of the student’s choosing. Focus areas should complement a foundation in nuclear science and engineering and General Institute Requirements. Some examples of potential focus areas include nuclear medicine, energy or nuclear policy, fusion energy or plasma science, clean energy technologies, nuclear materials, modeling and simulation of complex systems, and quantum engineering, or an area of study within one of the departmental focus areas. Focus areas are not limited to these examples. Advising on students' development of focus areas is available from the undergraduate officer or the Academic Office. Students enrolled in the flexible major must submit a proposal to the Academic Office no later than Add Date of the second term in the program, to be reviewed by the Undergraduate Committee.

The five-year programs leading to a joint Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Science and Engineering, or Physics and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering are designed for students who decide relatively early in their undergraduate career that they wish to pursue a graduate degree in nuclear science and engineering. Students must submit their application for this program during the second term of their junior year and be judged to satisfy the graduate admission requirements of the department. The normal expectations of MIT undergraduates for admission to the five-year program are an overall MIT grade point average (GPA) of at least 4.3, and a strong mathematics, science, and engineering background with a GPA in these subjects of at least 4.0.

The nuclear science and engineering thesis requirements of the two degrees may be satisfied either by completing both an SB thesis and an SM thesis, or by completing an SM thesis and any 12 units of undergraduate credit.

For further information, interested students should contact either their undergraduate department or the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.

This minor allows students from any major outside of Course 22 to delve deeper into advanced topics within the department or to support interdisciplinary areas of interest in nuclear science and engineering.

Further information on undergraduate programs, admissions, and financial aid may be obtained from the department's Academic Office , Room 24-102, 617-258-5682.

Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Nuclear engineer.

Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science

Graduate Study

The nuclear science and engineering field is broad and many undergraduate disciplines provide suitable preparation for graduate study.

An undergraduate degree in physics, engineering physics, chemistry, mathematics, materials science, or chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, or nuclear science and engineering can provide a good foundation for graduate study in the department. Optimal undergraduate preparation would include the following:

Physics: At least three introductory subjects covering classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and wave phenomena. An introduction to quantum mechanics is quite helpful, and an advanced subject in electricity and magnetism (including a description of time-dependent fields via Maxwell's equations) is recommended for those wishing to specialize in fusion.
Mathematics: It is essential that incoming students have a solid understanding of mathematics, including the study and application of ordinary differential equations. It is also highly recommended that students will have studied partial differential equations and linear algebra.
Chemistry: At least one term of general, inorganic, and physical chemistry.
Engineering fundamentals: The graduate curriculum builds on a variety of engineering fundamentals, and incoming students are expected to have had an introduction to thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, electronics and measurement, and computation. A subject covering the mechanics of materials is recommended, particularly for students wishing to specialize in fission.
Laboratory experience: This component is essential. It may have been achieved through an organized subject, and ideally was supplemented with an independent undergraduate research activity or a design project.

Applicants for admission can find information about admission requirements in the Graduate Education Admissions section and on the Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT Department website .

The object of the master of science program is to give the student a good general knowledge of nuclear science and engineering and to provide a foundation either for productive work in the nuclear field or for more advanced graduate study. The general requirements for the SM degree are listed under Graduate Education.

Subjects are selected in accordance with the student's particular field of interest. Master of science candidates may specialize in one of several fields: including nuclear fission technology, applied plasma physics, nuclear materials, nuclear security, and nuclear science and technology. Some students pursue a master of science degree in technology and policy in parallel with the Course 22 master of science program.

Students with adequate undergraduate preparation take approximately 18 months to complete the requirements for the master of science. Actual completion time ranges from one to two years. Additional information concerning the requirements for the Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering, including lists of recommended subjects, may be obtained from the department's Academic Office, Room 24-102.

The program of study leading to the nuclear engineer's degree provides deeper knowledge of nuclear science and engineering than is possible in the master's program and is intended to train students for creative professional careers in engineering application or design.

The general requirements for this degree, as described under Graduate Education, include 162 units of subject credit plus a thesis. Each student must plan an individually selected program of study, approved in advance by the faculty advisor, and must complete, and orally defend, a substantial project of significant value.

The objectives of the program are to provide the candidate with broad knowledge of the profession and to develop competence in engineering applications or design. The emphasis in the program is more applied and less research-oriented than the doctoral program.

The engineering project required of all candidates for the nuclear engineer's degree is generally the subject of an engineer's thesis. A student with full undergraduate preparation normally needs two years to complete the program. Additional information may be obtained from the department.

Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering

The program of study leading to either the Doctor of Philosophy or the Doctor of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering aims to give comprehensive knowledge of nuclear science and engineering, to develop competence in advanced engineering research, and to develop a sense of perspective in assessing the role of nuclear science and technology in our society.

General Institute requirements for the doctorate are described under Graduate Education and in the Office of Graduate Education Policy and Procedures manual . The specific requirements of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering are the core requirement, the field of specialization requirement, the oral examination, the advanced subject and minor requirements, and the doctoral thesis. Upon satisfactory completion of the requirements, the student ordinarily receives a PhD in nuclear science and engineering, unless he or she requests an ScD. The requirements for both degrees are the same.

Students admitted for the master of science or nuclear engineer's degree must apply to the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering's Admissions Committee for admission to the doctoral program.

Candidates for the doctoral degree must demonstrate competence at the graduate level in the core areas of nuclear science and engineering; the core requirement must be completed by the end of the fourth graduate term. Candidates for the doctoral degree are also required to complete three 12-unit (or greater than 12-unit) graduate subjects in their field of specialization with a grade of B or better. All three subjects must be completed by the end of the fourth regular graduate term. The field-of-specialization subjects should together provide a combination of depth and breadth of knowledge.

Candidates for a doctoral degree are required to demonstrate their readiness to undertake doctoral research by passing an oral examination by the end of their fourth graduate term. Oral exams are held twice a year, at the end of January or beginning of February and at the end of May. Students will generally take the oral exam for the first time in January or February of their second year. Two attempts are allowed at the oral exam. An overall GPA in graduate subjects of 4.0 is required to take the oral.

Students will be permitted to embark on doctoral research only if, by the end of their fourth graduate term, they have demonstrated satisfactory performance in the core requirement, the field of specialization, and the oral examination.

Candidates for the doctoral degree must satisfactorily complete (with an average grade of B or better) an approved program of two advanced subjects (24 units) that are closely related to the student’s doctoral thesis topic. Neither of these subjects may be from the list of three subjects selected to satisfy the field-of-specialization requirement. The advanced subjects should be arranged in consultation with the student’s thesis advisor and the student’s registration officer, and should have the approval of the registration officer. In addition, students must satisfactorily complete at least 24 units of coordinated subjects outside the field of specialization and the area of thesis research (the minor). The minor should be chosen in consultation with and have the approval of the registration officer.

Doctoral research may be undertaken either in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering or in a nuclear-related field in another department. Appropriate areas of research are described generally in the introduction to the department, and a detailed list may be obtained from the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Computational science and engineering doctoral program.

The Doctoral Program in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE PhD) allows students to specialize in a computation-related field of their choice through focused coursework and a doctoral thesis through a number of participating host departments. The CSE PhD program is administered jointly by the Center for Computational Science and Engineering (CCSE) and the host departments, with the emphasis of thesis research activities being the development of new computational methods and/or the innovative application of computational techniques to important problems in engineering and science. For more information, see the full program description under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

The 24-month Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program combines graduate degrees in engineering and management for those with previous postgraduate work experience and strong undergraduate degrees in a technical field . During the two-year program, students complete a six-month internship at one of LGO's partner companies, where they conduct research that forms the basis of a dual-degree thesis. Students finish the program with two MIT degrees: an MBA (or SM in management) and an SM from one of seven engineering programs, some of which have optional or required LGO tracks. After graduation, alumni lead strategic initiatives in high-tech, operations, and manufacturing companies.

