University Catalog 2024-2025

Nuclear Engineering (BS)

Nuclear engineers work in nuclear systems research, design, development, testing, operation, environmental protection, and marketing. The Bachelor of Science program prepares graduates for positions in industry, national laboratories, or for graduate study. The curriculum incorporates basic sciences and engineering, with emphasis on mathematics and physics, followed by course work in nuclear science and technology. Design concepts are introduced in numerous nuclear engineering courses throughout the curriculum to provide an integrated educational experience, cap-stoned by senior nuclear projects involving reactors and radiation systems. Attention is also given to the efficient utilization of energy resources and to the environmental aspects of nuclear energy. Computers are widely used throughout the curriculum.

The nuclear engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, and leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering. Advanced undergraduates who desire to attend graduate school at NC State may enter a combined 5-year BS/MNE professional program or BS/MS bachelor/master degree program during their senior year which will culminate at the end of their fifth year with both the Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering and the Master of Nuclear Engineering or the Master of Science degrees, respectively.

Plan Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 3
CH 102 General Chemistry Laboratory 1 1
E 101 Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 1
E 115 Introduction to Computing Environments 1
ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research 2 4
MA 141 Calculus I 1 4
 Hours14
Spring Semester
CSC 113 Introduction to Computing - MATLAB 3
MA 241 Calculus II 1 4
PY 205
PY 206
Physics for Engineers and Scientists I
and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1
4
Select one of the following: 3
Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics
Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics
Principles of Microeconomics
Fundamentals of Economics
E 102 Engineering in the 21st Century 2
 Hours16
Second Year
Fall Semester
MAE 206 Engineering Statics 3
MA 242 Calculus III 4
NE 201 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering 2
PY 208
PY 209
Physics for Engineers and Scientists II
and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory
4
Advanced Communication Elective 3
 Hours16
Spring Semester
MA 341 Applied Differential Equations I 3
NE 202 Radiation Sources, Interaction and Detection 2 4
NE 205 Thermodynamics for Nuclear Engineering 3
NE 228 Introduction To Fusion Energy 3
 Hours13
Third Year
Fall Semester
NE 309 Introduction to Materials for Nuclear Energy 3
NE 301 Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering 2 3
NE 350 Applied Mathematics in Nuclear Engineering 3
MA 401 Applied Differential Equations II 3
 Hours12
Spring Semester
NE 360 Continuum Mechanics for Nuclear Engineers 3
NE 400 Nuclear Reactor Energy Conversion 4
NE 401 Reactor Analysis and Design 3
NE 403 Nuclear Reactor Laboratory 2
 Hours12
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
NE 402 Reactor Engineering 4
NE 404 Radiation Safety and Shielding 3
NE 406 Nuclear Engineering Senior Design Preparation 1
NE Elective 3
Technical Elective 3
 Hours14
Spring Semester
NE 405 Reactor Systems 3
NE 408 Nuclear Engineering Design Project 3
Engineering Technical Elective 3
 Hours9
 Total Hours106
1

A grade of C or higher is required.

2

A grade of C- or higher is required.

GEP Courses
GEP Humanities6
GEP Social Sciences3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies2
GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion3
GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives3
GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement)
World Language Proficiency (verify requirement)
Total Hours17

Advanced Communication Elective

COM 110Public Speaking3
COM 112Interpersonal Communication3
COM 211Argumentation and Advocacy3
ENG 288Fiction Writing3
ENG 289Poetry Writing3
ENG 316Introduction to News and Article Writing3
ENG 331Communication for Engineering and Technology3
ENG 332Communication for Business and Management3
ENG 333Communication for Science and Research3
FLA 201Intermediate Arabic I3
FLA 202Intermediate Arabic II3
FLC 201Intermediate Chinese I3
FLC 202Intermediate Chinese II3
FLF 201Intermediate French I3
FLF 202Intermediate French II3
FLG 201Intermediate German I3
FLG 202Intermediate German II3
FLI 201Intermediate Italian I3
FLI 202Intermediate Italian II3
FLJ 201Intermediate Japanese I3
FLJ 202Intermediate Japanese II3
FLJ 203Intermediate Japanese Conversation1
FLJ 204Intermediate Japanese II Conversation1
FLN 201Intermediate Hindi-Urdu I3
FLN 202Intermediate Hindi-Urdu II3
FLP 201Intermediate Portuguese I3
FLR 201Intermediate Russian I3
FLR 202Intermediate Russian II3
FLS 201Intermediate Spanish I3
FLS 202Intermediate Spanish II3
GRK 201Intermediate Greek I3
GRK 202Intermediate Greek II3
LAT 201Intermediate Latin I3
LAT 202Intermediate Latin II3
PER 201Intermediate Persian I3
PER 202Intermediate Persian II3

