Guide to the
Master of Science Degree and Master of Engineering Degree for Nuclear Engineering

Mission, Roles, and Goals

The Nuclear Engineering Program (NEP) follows the University of Utah's mission to provide excellence and equal opportunity in the areas of education, research, and public service. The NEP is nested within the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department of the University, but maintains its own administrative office where NEP admissions, graduate student records, and other program business is processed. The NEP is an independent program that draws students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, and utilizes the resources and expertise of engineering faculty from all of the following areas to meet the academic and research needs of Nuclear Engineering graduate students:

• Chemical Engineering (CHEN)
• Civil & Environmental Engineering (CVEEN)
• Mechanical Engineering (ME EN)
• Electrical Engineering (EEN)
• Bioengineering (BIOEN)

Degrees Offered

The NEP at the University of Utah administers the following engineering degrees:   Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Engineering (M.E.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Admission Requirements and Procedures

Graduate education in Nuclear Engineering for a Master of Science at the University of Utah may be pursued by students possessing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from an accredited engineering program or from an allied field. Upon admission to the Graduate School, students are required to follow all guidelines set forth by the Graduate School, which include maintaining at least minimum continuous registration, taking examinations, and completing coursework. Candidates must also fulfill any additional department-level requirements.

Students begin the application process by completing and submitting an "Application for Admission to the Graduate School" Form. Prospective candidates must designate "Nuclear Engineering" as the academic department of choice (see Graduate School Application Item 2) and also as their intended major (see Graduate School Application Item 1). This ensures that the application to Graduate School is then properly forwarded to the NEP Office for review and a departmental recommendation.

To be admitted to the Graduate School, prospective candidates must demonstrate competency at the undergraduate level in basic engineering and science subjects (see following list).  Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination (previously known as the EIT) that is administered by the ECEES may be used to satisfy this requirement:

• Mathematics (through partial differential equations)
• Basic Engineering Physics
• College Chemistry
• Computer Programming
• Electrical Engineering
• Engineering Materials and Processes
• Basic Engineering Thermodynamics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Heat Transfer

A student who shows deficiencies in these or any other areas will be required to take appropriate fundamental courses as remedial-level coursework, which must be completed satisfactorily either before admission to the graduate program of study or concurrently with the program, as determined by the Graduate School.

In addition to the above requirements, an applicant to Graduate School is required to have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Non-Matriculated Status: U.S. citizens who do not meet this specific GPA may be conditionally admitted into the graduate program with a "non-matriculated" status. This designation allows students to demonstrate their ability by completing twelve (12) hours of approved graduate-level coursework. If students achieve at least a B grade point average (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in their non-matriculated coursework, they may then apply for admission status as a fully matriculated graduate student.

If you are an International Student...

International students are required to take both the TOEFL and GRE examinations and provide official copies of their scores along with submission of an International Student Application Form to the Graduate School. International students must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 580 and a GRE Quantitative score in the upper 30% to be considered for admission to the Graduate School. International students are not eligible for non-matriculated status.

Transfer Credit/Non-Matriculated Credit

A maximum of six (6) semester credit hours (or nine (9) quarter credit hours transferred directly to the Graduate School at the University of Utah) may be applied toward a graduate degree in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Utah upon approval from a student's Supervisory Committee and the Graduate School. [Details on how to select a Supervisory Committee are given in the next section below.] The student must request the transferring institution to send official, sealed transcripts directly to the Graduate Admissions Office at the University of Utah for such credits to be accepted. In addition, the student must submit an approval letter from the Chairperson of his/her Supervisory Committee indicating that the transferred course credits may count toward completion of the graduate program. Credit hours earned by a non-matriculated student may or may not be allowed to be added to the course of study pending decision by the student's Supervisory Committee and the Graduate School.

Forming a Supervisory Committee and Program of Study

Students should establish their Supervisory Committee as early as possible in their first year by filing a "Request for Supervisory Committee" Form with the NEP Office. A Supervisory Committee consists of three (3) voting members for the Master of Science degree, one of whom also agrees to serve as Chairperson. Additional faculty may participate as non-voting members. 

After consultation with the Chairperson of his/her Supervisory Committee, a student must file his/her proposed program of study by completing and submitting the "Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Master's Degree" Form. This form lists all individual coursework proposed for the candidate's graduate degree and must be approved by the student's Supervisory Committee, the NEP Director, and the Dean of the Graduate School before filing it with the NEP Office. All graduate program forms must be completed, signed, and submitted to the NEP Office no later than one semester prior to anticipated graduation at the latest. However, it is highly recommended that candidate complete his/her Program of Study form shortly after establishing the Supervisory Committee. Later modifications to an individual's program may readily be made by filing an "Amendment to Planned Program of Study" Form with the NEP Office.

Master of Science Program

The Master of Science degree is designed to enable a student to perform advanced research. Students fulfill degree requirements in three areas of accomplishment: coursework, submission and defense of a written thesis, and final comprehensive examination. A total of 34 credit hours is required to fulfill coursework toward a Master's degree; 22 of these 34 credit hours must be selected from core courses. In addition, six (6) semester credit hours of Master's Thesis (for example, CVEEN 6970) and six (6) semester credit hours of technical elective courses (CVEEN 6000+) are required. A maximum of three (3) semester credit hours of Independent Study can be applied toward a Master's degree. Technical elective courses are selected by the graduate student, but must be approved by the student's Supervisory Committee.