The Master of Science in Technology and Policy is an engineering research degree with a strong focus on the role of technology in policy analysis and formulation. The Technology and Policy Program (TPP) curriculum provides a solid grounding in technology and policy by combining advanced subjects in the student's chosen technical field with courses in economics, politics, quantitative methods, and social science. Many students combine TPP's curriculum with complementary subjects to obtain dual degrees in TPP and either a specialized branch of engineering or an applied social science such as political science or urban studies and planning. See the program description under the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.

Financial Support

Financial aid for graduate students is available in the form of research and teaching assistantships, department-administered fellowships, and supplemental subsidies from the College Work-Study Program. Assistantships are awarded to students with high quality academic records. The duty of a teaching assistant is to assist a faculty member in the preparation of subject materials and the conduct of classes, while that of a research assistant is to work on a research project under the supervision of one or more faculty members.

Most fellowships are awarded in April for the following academic year. Assistantships are awarded on a semester basis. The assignment of teaching assistants is made before the start of each semester, while research assistants can be assigned at any time. Essentially all students admitted to the doctoral program receive financial aid for the duration of their education.

Application for financial aid should be made to Professor Jacopo Buongiorno, Room 24-206, 617-253-7316.

Additional information on graduate admissions and academic and research programs may be obtained from the department's Academic Office , Room 24-102, 617-253-3814.

Research Facilities

The department's programs are supported by a number of outstanding experimental facilities for advanced research in nuclear science and engineering.

The MIT Research Reactor in the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory operates at a thermal power of 6 MW and is fueled with U-235 in a compact light-water cooled core surrounded by a heavy-water reflector. This reactor provides a wide range of radiation-related research and teaching opportunities for the students and faculty of the department. Major programs, sponsored by industry and government, to study materials performance and degradation under irradiation are currently in place. Details of the laboratory's research programs and facilities are given at Research | MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory .

The department's theoretical and experimental research in plasma physics and fusion energy is primarily carried out through the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) with faculty leadership in key areas of astrophysical plasma science, magnetic confinement fusion physics, high energy density physics, fusion materials science, and superconducting magnet engineering. The department's faculty, research scientists, and students have access to on-campus midscale experimental facilities at the PSFC to carry out their research, including particle accelerators, neutron generators, linear plasma devices, high energy density physics devices, and magnet fabrication and test facilities, and three large high-bay experimental halls for experiments. A full range of shops (welding, vacuum, electronics, etc) as well as a professional engineering and technical staff support the reseach. In addition, the PSFC theory group has significant computational resources to support departmental research in these areas.

The thermal hydraulics laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for measurement of fluid thermo-physical properties, fabrication facilities to engineer surfaces at the micro and nano scale, and flow loops for characterizing convective heat transfer and fluid dynamics behavior. A particularly novel facility uses high-speed infrared thermography to study fundamental phenomena of boiling, such as bubble nucleation, growth, and departure from a heated surface over a broad range of operating pressures, flow rates, and heat fluxes.

The study of nuclear materials plays a central role in the department. Research in the Laboratory for Electrochemical Interfaces centers on understanding the response of surface structure and physical chemistry when driven by dynamic environments of chemical reactivity and mechanical stress. This laboratory is equipped with surface science tools including scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as electrochemical and electronic characterization tools. The H. H. Uhlig Corrosion Laboratory investigates the causes of failure in materials, with an emphasis on nuclear materials. The Mesoscale Nuclear Materials group studies reasons for material property changes due to radiation and rapid ways of measuring them. The Cambridge Laboratory of Accelerator Study of Surfaces provides unique capabilities for studying synergistic radiation effects in various environments, including plasma-facing materials, molten salt and liquid metal corrosion, and superconductors at cryogenic temperatures. This lab is also used for ion beam analysis, implantation, and self-ion damage studies.

The Cappellaro lab is located in the Research Laboratory of Electronics and consists of a 1,200 sq-ft-space dedicated to magnetic resonance and spin physics. One laboratory houses a 7 Tesla superconducting magnet with a wide bore and in-house-made probes, equipped with a spectrometer providing RF modulation and detection for the manipulation and detection of nuclear spins. Two other laboratories are dedicated to NV-based research. The laboratories house three state-of-the art confocal photoluminescence setups with all of the necessary microwave electronics, RF electronics, and control hardware for manipulating NV quantum spins and one confocal microscope for imaging only.

The Quantum Measurement Group is located in Building NW13 and boasts a state-of-the-art laboratory facility, complete with advanced crystal growth and quantum materials measurement systems. The laboratory is equipped with a range of crystal growth techniques, including flux and vapor transport growth capabilities, with a specially designed tetra-arc furnace being a particular highlight. The arc generators can produce temperatures up to 3000 degrees Celsius, streamlining single crystal growth and making it especially suitable for synthesizing high-melting-temperature materials. The laboratory's characterization capability features a Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) with a temperature range of 1.8 Kelvin to 400 Kelvin and an external magnetic field up to 9 Tesla. The PPMS system is equipped to conduct a wide range of measurements, including DC/AC electrical transport, Hall measurement, heat capacity, thermal transport, and thermoelectric measurements, with the additional advantage of angular-resolved capability from the horizontal rotator. The laboratory also features angular-resolved dilatometry and magneto-restriction capabilities, along with a custom-made steup for high-precision nonlinear electrical transport measurements.

In addition to the above facilities, the department has a nuclear instrumentation laboratory and a 14 MeV neutron source and a tunable-energy proton cyclotron source up to 12 MeV. Laboratory space and shop facilities are available for research in all areas of nuclear science and engineering. A state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope with an integrated focused ion beam that can be used to study irradiated specimens is available. The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering owns high performance computing resources that are part of the Engaging cluster housed at the MGHPCC facility and maintained by the Office of Research Computing and Data, and also leverages other shared campus computing resources for research and education.

Faculty and Teaching Staff

Benoit Forget, PhD

Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO) Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Head, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Emilio Baglietto, PhD

Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Associate Head, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Jacopo Buongiorno, PhD

TEPCO Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Paola Cappellaro, PhD

Ford Professor of Engineering

Professor of Physics

Jeffrey P. Freidberg, PhD

Professor Post-Tenure of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Michael W. Golay, PhD

Alan P. Jasanoff, PhD

Professor of Biological Engineering

Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Richard K. Lester, PhD

Japan Steel Industry Professor

Associate Provost

Battelle Energy Alliance Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Nuno F. Loureiro, PhD

Anne E. White, PhD

School of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Engineering

Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Research Administration

Dennis G. Whyte, PhD

Hitachi America Professor of Engineering

Bilge Yildiz, PhD

Breene M. Kerr (1951) Professor

Associate Professors

Matteo Bucci, PhD

Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Professor

Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Areg Danagoulian, PhD

Zachary Hartwig, PhD

R. Scott Kemp, PhD

Mingda Li, PhD

Class of ’47 Career Development Professor

Koroush Shirvan, PhD

Atlantic Richfield Career Development Professor in Energy Studies

Michael P. Short, PhD

Class of ’42 Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Assistant Professors

Jack Hare, PhD

Gale (1929) Career Development Professor

Assistant Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Ericmoore Jossou, PhD

John Clark Hardwick (1986) Professor

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Haruko M. Wainwright, PhD

Mitsui Career Development Professor in Contemporary Technology

Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research Staff

Senior research scientists.

Peter J. Catto, PhD

Senior Research Scientist of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Principal Research Scientists

Charles W. Forsberg, ScD

Principal Research Scientist of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Research Scientists

Richard C. Lanza, PhD

Research Scientist of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Arukumar Seshadri, PhD

Wenzhao Wei, PhD

Professors Emeriti

George Apostolakis, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Ronald G. Ballinger, ScD

Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering

Kent F. Hansen, PhD

Linn W. Hobbs, DPhil

Ian H. Hutchinson, PhD

David D. Lanning, PhD

Ronald M. Latanision, PhD

Kim Molvig, PhD

Associate Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Ronald R. Parker, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering

Kord S. Smith, PhD

Professor of the Practice Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Neil E. Todreas, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering

Sidney Yip, PhD

Undergraduate Subjects

22.00 introduction to modeling and simulation.

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Offered under: 1.021 , 3.021 , 10.333 , 22.00 Prereq: 18.03 , 3.016B, or permission of instructor U (Spring) 4-0-8 units. REST

See description under subject 3.021 .

M. Buehler, R. Freitas

22.003 NEET Seminar: Renewable Energy Machines

Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall, Spring) 1-0-2 units Can be repeated for credit.

Seminar for students enrolled in the Renewable Energy Machines NEET thread. Focuses on topics around renewable energy via guest lectures and research discussions.

22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation

Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-1-8 units. REST

Provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. Describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions and kinematics. Covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health. Presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science. Lectures are viewed outside of class; in-class time is dedicated to problem-solving and discussion.

E. Jossou, M. Short

22.011 Nuclear Engineering: Science, Systems, and Society

Prereq: None Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) 1-0-2 units

Discusses the field of nuclear science and engineering, including technologies essential to combating climate change and ensuring human health and well-being. Introduces and provides beginner-level experience with programming, radiation, detection, nuclear physics, and nuclear engineering. Students work on projects such as building radiation-sensing robots to navigate a maze of radioactive sources using autonomous navigation via machine learning. No previous experience with electronics, building robots, programming, or nuclear science required. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students. Limited to 20. Preference to first-year undergraduates.

A. White, M. Short, J. Buongiorno, J. Parsons

22.014 Ethics for Engineers

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Offered under: 1.082 , 2.900 , 6.9320 , 10.01 , 16.676 , 22.014 Subject meets with 6.9321 , 20.005 Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) 2-0-4 units

See description under subject 10.01 .

D. A. Lauffenberger, B. L. Trout

22.015 Radiation and Life: Applications of Radiation Sources in Medicine, Research, and Industry

Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-0 units

Introduces students to the basics of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; radiation safety and protection; and an overview of the variety of health physics applications, especially as it pertains to the medical field and to radioactive materials research in academia. Presents basic physics of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, known effects of the human body, and the techniques to measure those effects. Common radiation-based medical imaging techniques and therapies discussed. Projects, demonstrations, and experiments introduce students to standard techniques and practices in typical medical and MIT research lab environments where radiation is used. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students. Limited to 10. Preference to first-year students.

22.016 Seminar in Fusion and Plasma Physics

Prereq: None U (Fall) 1-0-0 units

Discusses the challenges and opportunities on the path to fusion energy through a range of plasma and fusion energy topics, including discussion of the global energy picture, basic plasma physics, the physics of fusion, fusion reactors, tokamaks, and inertial confinement facilities. Covers why nuclear science, computer science, and materials are so important for fusion, and how students can take next steps to study fusion while at MIT. Includes tours of laboratories at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students. Limited to 20. Preference to first years and sophomores majoring in Course 22.

22.017 Nuclear in the News

Prereq: None U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 1-0-1 units

Covers the state of nuclear energy and technologies in popular media and current events. Topics include: modern-day Chernobyl, advances in fission reactor building, and the corporate use of fusion devices. Discussions guided by student interest and questions. Includes presentations by expert faculty in nuclear science and engineering. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students.

22.02 Introduction to Applied Nuclear Physics

Prereq: None U (Spring) 5-0-7 units. REST

Covers basic concepts of nuclear physics with emphasis on nuclear structure and interactions of radiation with matter. Topics include elementary quantum theory; nuclear forces; shell structure of the nucleus; alpha, beta and gamma radioactive decays; interactions of nuclear radiations (charged particles, gammas, and neutrons) with matter; nuclear reactions; fission and fusion.

M. Li, J. Li

22.022 Quantum Technology and Devices

Subject meets with 8.751[J] , 22.51[J] Prereq: 8.04 , 22.02 , or permission of instructor U (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Examines the unique features of quantum theory to generate technologies with capabilities beyond any classical device. Introduces fundamental concepts in applied quantum mechanics, tools and applications of quantum technology, with a focus on quantum information processing beyond quantum computation. Includes discussion of quantum devices and experimental platforms drawn from active research in academia and industry. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

P. Cappellaro

22.03[J] Introduction to Design Thinking and Rapid Prototyping

Same subject as 3.0061[J] Prereq: None U (Fall) 2-2-2 units

Focuses on design thinking, an iterative process that uses divergent and convergent thinking to approach design problems and prototype and test solutions. Includes experiences in creativity, problem scoping, and rapid prototyping skills. Skills are built over the course of the semester through design exercises and projects. Enrollment limited; preference to Course 22 & Course 3 majors and minors, and NEET students.

M. Short, E. Olivetti

22.033 Nuclear Systems Design Project

Subject meets with 22.33 Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-12 units

Group design project involving integration of nuclear physics, particle transport, control, heat transfer, safety, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. Provides opportunity to synthesize knowledge acquired in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects and apply this knowledge to practical problems of current interest in nuclear applications design. Past projects have included using a fusion reactor for transmutation of nuclear waste, design and implementation of an experiment to predict and measure pebble flow in a pebble bed reactor, and development of a mission plan for a manned Mars mission including the conceptual design of a nuclear powered space propulsion system and power plant for the Mars surface, a lunar/Martian nuclear power station and the use of nuclear plants to extract oil from tar sands. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

Z. Hartwig, M. Short

22.039 Integration of Reactor Design, Operations, and Safety

Subject meets with 22.39 Prereq: 22.05 and 22.06 U (Fall) 3-2-7 units

Covers the integration of reactor physics and engineering sciences into nuclear power plant design, focusing on designs projected to be used in the first half of this century. Topics include materials issues in plant design and operations, aspects of thermal design, fuel depletion and fission-product poisoning, and temperature effects on reactivity. Addresses safety considerations in regulations and operations, such as the evolution of the regulatory process, the concept of defense in depth, general design criteria, accident analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and risk-informed regulations. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

E. Bagglietto

22.04[J] Social Problems of Nuclear Energy

Same subject as STS.084[J] Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-9 units. HASS-S

Surveys the major social challenges for nuclear energy. Topics include the ability of nuclear power to help mitigate climate change; challenges associated with ensuring nuclear safety; the effects of nuclear accidents; the management of nuclear waste; the linkages between nuclear power and nuclear weapons, the consequences of nuclear war; and political challenges to the safe and economic regulation of the nuclear industry. Weekly readings presented from both sides of the debate, followed by in-class discussions. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication provided. Limited to 18.

22.05 Neutron Science and Reactor Physics

Prereq: 18.03 , 22.01 , and ( 1.000 , 2.086 , 6.100B , or 12.010 ) U (Fall) 5-0-7 units

Introduces fundamental properties of the neutron. Covers reactions induced by neutrons, nuclear fission, slowing down of neutrons in infinite media, diffusion theory, the few-group approximation, point kinetics, and fission-product poisoning. Emphasizes the nuclear physics bases of reactor design and its relationship to reactor engineering problems.

22.051 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Subject meets with 22.251 Prereq: 22.05 Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) 3-2-7 units

Studies the relationship between technical and policy elements of the nuclear fuel cycle. Topics include uranium supply, enrichment, fuel fabrication, in-core reactivity and fuel management of uranium and other fuel types, used fuel reprocessing, and waste disposal. Presents principles of fuel cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and proposed thermal and fast reactors. Examines nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapons plutonium, and transmutation of long lived radioisotopes in spent fuel. Several state-of-the-art computer programs relevant to reactor core physics and heat transfer are provided for student use in problem sets and term papers. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

22.052 Quantum Theory of Materials Characterization (New)

Subject meets with 22.52 Prereq: 8.231 or 22.02 Acad Year 2023-2024: U (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Holistic theoretical foundation of characterization techniques with photons, electrons, and neutron probes in various spaces. Techniques for assessing real space, reciprocal space, energy space, and time space utilizing microscopy, diffraction, spectroscopy, and time-domain methods. Elucidation of microscopic interaction mechanisms of materials. Practical assessment of what each characterization measures, methods for linking experimental features to microscopic materials information, state of the art methods for combining information, and machine learning aids. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

22.054[J] Materials Performance in Extreme Environments

Same subject as 3.154[J] Prereq: 3.013 and 3.044 U (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-2-7 units

See description under subject 3.154[J] .