NE Electives

MSE 409Nuclear Materials3
MSE 509Nuclear Materials3
NE 409Nuclear Materials3
NE 412Nuclear Fuel Cycles3
NE 418Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation3
NE 509Nuclear Materials3
NE 512Nuclear Fuel Cycles3
NE 521Principles of Radiation Measurement3
NE 528Introduction to Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy3
PY 528Introduction to Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy3
NE 490Health Physics and Radiological Emergency Response3
NE 431Nuclear Waste Management3
NE 523Computational Transport Theory3
NE 529Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy II3
NE 533Nuclear Fuel Performance3
NE 541Nuclear Nonproliferation Technology and Policy3
NE 550Introduction to Atomistic Simulations 3
NE 577Multiscale Two-phase Flow Simulations3
NE 531Nuclear Waste Management3
NE 590Health Physics and Radiological Emergency Response3
NE 570Monte Carlo Methods for Radiation Transport3
NE 560Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Management of Nuclear Systems3
NE 555Advanced Characterization of Nuclear Materials3
NE 530Nuclear Waste Management3

Technical Electives

CH 315Quantitative Analysis3
CH 331Introductory Physical Chemistry4
CSC 302Introduction to Numerical Methods3
CSC 427Introduction to Numerical Analysis I3
MA 405Introduction to Linear Algebra3
MA 427Introduction to Numerical Analysis I3
PY 341Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology3
PY 411Mechanics I3
PY 414Electromagnetism I3
PY 415Electromagnetism II3
PY 511Mechanics I3
PY 514Electromagnetism I3
PY 515Electromagnetism II3
PY 525Computational Physics3
ST 370Probability and Statistics for Engineers3
ST 371Introduction to Probability and Distribution Theory3

Engineering Technical Electives

Engr Tech Elective
BME 217Biomedical Electronics Laboratory1
BME 301Human Physiology : Electrical Analysis3
BME 302Human Physiology: Mechanical Analysis3
BME 315Biotransport3
BME 325Biochemistry for Biomedical Engineers3
BME 335Biomaterials 3
BME 345Biomedical Solid Mechanics3
BME 355Biocontrols3
BME 365Linear Systems in Biomedical Engineering3
BME 375Biomedical Microcontroller Applications3
BME 385Bioinstrumentation3
BME 398Biomedical Engineering Design and Manufacturing II2
BME 462Biomaterials Characterization3
CE 301Civil Engineering Surveying and Geomatics3
CE 305Introduction to Transportation Systems3
CE 327Reinforced Concrete Design3
CE 339Civil Engineering Systems3
CE 342Engineering Behavior of Soils and Foundations4
CE 365Construction Equipment and Methods3
CE 367Mechanical and Electrical Systems in Buildings3
CE 373Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering3
CE 378Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology4
CE 381Hydraulics Systems Measurements Lab1
CE 383Hydrology and Urban Water Systems3
CE 437Civil Engineering Computing3
CHE 315Chemical Process Thermodynamics3
CHE 316Thermodynamics of Chemical and Phase Equilibria3
CHE 330Chemical Engineering Lab I4
CHE 331Chemical Engineering Lab II2
CHE 395Professional Development Seminar1
ECE 301Linear Systems3
ECE 302Microelectronics4
ECE 303Electromagnetic Fields3
ECE 305Principles of Electromechanical Energy Conversion3
ECE 306Introduction to Embedded Systems3
ECE 308Elements of Control Systems3
ECE 309Data Structures and Object-Oriented Programming for Electrical and Computer Engineers3
ECE 310Design of Complex Digital Systems3
ECE 331Principles of Electrical Engineering3
ECE 380Engineering Profession for Electrical Engineers1
ECE 381Engineering Profession for Computer Engineers1
ECE 383Introduction to Entrepreneurship and New Product Development3
ECE 384Practical Engineering Prototyping3
ISE 311Engineering Economic Analysis3
ISE 315Introduction to Computer-Aided Manufacturing1
ISE 316Manufacturing Engineering I - Processes3
ISE 352Fundamentals of Human-Machine Systems Design3
ISE 361Deterministic Models in Industrial Engineering3
ISE 362Stochastic Models in Industrial Engineering3
MAE 302Engineering Thermodynamics II3
MAE 305Mechanical Engineering Laboratory I1
MAE 306Mechanical Engineering Laboratory II1
MAE 315Fundamentals of Vibrations3
MAE 316Strength of Mechanical Components3
MAE 351Aerodynamics II3
MAE 352Experimental Aerodynamics II1
MAE 361Dynamics & Controls3
MAE 371Aerospace Structures I3
MAE 372Aerospace Vehicle Structures Lab1
MSE 301Introduction to Thermodynamics of Materials3
MSE 355Electrical, Magnetic and Optical Properties of Materials3
MSE 360Kinetic Processes in Materials3

