Minor in Nuclear Engineering
About This Program
Nuclear energy plays a key role in generating clean and reliable electric power. There is a demand to fill the shortage of engineers in existing nuclear power plants and to work with innovative and exciting design concepts of the next generation of power plants. The Minor in Nuclear Engineering will add value to an engineering degree for students planning to enter the energy-related workforce or seek an advanced degree in engineering.
The minor is available to all undergraduates who have the necessary prerequisites.
Competencies
- Upon completion, students will be able to understand nuclear and atomic structure, radioactivity, radiation decay, nuclear reactions, applications of nuclear science and engineering on nuclear energy systems based on both fission and fusion nuclear reactions, with applications in the industrial and medical fields.
- Upon completion, students will be able to apply their understanding of the theoretical aspect of reactor theory and analysis to nuclear reactor systems, major components, operations, control and the overall safety aspect of nuclear power plant technology.
- Upon completion, students will be able to apply knowledge of fluid flow and heat transfer to analyze heat generation and removal at a specific location, a fuel rod, a reactor core, and for reactor core shielding, and then use this knowledge for a nuclear reactor thermal core design.
Curriculum
| Foundations | ||
| NE 3301 | INTRODUCTION TO NUCLEAR ENGINEERING | 3 |
| NE 4302 | NUCLEAR REACTOR THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT | 3 |
| NE 4303 | NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ENGINEERING | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three of the following (with a grade of C or better in each): | 9 | |
| THERMODYNAMICS II | ||
| THERMAL ENGINEERING | ||
| HEAT TRANSFER | ||
| HEAT EXCHANGER DESIGN | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMATIC CONTROL | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF POWER SYSTEMS | ||
| CONTROL SYSTEMS | ||
| NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Program Completion
Students must complete the foundations and elective courses with a grade of 'C" or better in each.