22.055 Radiation Biophysics

Subject meets with 22.55[J] , HST.560[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: U (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Provides a background in sources of radiation with an emphasis on terrestrial and space environments and on industrial production. Discusses experimental approaches to evaluating biological effects resulting from irradiation regimes differing in radiation type, dose and dose-rate. Effects at the molecular, cellular, organism, and population level are examined. Literature is reviewed identifying gaps in our understanding of the health effects of radiation, and responses of regulatory bodies to these gaps is discussed. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

22.06 Engineering of Nuclear Systems

Prereq: 2.005 U (Spring) 4-0-8 units

Using the basic principles of reactor physics, thermodynamics, fluid flow and heat transfer, students examine the engineering design of nuclear power plants. Emphasizes light-water reactor technology, thermal limits in nuclear fuels, thermal-hydraulic behavior of the coolant, nuclear safety and dynamic response of nuclear power plants.

22.061 Fusion Energy

Prereq: 22.01 or permission of instructor U (Spring) 4-1-7 units

Surveys the fundamental science and engineering required to generate energy from controlled nuclear fusion. Topics include nuclear physics governing fusion fuel choice and fusion reactivity, physical conditions required to achieve net fusion energy, plasma physics of magnetic confinement, overview of fusion energy concepts, material challenges in fusion systems, superconducting magnet engineering, and fusion power conversion to electricity. Includes in-depth visits at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center and active learning laboratories to reinforce lecture topics.

22.071 Analog Electronics and Analog Instrumentation Design

Prereq: 18.03 Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) 3-3-6 units. REST

Presents the basics of analog electronics, covering everything from basic resistors to non-linear devices such as diodes and transistors. Students build amplifiers with op amps and study the behavior of first- and second-order oscillating circuits. Lectures followed by short laboratory exercises reinforce theoretical knowledge with experiments. Includes project in second half of the term in which students design radiation instruments of their choice (e.g. Geiger radiation counters, or other types of sensors and instruments). Teaches use of Arduino microcontrollers as simple data acquisition systems, allowing for real-time data processing and display. Culminates in student presentations of their designs in an open forum. Limited to 20.

A. Danagoulian, M. Short

22.072 Corrosion: The Environmental Degradation of Materials

Subject meets with 22.72 Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

Applies thermodynamics and kinetics of electrode reactions to aqueous corrosion of metals and alloys. Application of advanced computational and modeling techniques to evaluation of materials selection and susceptibility of metal/alloy systems to environmental degradation in aqueous systems. Discusses materials degradation problems in marine environments, oil and gas production, and energy conversion and generation systems, including fossil and nuclear. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

22.074 Radiation Damage and Effects in Nuclear Materials

Subject meets with 3.31[J] , 22.74[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Studies the origins and effects of radiation damage in structural materials for nuclear applications. Radiation damage topics include formation of point defects, defect diffusion, defect reaction kinetics and accumulation, and differences in defect microstructures due to the type of radiation (ion, proton, neutron). Radiation effects topics include detrimental changes to mechanical properties, phase stability, corrosion properties, and differences in fission and fusion systems. Term project required. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

M. Short, B. Yildiz

22.078 Nuclear Waste Management

Subject meets with 22.78 Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: U (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Introduces the essential knowledge for understanding nuclear waste management. Includes material flow sheets for nuclear fuel cycle, waste characteristics, sources of radioactive wastes, compositions, radioactivity and heat generation, chemical processing technologies, geochemistry, waste disposal technologies, environmental regulations and the safety assessment of waste disposal. Covers different types of wastes: uranium mining waste, low-level radioactive waste, high-level radioactive waste and fusion waste. Provides the quantitative methods to compare the environmental impact of different nuclear and other energy-associated waste. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

H. Wainwright

22.081[J] Introduction to Sustainable Energy

Same subject as 2.650[J] , 10.291[J] Subject meets with 1.818[J] , 2.65[J] , 10.391[J] , 11.371[J] , 22.811[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall) 3-1-8 units

Assessment of current and potential future energy systems. Covers resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use technologies, with emphasis on meeting 21st-century regional and global energy needs in a sustainable manner. Examines various renewable and conventional energy production technologies, energy end-use practices and alternatives, and consumption practices in different countries. Investigates their attributes within a quantitative analytical framework for evaluation of energy technology system proposals. Emphasizes analysis of energy propositions within an engineering, economic and social context. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to juniors and seniors.

M. W. Golay

22.09 Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection

Subject meets with 22.90 Prereq: 22.01 U (Fall) 1-5-9 units. Institute LAB

Combines lectures, demonstrations, and experiments. Review of radiation protection procedures and regulations; theory and use of alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron detectors; applications in imaging and dosimetry; gamma-ray spectroscopy; design and operation of automated data acquisition experiments using virtual instruments. Meets with graduate subject 22.90 , but homework assignments and examinations differ. Instruction and practice in written communication provided.

A. Danagoulian, G. Kohse

22.091, 22.093 Independent Project in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

For undergraduates who wish to conduct a one-term project of theoretical or experimental nature in the field of nuclear engineering, in close cooperation with individual staff members. Topics and hours arranged to fit students' requirements. Projects require prior approval by the Course 22 Undergraduate Office. 22.093 is graded P/D/F.

<em>Consult Undergraduate Officer</em>

22.099 Topics in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Provides credit for work on material in nuclear science and engineering outside of regularly scheduled subjects. Intended for study abroad with a student exchange program or an approved one-term or one-year study abroad program. Credit may be used to satisfy specific SB degree requirements. Requires prior approval. Consult department.

Consult Undergraduate Officer

22.S092-22.S094 Special Subject in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None U (Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Seminar or lecture on a topic in nuclear science and engineering that is not covered in the regular curriculum.

22.S095 Special Subject in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

22.S097 Special Subject in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

22.C01 Modeling with Machine Learning: Nuclear Science and Engineering Applications

Subject meets with 22.C51 Prereq: Calculus II (GIR) and 6.100A ; Coreq: 6.C01 U (Spring) 2-0-4 units Credit cannot also be received for 1.C01 , 1.C51 , 2.C01 , 2.C51 , 3.C01[J] , 3.C51[J] , 10.C01[J] , 10.C51[J] , 20.C01[J] , 20.C51[J] , 22.C51 , SCM.C51

Building on core material in 6.C01 , focuses on applying various machine learning techniques to a broad range of topics which are of core value in modern nuclear science and engineering. Relevant topics include machine learning on fusion and plasma diagnosis, reactor physics and nuclear fission, nuclear materials properties, quantum engineering and nuclear materials, and nuclear security. Special components center on the additional machine learning architectures that are most relevant to a certain field, the implementation, and picking up the right problems to solve using a machine learning approach. Final project dedicated to the field-specific applications. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Students cannot receive credit without simultaneous completion of the core subject 6.C01 .

E. Jossou, M. Li

22.C25[J] Real World Computation with Julia (New)

Same subject as 1.C25[J] , 6.C25[J] , 12.C25[J] , 16.C25[J] , 18.C25[J] Prereq: 6.100A , 18.03 , and 18.06 U (Fall) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 18.C25[J] .

A. Edelman, R. Ferrari, B. Forget, C. Leiseron,Y. Marzouk, J. Williams

22.C51 Modeling with Machine Learning: Nuclear Science and Engineering Applications

Subject meets with 22.C01 Prereq: Calculus II (GIR) and 6.100A ; Coreq: 6.C51 G (Spring) 2-0-4 units Credit cannot also be received for 1.C01 , 1.C51 , 2.C01 , 2.C51 , 3.C01[J] , 3.C51[J] , 10.C01[J] , 10.C51[J] , 20.C01[J] , 20.C51[J] , 22.C01 , SCM.C51

Building on core material in 6.C51 , focuses on applying various machine learning techniques to a broad range of topics which are of core value in modern nuclear science and engineering. Relevant topics include machine learning on fusion and plasma diagnosis, reactor physics and nuclear fission, nuclear materials properties, quantum engineering and nuclear materials, and nuclear security. Special components center on the additional machine learning architectures that are most relevant to a certain field, the implementation, and picking up the right problems to solve using a machine learning approach. Final project dedicated to the field-specific applications. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Students cannot receive credit without simultaneous completion of the core subject 6.C51 .

22.EPE UPOP Engineering Practice Experience

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Offered under: 1.EPE , 2.EPE , 3.EPE , 6.EPE , 8.EPE , 10.EPE , 15.EPE , 16.EPE , 20.EPE , 22.EPE Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) 0-0-1 units Can be repeated for credit.

See description under subject 2.EPE . Application required; consult UPOP website for more information.

K. Tan-Tiongco, D. Fordell

22.EPW UPOP Engineering Practice Workshop

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Offered under: 1.EPW , 2.EPW , 3.EPW , 6.EPW , 10.EPW , 16.EPW , 20.EPW , 22.EPW Prereq: 2.EPE U (IAP, Spring) 1-0-0 units

See description under subject 2.EPW . Enrollment limited to those in the UPOP program.

22.THT Undergraduate Thesis Tutorial

Prereq: None U (Fall) 1-0-2 units

A series of lectures on prospectus and thesis writing. Students select a thesis topic and a thesis advisor who reviews and approves the prospectus for thesis work in the spring term.

P. Cappallaro

22.THU Undergraduate Thesis

Prereq: 22.THT U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Program of research, leading to the writing of an SB thesis, to be arranged by the student and appropriate MIT faculty member. See department undergraduate headquarters.

22.UAR[J] Climate and Sustainability Undergraduate Advanced Research

Same subject as 1.UAR[J] , 3.UAR[J] , 5.UAR[J] , 11.UAR[J] , 12.UAR[J] , 15.UAR[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall, Spring) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

See description under subject 1.UAR[J] . Application required; consult MCSC website for more information.

D. Plata, E. Olivetti

22.UR Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

Prereq: None U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program is an excellent way for undergraduate students to become familiar with the Department of Nuclear Engineering. Student research as a UROP project has been conducted in areas of fission reactor studies, utilization of fusion devices, applied radiation research, and biomedical applications. Projects include the study of engineering aspects for both fusion and fission energy sources.

Consult M. Bucci

22.URG Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

Prereq: None U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program is an excellent way for undergraduate students to become familiar with the department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Student research as a UROP project has been conducted in areas of fission reactor studies, utilization of fusion devices, applied radiation physics research, and biomedical applications. Projects include the study of engineering aspects for fusion and fission energy sources, and utilization of radiations.

Graduate Subjects

22.11 applied nuclear physics.

Prereq: 22.02 or permission of instructor G (Fall; first half of term) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

Introduction to nuclear structure, reactions, and radioactivity. Review of quantization, the wave function, angular momentum and tunneling. Simplified application to qualitative understanding of nuclear structure. Stable and unstable isotopes, radioactive decay, decay products and chains. Nuclear reactions, cross-sections, and fundamental forces, and the resulting phenomena.

22.12 Radiation Interactions, Control, and Measurement

Prereq: 8.02 or permission of instructor G (Fall; second half of term) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

The interaction, attenuation, and biological effects of penetrating radiation, especially neutrons and photons. Physical processes of radiation scattering and absorption, and their cross-sections. Outline of health physics. Biological effects of radiation, and its quantification. Principles of radiation shielding, detection, dosimetry and radiation protection.

22.13 Nuclear Energy Systems

Prereq: 2.005 , 22.01 , or permission of instructor G (Spring; first half of term) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

Introduction to generation of energy from nuclear reactions. Characteristics of nuclear energy. Fission cross-sections, criticality, and reaction control. Basic considerations of fission reactor engineering, thermal hydraulics, and safety. Nuclear fuel and waste characteristics. Fusion reactions and the character and conditions of energy generation. Plasma physics and approaches to achieving terrestrial thermonuclear fusion energy.

22.14 Materials in Nuclear Engineering

Prereq: Chemistry (GIR) or permission of instructor G (Spring; second half of term) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

Introduces the fundamental phenomena of materials science with special attention to radiation and harsh environments. Materials lattices and defects and the consequent understanding of strength of materials, fatigue, cracking, and corrosion. Coulomb collisions of charged particles; their effects on structured materials; damage and defect production, knock-ons, transmutation, cascades and swelling. Materials in fission and fusion applications: cladding, waste, plasma-facing components, blankets.

22.15 Essential Numerical Methods

Prereq: 12.010 or permission of instructor G (Spring; first half of term) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

Introduces computational methods for solving physical problems in nuclear applications. Ordinary and partial differential equations for particle orbit, and fluid, field, and particle conservation problems; their representation and solution by finite difference numerical approximations. Iterative matrix inversion methods. Stability, convergence, accuracy and statistics. Particle representations of Boltzmann's equation and methods of solution such as Monte-Carlo and particle-in-cell techniques.

N. Louriero, I. Hutchinson, H. Wainwright

22.16 Nuclear Technology and Society

Prereq: 22.01 or permission of instructor G (Fall) 2-0-4 units Can be repeated for credit.

Introduces the societal context and challenges for nuclear technology. Major themes include economics and valuation of nuclear power, interactions with government and regulatory frameworks; safety, quantification of radiation hazards, and public attitudes to risk. Covers policies and methods for limiting nuclear-weapons proliferation, including nuclear detection, materials security and fuel-cycle policy.

Nuclear Reactor Physics

22.211 nuclear reactor physics i.

Prereq: 22.05 G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Provides an overview of reactor physics methods for core design and analysis. Topics include nuclear data, neutron slowing down, homogeneous and heterogeneous resonance absorption, calculation of neutron spectra, determination of group constants, nodal diffusion methods, Monte Carlo simulations of reactor core reload design methods.

22.212 Nuclear Reactor Analysis II

Prereq: 22.211 Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring) 3-2-7 units

Addresses advanced topics in nuclear reactor physics with an additional focus towards computational methods and algorithms for neutron transport. Covers current methods employed in lattice physics calculations, such as resonance models, critical spectrum adjustments, advanced homogenization techniques, fine mesh transport theory models, and depletion solvers. Also presents deterministic transport approximation techniques, such as the method of characteristics, discrete ordinates methods, and response matrix methods.

22.213 Nuclear Reactor Physics III

Prereq: 22.211 Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Covers numerous high-level topics in nuclear reactor analysis methods and builds on the student's background in reactor physics to develop a deep understanding of concepts needed for time-dependent nuclear reactor core physics, including coupled non-linear feedback effects. Introduces numerical algorithms needed to solve real-world time-dependent reactor physics problems in both diffusion and transport. Additional topics include iterative numerical solution methods (e.g., CG, GMRES, JFNK, MG), nonlinear accelerator methods, and numerous modern time-integration techniques.

