Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nuclear Engineering Major, MS


All entering students must have, as a minimum, competency in mathematics through ordinary differential equations. Admitted applicants will be advised of any prerequisite undergraduate courses that may be required for their graduate studies. In addition, students without a BS in nuclear engineering, or the equivalent, must take NE 433 , NE 470  both of which may be taken for graduate credit. However, students in the radiological engineering concentration will take NE 551  in place of NE 433 . Students electing the radiological engineering concentration must take NE 550 , NE 551 , NE 552  and NE 490  in their course of study. The department head is the contact for all interested students, both those with nuclear engineering degrees and those from other disciplines.

A graduate program leading to the Master of Science degree is available to graduates of recognized undergraduate curricula as described above. Each applicant will be advised as to the necessary prerequisite courses before entering the program.

Requirements

The minimum requirements for the MS in nuclear engineering are

  • A major consisting of 12 credit hours of graduate courses in nuclear engineering which must include at least two of the following courses – NE 511 , NE 521  or NE 522 , NE 540 , NE 542 , NE 551 , NE 563 , NE 571 
  • An additional 12 credit hours of graduate courses related to the student’s research, as approved by the student’s committee.

    Option 1 – a thesis project (6 credit hours of NE 500 ).
    Option 2 – two engineering practice projects (6 credit hours of NE 598 ).
    Option 3 – one engineering practice project (3 credit hours of NE 598 ) plus 3 credit hours of additional nuclear engineering course work.

The determination of which option a student may undertake is made by the student’s graduate committee and is based on the student’s personal interests, academic background, and work experience, as well as the nature of projects currently available in the department. A thesis project requires the student to conduct independent, in-depth research. An engineering practice project is similar to a thesis project but smaller in scope and can be research, design, product development, special operations, or a critical review of published literature in a specific technical area. The final report for an engineering practice project is normally prepared in thesis format (i.e., according to the Graduate School, Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations); however, another formal report format may be used if approved by the student’s graduate committee. The student must also register for the appropriate number of credit hours of either NE 500  or NE 598 , as specified by the student’s major professor, during each semester that work is performed on a thesis or engineering practice project. Finally, the student must pass an oral examination on all work presented for the degree (all course work and all projects).
 

 

Five-Year BS/MS Program, Nuclear Engineering Major, MS

The department offers a 5-year BS-MS program with a BS (major in nuclear engineering) and an MS (major in nuclear engineering) for qualified students. The primary component of the program is a qualified student may take up to 6 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students attending the University of Tennessee for their Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree. Significant components of the program are:

  • Students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 in required course work. Conditional admission to the 5-year program may be granted after completion of 63 credit hours of required course work, while full admission may be granted after the completion of 93 credit hours of required course work with a minimum GPA of 3.4.
  • Admission must be approved by the department and the Graduate School.
  • Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking courses that receive credit for both the BS and MS degrees.
  • All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the director of graduate studies. Students admitted to the program must request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit. Students admitted to the program must also follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School.
  • Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.