 Fundamental Engineering Core
(Select one course each from two of the first five categories or one course from one of the first five categories and at least three credits in the final category)

FLUID MECHANICS

• CHEN 6353 Fluid Mechanics  (3 credit hours)
• CHEN 6355 / MEEN 6720 Computation Fluid Dynamics (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 6700 Experimental and Computational Methods in Fluid Dynamics (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7700  Fluid Mechanics I (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7710  Fluid Mechanics II (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7720  Turbulent Flows and Mixing (3 credit hours)

HEAT TRANSFER

• CHEN 6453 Heat Transfer  (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7650  Advanced Conduction Heat Transfer (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7660  Advanced Convection Heat Transfer (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7670  Advanced Radiation Heat Transfer (3 credit hours)

CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

• CHEN 6553 Chemical Reaction Engineering (3 credit hours)
• CHEN 6555 Introduction to Catalysis (3 credit hours)
• CHEN 6103 / CVEEN 6603 Biochemical Engineering (3 credit hours)
• MET E 7460  Advanced Fluid-Solid Reaction Engineering (3 credit hours)

MULTICOMPONENT MASS TRANSFER

• CHEN 6603 Multicomponent Mass Transfer  (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 6510  Introduction to Finite Elements (3 credit hours)
• MET E 6700  Hydrometallurgy (3 credit hours)
  

THERMODYNAMICS

• CHEN 6853 Thermodynamics  (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 6600  Statistical Thermodynamics (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 6810  Thermal System Design (3 credit hours)
• MEEN 7610  Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics (3 credit hours)
• MET E 6500  Advanced Thermodynamics and Modeling of Chemical Systems (3 credit hours)

MIXTURE

• GEO 6690 Aqueous Geochemistry for Engineers and Scientists (3 credit hours)

OR

• MET E 6250  Fundamentals of Engineering Analysis (2 credit hours)

AND

• MET E 6350  Transport Phenomena (2 credit hours)
  

Fundamental Nuclear Engineering Core
(Both courses are required)

• CHEN 6657 / CVEEN 6700 Nuclear Engineering II  (4 credit hours)
• CVEEN 6710 Applied Nuclear Engineering II  (4 credit hours)

Applied Nuclear Engineering Core
(Select two of five)

• CVEEN 6720 Nuclear Reactor Physics  (4 credit hours)
• CVEEN 6730 HP and Radiation Protection  (4 credit hours)
• CVEEN 6740 Nuclear Environmental Eng.  (4 credit hours)
• CVEEN 6750 Nuclear Chemical Engineering  (4 credit hours)
• CVEEN 6760 Linear Accelerator Physics  (4 credit hours)

The Master's candidate is required to defend his/her research work and thesis in a formal oral presentation to the Supervisory Committee. The NEP will also administer a comprehensive final examination. The comprehensive examination is separate from the thesis defense, and the exam must be completed and scored no later than three weeks prior to anticipated graduation. As with all program examinations for Graduate School, this exam may be retaken only once.

Continuous Minimum Registration

All graduate students are required to maintain continuous registration from the time of formal admission as a graduate student to the Graduate School through completion of all requirements for the degree they seek, with the exception of an official Leave of Absence granted by a requesting student's Supervisory Committee Chairperson (see details on Leave of Absence in next section). Continuous registration requirements are not applicable for the summer semester. Students may maintain continuous minimum registration by registering and paying normal tuition and fees for at least three (3) credit hours per semester. Master's candidates may use Thesis Research (CVEEN 6970) and Faculty Consultation (CVEEN 6980) to fulfill this requirement. If graduate students do not maintain continuous minimum registration, the Registrar's Office will deactivate student files and candidates will be required to reapply for admission to the Graduate School and once again pay associated application fees.

Official Leave of Absence

If a graduate student intends or is caused by circumstances to be absent for one or more semesters, the student should complete an official "Leave of Absence" Form in advance, have it signed by the student's Supervisory Committee Chairperson, and submit it to the Graduate School for approval. If the candidate fails to do this, his/her graduate student status will be cancelled and the student will be required to reapply for admission to the Graduate School and once again pay associated application fees.

Time Limits for Degrees

A maximum of four (4) years is allowed for completion of the Master of Science degree. If a graduate student requires more time to complete his/her degree, the student needs to write a letter to the Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee to request additional time, explaining the delay and providing plans for completion of the degree, and obtain the signature of the Chairperson. The Chairperson then must forward the signed letter directly to the Graduate School for approval.

Thesis Requirements

Master's candidates are required to write a thesis in partial fulfillment of a Master of Science degree. Guidelines for writing and formatting Master's Theses are available from the NEP Office or from the Thesis Editor in the Graduate School. Students are expected to follow these standard style and format guidelines when composing their thesis or dissertation for their degree.

Other Requirements and Guidelines

The NEP follows guidelines laid out for all departments and academic programs by the Graduate School Bulletin and Graduate Student Handbook. Copies are available from the Graduate School, University Bookstore, or NEP Office. All current students of the NEP should read and familiarize themselves with University of Utah policies pertaining to graduate study and research and prospective students are encouraged to do so. In many cases, the NEP will have more specific requirements than those outlined by the Graduate School, so it is vital that you know these policies and ask questions of the NEP as well as the Graduate School if you have questions or concerns.

Master of Engineering Program

The Master of Engineering degree is available for students seeking a professional, non-research oriented degree. The same coursework is expected of both M.E. and M.S. students in nuclear engineering. However, a student seeking an M.E. will perform 6 credit hours of special project work in place of the thesis research requirement for an M.S. For further information, please contact the nuclear engineering program.