22.251 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Subject meets with 22.051 Prereq: 22.05 Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring) 3-2-7 units

Study of the relationship between the technical and policy elements of the nuclear fuel cycle. Topics include uranium supply, enrichment, fuel fabrication, in-core reactivity and fuel management of uranium and other fuel types, used fuel reprocessing and waste disposal. Principles of fuel cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and proposed thermal and fast reactors are presented. Nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapons plutonium, and transmutation of long lived radioisotopes in spent fuel are examined. Several state-of-the-art computer programs relevant to reactor core physics and heat transfer are provided for student use in problem sets and term papers. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

Nuclear Reactor Engineering

22.312 engineering of nuclear reactors.

Prereq: ( 2.001 and 2.005 ) or permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Engineering principles of nuclear reactors, emphasizing power reactors. Power plant thermodynamics, reactor heat generation and removal (single-phase as well as two-phase coolant flow and heat transfer), and structural mechanics. Engineering considerations in reactor design.

J. Buongiorno

22.313[J] Thermal Hydraulics in Power Technology

Same subject as 2.59[J] , 10.536[J] Prereq: 2.006 , 10.302 , 22.312 , or permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-2-7 units

Emphasis on thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena and analysis methods for conventional and nuclear power stations. Kinematics and dynamics of two-phase flows. Steam separation. Boiling, instabilities, and critical conditions. Single-channel transient analysis. Multiple channels connected at plena. Loop analysis including single and two-phase natural circulation. Subchannel analysis.

E. Baglietto, M. Bucci

22.315 Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Focuses on the application of computational fluid dynamics to the analysis of power generation and propulsion systems, and on industrial and chemical processes in general. Discusses simulation methods for single and multiphase applications and their advantages and limitations in industrial situations. Students practice breaking down an industrial problem into its modeling challenges, designing and implementing a plan to optimize and validate the modeling approach, performing the analysis, and quantifying the uncertainty margin.

E. Baglietto

22.33 Nuclear Engineering Design

Subject meets with 22.033 Prereq: 22.312 G (Fall) 3-0-15 units

Group design project involving integration of nuclear physics, particle transport, control, heat transfer, safety, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. Provides opportunity to synthesize knowledge acquired in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects and apply this knowledge to practical problems of current interest in nuclear applications design. Past projects have included using a fusion reactor for transmutation of nuclear waste, design and implementation of an experiment to predict and measure pebble flow in a pebble bed reactor, and development of a mission plan for a manned Mars mission including the conceptual design of a nuclear powered space propulsion system and power plant for the Mars surface. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

22.38 Probability and Its Applications To Reliability, Quality Control, and Risk Assessment

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

Interpretations of the concept of probability. Basic probability rules; random variables and distribution functions; functions of random variables. Applications to quality control and the reliability assessment of mechanical/electrical components, as well as simple structures and redundant systems. Elements of statistics. Bayesian methods in engineering. Methods for reliability and risk assessment of complex systems, (event-tree and fault-tree analysis, common-cause failures, human reliability models). Uncertainty propagation in complex systems (Monte Carlo methods, Latin hypercube sampling). Introduction to Markov models. Examples and applications from nuclear and other industries, waste repositories, and mechanical systems. Open to qualified undergraduates.

22.39 Integration of Reactor Design, Operations, and Safety

Subject meets with 22.039 Prereq: 22.211 and 22.312 G (Fall) 3-2-7 units

Integration of reactor physics and engineering sciences into nuclear power plant design focusing on designs that are projected to be used in the first half of this century. Topics include materials issues in plant design and operations, aspects of thermal design, fuel depletion and fission-product poisoning, and temperature effects on reactivity. Safety considerations in regulations and operations such as the evolution of the regulatory process, the concept of defense in depth, general design criteria, accident analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and risk-informed regulations. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

E. Baglietto, K. Shirvan

22.40[J] Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion

Same subject as 2.62[J] , 10.392[J] Subject meets with 2.60[J] , 10.390[J] Prereq: 2.006 , (2.051 and 2.06), or permission of instructor G (Spring) 4-0-8 units

See description under subject 2.62[J] .

A. F. Ghoniem, W. Green

Radiation Interactions and Applications

22.51[j] quantum technology and devices.

Same subject as 8.751[J] Subject meets with 22.022 Prereq: 22.11 G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

22.52 Quantum Theory of Materials Characterization (New)

Subject meets with 22.052 Prereq: 8.511 or permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

22.54[J] Biomedical Systems: Modeling and Inference (New)

Same subject as 6.4800[J] Prereq: ( 6.3100 and ( 18.06 or 18.C06[J] )) or permission of instructor U (Spring) 4-4-4 units

See description under subject 6.4800[J] .

E. Adalsteinsson, T. Heldt, C. M. Stultz, J. K. White

22.55[J] Radiation Biophysics

Same subject as HST.560[J] Subject meets with 22.055 Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

22.561[J] Magnetic Resonance Analytic, Biochemical, and Imaging Techniques

Same subject as HST.584[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring) 3-0-12 units

See description under subject HST.584[J] .

L. Wald, B. Bilgic

Plasmas and Controlled Fusion

22.611[j] introduction to plasma physics i.

Same subject as 8.613[J] Prereq: ( 6.2300 or 8.07 ) and ( 18.04 or Coreq: 18.075 ) G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Introduces plasma phenomena relevant to energy generation by controlled thermonuclear fusion and to astrophysics. Elementary plasma concepts, plasma characterization. Motion of charged particles in magnetic fields. Coulomb collisions, relaxation times, transport processes. Two-fluid hydrodynamic and MHD descriptions. Plasma confinement by magnetic fields, simple equilibrium and stability analysis. Wave propagation in a magnetic field; application to RF plasma heating. Introduction to kinetic theory; Vlasov, Boltzmann and Fokker-Planck equations; relation of fluid and kinetic descriptions. Electron and ion acoustic plasma waves, Landau damping.

N. Loureiro, I. Hutchinson

22.612[J] Introduction to Plasma Physics II

Same subject as 8.614[J] Prereq: 22.611[J] Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Follow-up to 22.611[J] provides in-depth coverage of several fundamental topics in plasma physics, selected for their wide relevance and applicability, from fusion to space- and astro-physics. Covers both kinetic and fluid instabilities: two-stream, Weibel, magnetorotational, parametric, ion-temperature-gradient, and pressure-anisotropy-driven instabilities (mirror, firehose). Also covers advanced fluid models, and drift-kinetic and gyrokinetic equations. Special attention to dynamo theory, magnetic reconnection, MHD turbulence, kinetic turbulence, and shocks.

N. Loureiro

22.615 MHD Theory of Fusion Systems

Prereq: 22.611[J] Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Spring) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Discussion of MHD equilibria in cylindrical, toroidal, and noncircular configurations. MHD stability theory including the Energy Principle, interchange instability, ballooning modes, second region of stability, and external kink modes. Description of current configurations of fusion interest.

N. Louriero

22.617 Plasma Turbulence and Transport

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

Introduces plasma turbulence and turbulent transport, with a focus on fusion plasmas. Covers theory of mechanisms for turbulence in confined plasmas, fluid and kinetic equations, and linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic equations; transport due to stochastic magnetic fields, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, and drift wave turbulence; and suppression of turbulence, structure formation, intermittency, and stability thresholds. Emphasis on comparing experiment and theory. Discusses experimental techniques, simulations of plasma turbulence, and predictive turbulence-transport models.

22.62 Fusion Energy

Prereq: 22.611[J] G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Basic nuclear physics and plasma physics for controlled fusion. Fusion cross sections and consequent conditions required for ignition and energy production. Principles of magnetic and inertial confinement. Description of magnetic confinement devices: tokamaks, stellarators and RFPs, their design and operation. Elementary plasma stability considerations and the limits imposed. Plasma heating by neutral beams and RF. Outline design of the ITER "burning plasma" experiment and a magnetic confinement reactor.

22.63 Engineering Principles for Fusion Reactors

Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Spring) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Fusion reactor design considerations: ignition devices, engineering test facilities, and safety/environmental concerns. Magnet principles: resistive and superconducting magnets; cryogenic features. Blanket and first wall design: liquid and solid breeders, heat removal, and structural considerations. Heating devices: radio frequency and neutral beam.

D. Whyte, Z. Hartwig

22.64[J] Ionized Gases

Same subject as 16.55[J] Prereq: 8.02 or permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 16.55[J] .

C. Guerra Garcia

22.67[J] Principles of Plasma Diagnostics

Same subject as 8.670[J] Prereq: 22.611[J] Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 4-4-4 units

Introduction to the physical processes used to measure the properties of plasmas, especially fusion plasmas. Measurements of magnetic and electric fields, particle flux, refractive index, emission and scattering of electromagnetic waves and heavy particles; their use to deduce plasma parameters such as particle density, pressure, temperature, and velocity, and hence the plasma confinement properties. Discussion of practical examples and assessments of the accuracy and reliability of different techniques.

J. Hare, A. White

Nuclear Materials

22.71[j] modern physical metallurgy.

Same subject as 3.40[J] Subject meets with 3.14 Prereq: 3.013 and 3.030 Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 3.40[J] .

22.72 Corrosion: The Environmental Degradation of Materials

Subject meets with 22.072 Prereq: None G (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units

22.73[J] Defects in Materials

Same subject as 3.33[J] Prereq: 3.21 and 3.22 Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

See description under subject 3.33[J] .

22.74[J] Radiation Damage and Effects in Nuclear Materials

Same subject as 3.31[J] Subject meets with 22.074 Prereq: 3.21 , 22.14 , or permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Spring) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

22.75[J] Properties of Solid Surfaces

Same subject as 3.30[J] Prereq: 3.20 , 3.21 , or permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring) 3-0-9 units

Covers fundamental principles needed to understand and measure the microscopic properties of the surfaces of solids, with connections to structure, electronic, chemical, magnetic and mechanical properties. Reviews the theoretical aspects of surface behavior, including stability of surfaces, restructuring, and reconstruction. Examines the interaction of the surfaces with the environment, including absorption of atoms and molecules, chemical reactions and material growth, and interaction of surfaces with other point defects within the solids (space charges in semiconductors). Discusses principles of important tools for the characterization of surfaces, such as surface electron and x-ray diffraction, electron spectroscopies (Auger and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), scanning tunneling, and force microscopy.

22.76[J] Ionics and Its Applications

Same subject as 3.55[J] Prereq: None Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall) 3-0-9 units

Discusses valence states of ions and how ions and charge move in liquid and solid states. Introduces molten salt systems and how they are used in nuclear energy and processing. Addresses corrosion and the environmental degradation of structural materials. Examines the applications of ionics and electrochemistry in industrial processing, computing, new energy technologies, and recycling and waste treatment.

J. Li, B. Yildiz

22.78 Nuclear Waste Management

Subject meets with 22.078 Prereq: Permission of instructor Acad Year 2023-2024: G (Fall) Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered 3-0-9 units

Systems, Policy, and Economics

22.811[j] sustainable energy.

Same subject as 1.818[J] , 2.65[J] , 10.391[J] , 11.371[J] Subject meets with 2.650[J] , 10.291[J] , 22.081[J] Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-1-8 units

Assessment of current and potential future energy systems. Covers resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use technologies, with emphasis on meeting 21st-century regional and global energy needs in a sustainable manner. Examines various energy technologies in each fuel cycle stage for fossil (oil, gas, synthetic), nuclear (fission and fusion) and renewable (solar, biomass, wind, hydro, and geothermal) energy types, along with storage, transmission, and conservation issues. Emphasizes analysis of energy propositions within an engineering, economic and social context. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

22.814[J] Nuclear Weapons and International Security

Same subject as 17.474[J] Prereq: None Acad Year 2023-2024: Not offered Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring) 4-0-8 units

Examines the historical, political, and technical contexts for nuclear policy making, including the development of nuclear weapons by states, the evolution of nuclear strategy, the role nuclear weapons play in international politics, the risks posed by nuclear arsenals, and the policies and strategies in place to mitigate those risks. Equal emphasis is given to political and technical considerations affecting national choices. Considers the issues surrounding new non-proliferation strategies, nuclear security, and next steps for arms control.

R. S. Kemp, V. Narang

22.90 Nuclear Science and Engineering Laboratory

Subject meets with 22.09 Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall) 1-5-9 units

See description under subject 22.09 .

22.901 Independent Project in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

For graduate students who wish to conduct a one-term project of theoretical or experimental nature in the field of nuclear engineering, in close cooperation with individual staff members. Topics and hours arranged to fit students' requirements. Projects require prior approval.

22.911 Seminar in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None G (Fall, Spring) 2-0-1 units Can be repeated for credit.

Restricted to graduate students engaged in doctoral thesis research.

C. Forsberg, J. Hare, M. Li

22.912 Seminar in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 2-0-1 units Can be repeated for credit.

22.921 Nuclear Power Plant Dynamics and Control

Prereq: None G (IAP) Not offered regularly; consult department 1-0-2 units

Introduction to reactor dynamics, including subcritical multiplication, critical operation in absence of thermal feedback effects and effects of xenon, fuel and moderator temperature, etc. Derivation of point kinetics and dynamic period equations. Techniques for reactor control including signal validation, supervisory algorithms, model-based trajectory tracking, and rule-based control. Overview of light-water reactor start-up. Lectures and demonstrations with use of the MIT Research Reactor. Open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.

J. A. Bernard

22.93 Teaching and Technical Communication Experience in Nuclear Science & Engineering

Prereq: Permission of department G (Fall, Spring, Summer) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

For qualified graduate students interested in teaching as a career or other technical communication intensive careers. Classroom, laboratory, or tutorial teaching under the supervision of a faculty member or instructor. Students selected by interview. Credits for this subject may not be used toward master's or engineer's degrees. Enrollment limited by availability of suitable teaching assignments and NSE communication lab capacity.

Consult NSE Academic Office

22.94 Research in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: Permission of research supervisor G (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

For research assistants in Nuclear Science and Engineering who have not completed the NSE doctoral qualifying exam. Hours arranged with and approved by the research supervisor. Units may not be used towards advanced degree requirements.

22.95 Internship in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: None G (IAP, Summer) Units arranged [P/D/F] Can be repeated for credit.

For Nuclear Science and Engineering students participating in research or curriculum-related off-campus experiences. Before enrolling, students must have an offer from a company or organization. Upon completion, the student must submit a final report or presentation to the approved MIT supervisor, usually the student's thesis supervisor or a member of the thesis committee. Subject to departmental approval. Consult the NSE Academic Office for details on procedures and restrictions. Limited to students participating in internships consistent with NSE policies relating to research-related employment.

22.S902-22.S905 Special Subject in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Seminar or lecture on a topic in nuclear science and engineering that is not covered in the regular curriculum. 22.S905 is graded P/D/F.

22.THG Graduate Thesis

Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer) Units arranged Can be repeated for credit.

Program of research, leading to the writing of an SM, NE, PhD, or ScD thesis; to be arranged by the student and an appropriate MIT faculty member. Consult department graduate office.

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Graduate Programs Overview

Our graduate program trains and educates students to become independent scientists and engineering to lead nuclear engineering innovation and science in decades to come. Our graduates join the national laboratory and federal workforce as well as a broad range of industry. Scientists and engineers at all major national laboratories including Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory just to name a few are PhD or MS graduates from our department. Further, our graduates join companies such as EPRI, Intel, Space-X, Exponent, or start their own company.

Graduate degree in Nuclear Engineering

From the invention of the cyclotron in the early 1930's to the discovery of plutonium during World War II, UC Berkeley is widely recognized as birthplace of some of the most important insights that helped create the discipline of Nuclear Engineering.