Semester Sequence

This is a sample.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 3
CH 102 General Chemistry Laboratory 1 1
E 101 Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 1
E 115 Introduction to Computing Environments 1
ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research 2 4
MA 141 Calculus I 1 4
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
 Hours15
Spring Semester
CSC 113 Introduction to Computing - MATLAB 3
MA 241 Calculus II 1 4
PY 205 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 3
PY 206 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1
Select one of the following Economics courses: 3
Fundamentals of Economics
Principles of Microeconomics
Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics
E 102 Engineering in the 21st Century 2
 Hours16
Second Year
Fall Semester
MAE 206 Engineering Statics 3
MA 242 Calculus III 4
NE 201 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering 2
PY 208 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II 3
PY 209 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory 1
Advanced Communication Elective 3
 Hours16
Spring Semester
MA 341 Applied Differential Equations I 3
NE 202 Radiation Sources, Interaction and Detection 2 4
GEP Requirement 3
NE 205 Thermodynamics for Nuclear Engineering 3
NE 228 Introduction To Fusion Energy 3
 Hours16
Third Year
Fall Semester
NE 301 Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering 2 3
NE 309 Introduction to Materials for Nuclear Energy 3
NE 350 Applied Mathematics in Nuclear Engineering 3
MA 401 Applied Differential Equations II 3
GEP Requirement 3
 Hours15
Spring Semester
NE 360 Continuum Mechanics for Nuclear Engineers 3
NE 400 Nuclear Reactor Energy Conversion 4
NE 401 Reactor Analysis and Design 3
NE 403 Nuclear Reactor Laboratory 2
GEP Requirement 3
 Hours15
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
NE 402 Reactor Engineering 4
NE 404 Radiation Safety and Shielding 3
NE 406 Nuclear Engineering Senior Design Preparation 1
NE Elective 3
Technical Elective 3
 Hours14
Spring Semester
NE 405 Reactor Systems 3
NE 408 Nuclear Engineering Design Project 3
Engineering Technical Elective 3
GEP Requirement 3
GEP Requirement 3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
 Hours16
 Total Hours123
1

A grade of C or higher is required.

2

A grade of C- or higher is required.

Career Opportunities

Nuclear power reactor operation continues with ninety eight reactors operating in the nation, increasing our reliance upon nuclear energy as a substitute for energy from fossil fuels. Development of advanced fission and fusion reactors offers the potential of vast new energy sources. Industrial and medical applications of radiation continue to increase in diverse industries. Demand for nuclear engineers is on the rise within the electric power industry and national laboratories, naval reactors, and other industries. According to the National Society of Professional Engineers, nuclear engineers are among the top five best compensated of the engineering disciplines.

Career Titles

  • Energy Engineer
  • Engineering Professor
  • Nuclear Engineer
  • Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer
  • Radiation Protection Engineer

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American Nuclear Society
Nuclear Energy Institute
National Association of Power Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers