Nuclear Engineering Major, PhD

Students in the field of nuclear engineering desiring to study for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must have a Bachelor of Science or Master of Science from a recognized university with a major in engineering, physics, chemistry, or mathematics. All candidates will be required to demonstrate general competence in a comprehensive examination in the areas of engineering science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and nuclear engineering.

Requirements

Specific requirements for the PhD with a major in nuclear engineering include the following.

• A minimum of 48 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, exclusive of credit for the MS thesis or nuclear engineering practice.
• A candidate for a doctoral degree must complete a minimum of 24 hours of graduate course work beyond the master’s degree, which is a prerequisite for entry into most doctoral programs.
• A minimum of 24 hours in doctoral research, NE 600 .
• A minimum of 30 hours in nuclear engineering courses numbered 500 and above (or the equivalent), with at least 6 hours of 600-level courses. These are exclusive of thesis or dissertation credit. Three of the 6 hours of 600-level courses can be from a department other than nuclear engineering, provided the selection supports the student’s research area.
• A minimum of 12 hours in mathematics, statistics, nuclear engineering, or other courses related to nuclear engineering beyond nuclear engineering undergraduate requirements numbered 400 or above.
• A minimum of 6 hours in courses numbered 500 or above from a department other than nuclear engineering. The choice depends on the student’s overall program and should expand his/her knowledge in a given field.

The first part of the comprehensive examination is prepared by the nuclear engineering faculty and consists of 6 hours of written examination that is administered over a two-day period. All past written examinations are filed in the library and students are encouraged to review them. Students are invited to take the written examination after completing approximately 30 hours of graduate course work. A student who fails the written examination must take and pass the examination the next time it is offered to remain in the PhD program. Registration for 600 is not permitted until the written examination is passed. The second part of the comprehensive examination is completed with the successful oral defense of a written dissertation proposal.

A candidate must successfully defend, in an oral examination, all work presented for the degree (all course work and the dissertation).