At UC Berkeley, our faculty and students continue to lead in extending the boundaries of this discipline, from creating new approaches for the production of energy from fission and fusion, to identifying new methods for managing radioactive wastes, to developing new applications of nuclear processes in medical imaging and therapy. Students at UC Berkeley work in a stimulating intellectual environment both on campus and at the nearby Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Our students also enjoy the mild Mediterranean climate of the San Francisco Bay Area, with its diverse opportunities for cultural and outdoor activities.

Nuclear Engineering has re-emerged as an exciting and vigorous field for graduate study. Energy and energy policy are now nationally visible topics, and research in fission and fusion energy is growing with new efforts toward the development of Generation IV fission reactor systems and work in magnetic and inertial confinement fusion under the DOE Fusion Roadmap. UC Berkeley leads in these fields, as well as in radioactive waste management and applications of nuclear science and technology such as the design of methodologies and systems to counter the possible transport of clandestine nuclear materials, and applications in the biomedical and radiological sciences. We advise digging into the UCBNE web site, since the most interesting information on the current activities in the department can be found in the home pages of the faculty and research groups

Admission to the graduate program in nuclear engineering is available to qualified individuals who have obtained a basic degree from a recognized institution in one of the fields of engineering or the physical sciences. For all programs, required preparation in undergraduate coursework includes mathematics through partial differential equations and advanced analysis, nuclear reactions, and thermodynamics.

Admission is granted on the basis of undergraduate records, statements, work experience and professional activities, letters of recommendation, and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, if applicable.

Applicants may apply to one degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission term. If an applicant has ever registered at Berkeley as a graduate student (whether or not they have completed a graduate degree), and they intend to enter a graduate program or major that is different from the one in which they were enrolled previously, they must submit a new application through the Graduate Division system, and pay the application fee. Applicants that have left the program and wish to come back should contact the Graduate Degrees Office about re-enrollment.

Requirements

Minimum requirements for graduate admission:

A basic degree from a recognized institution;
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 or “B” in undergraduate work completed after the first two years for a basic degree from a recognized U.S.school, and 3.0, B, or the equivalent based on all work completed toward the basic degree for all schools outside of the U.S.
Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Check back for fall 2025 application cycle Information.

Please note we do not accept applications for the spring term!

admissions[at]nuc.berkeley.edu

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Graduate Programs Among Best in the U.S.

March 30, 2021

The U.S. News & World Report engineering graduate program rankings were released on March 30, 2020, with the George W. Woodruff School's mechanical engineering program ranking fifth (second among public universities) and nuclear engineering moving up from ninth in 2020 to sixth.

Georgia Institute of Technology continues to usher in the next generation of research and educational developments within the diverse field of nuclear engineering," said Steven Biegalski, Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Program Chair. "Our faculty, staff and students are eager to tackle the challenging problems within this field to create positive societal impact.

“We are proud to be recognized as one of the top mechanical and nuclear engineering programs in the nation," added Samuel Graham, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. Chair of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. "We would not be where we are today without the commitment and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, or the alumni and partners who support us year after year.”

Georgia Tech's College of Engineering remains in the top echelons of leading engineering programs across the country. All of the College's graduate engineering programs ranked in the top 10 for schools offering that field of study. Additionally, this is the 31st year in a row that the industrial engineering program claimed the number one spot. The biomedical and civil engineering programs ranked 2nd in their respective programs.

Overall, the College's graduate programs are ranked 8th in the country and 4th among public colleges.

2022 Rankings for Georgia Tech's Engineering Graduate Programs

College of Engineering – 8th
Aerospace – 4th
Biomedical – 2nd
Chemical – 4th
Civil – 2nd
Computer – 5th
Electrical – 5th
Environmental – 6th
Industrial – 1st
Materials – 7th
Mechanical – 5th
Nuclear – 6th

The graduate rankings released today are a testament to the high standards of education, innovation and research happening at the College, which have been recognized by our peers," said Raheem Beyah, Dean & Southern Company Chair of the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech. "We should be especially proud of this given the many challenges over the past year with the pandemic. Through it all, our faculty, students and staff have remained resilient, making the College what it is today.

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Best Graduate Nuclear Physics Programs in US 2019

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Graduate studies, commencement 2019.

The Harvard Department of Physics offers students innovative educational and research opportunities with renowned faculty in state-of-the-art facilities, exploring fundamental problems involving physics at all scales. Our primary areas of experimental and theoretical research are atomic and molecular physics, astrophysics and cosmology, biophysics, chemical physics, computational physics, condensed-matter physics, materials science, mathematical physics, particle physics, quantum optics, quantum field theory, quantum information, string theory, and relativity.

Our talented and hardworking students participate in exciting discoveries and cutting-edge inventions such as the ATLAS experiment, which discovered the Higgs boson; building the first 51-cubit quantum computer; measuring entanglement entropy; discovering new phases of matter; and peering into the ‘soft hair’ of black holes.

Our students come from all over the world and from varied educational backgrounds. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and attracting the widest possible range of talents.

We have a flexible and highly responsive advising structure for our PhD students that shepherds them through every stage of their education, providing assistance and counseling along the way, helping resolve problems and academic impasses, and making sure that everyone has the most enriching experience possible.The graduate advising team also sponsors alumni talks, panels, and advice sessions to help students along their academic and career paths in physics and beyond, such as “Getting Started in Research,” “Applying to Fellowships,” “Preparing for Qualifying Exams,” “Securing a Post-Doc Position,” and other career events (both academic and industry-related).

We offer many resources, services, and on-site facilities to the physics community, including our electronic instrument design lab and our fabrication machine shop. Our historic Jefferson Laboratory, the first physics laboratory of its kind in the nation and the heart of the physics department, has been redesigned and renovated to facilitate study and collaboration among our students.

Members of the Harvard Physics community participate in initiatives that bring together scientists from institutions across the world and from different fields of inquiry. For example, the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms unites a community of scientists from both institutions to pursue research in the new fields opened up by the creation of ultracold atoms and quantum gases. The Center for Integrated Quantum Materials , a collaboration between Harvard University, Howard University, MIT, and the Museum of Science, Boston, is dedicated to the study of extraordinary new quantum materials that hold promise for transforming signal processing and computation. The Harvard Materials Science and Engineering Center is home to an interdisciplinary group of physicists, chemists, and researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences working on fundamental questions in materials science and applications such as soft robotics and 3D printing. The Black Hole Initiative , the first center worldwide to focus on the study of black holes, is an interdisciplinary collaboration between principal investigators from the fields of astronomy, physics, mathematics, and philosophy. The quantitative biology initiative https://quantbio.harvard.edu/ aims to bring together physicists, biologists, engineers, and applied mathematicians to understand life itself. And, most recently, the new program in Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE) , which lies at the interface of physics, chemistry, and engineering, will admit its first cohort of PhD students in Fall 2022.

We support and encourage interdisciplinary research and simultaneous applications to two departments is permissible. Prospective students may thus wish to apply to the following departments and programs in addition to Physics:

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Graduate schools for physics typically offer a range of

Graduate schools for physics typically offer a range of specialty programs, from quantum physics to relativity, as well as plentiful research opportunities to bolster a science education. These are the best physics schools. Each school's score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), based on a survey of academics at peer institutions. Read the methodology »

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Best Nuclear Physics colleges in the U.S. 2024

Best nuclear physics colleges in the u.s. for 2024.

Arkansas Tech University offers 1 Nuclear Physics degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a remote town.

Iowa State University offers 2 Nuclear Physics degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 2 Nuclear Physics students graduated with students earning 2 Doctoral degrees.

List of all Nuclear Physics colleges in the U.S.

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Michigan State University
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Civil - 2nd. Computer - 5th. Electrical - 5th. Environmental - 6th. Industrial - 1st. Materials - 7th. Mechanical - 5th. Nuclear - 6th. The graduate rankings released today are a testament to the high standards of education, innovation and research happening at the College, which have been recognized by our peers," said Raheem ...
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