Nuclear Engineering, PhD
Expand your knowledge on harnessing the power of the atom by obtaining your nuclear engineering PhD. You’ll build upon the knowledge you already have, continuing to grow under the guidance of internationally recognized faculty. As you dedicate your time to the specialized area of interest, you’ll continue to contribute to the future of the nuclear industry.
Program overview
The nuclear engineering PhD program at UT maintains national and international recognition. We are passionate for understanding and applying knowledge surrounding nuclear science and engineering to develop the next generation of leaders in global nuclear enterprise. From fission to fusion energy to nuclear security, there are several paths you can take to jumpstart your career in nuclear engineering.
Concentrations
While a concentration for a PhD in nuclear engineering isn’t required, we offer several options to allow students to specialize in area of interests.
Energy Science and Engineering
The energy science and engineering concentration focuses on furthering clean energy conversion and utilization. It is offered in collaboration with the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, a joint effort between the Tickle College of Engineering, other UT colleges, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Nuclear Safety
Students will gain basic knowledge in criticality safety in the nuclear field, as well as accidents that can occur and safety standards that should be followed. This concentration also expands on radioactive materials, nuclear reactors, and more.
Nuclear Space Science and Engineering
If you’re interested in space exploration and nuclear engineering, the nuclear space science and engineering concentration would be beneficial to add to your PhD. This collection of courses provides in-depth knowledge of using fission energy in space exploration.
Radiological Engineering
The radiological engineering concentration focuses on how nuclear energy and radiation are developed and used in a variety of industries.
Why Study Nuclear Engineering at UT?
Nuclear engineering is such a diverse field, enabling you to pursue what interests you the most. Specifically within our nuclear engineering PhD program, you can gain expertise in fuel cycles, fusion technology, health physics, nuclear security, and more. You’ll have the opportunity to study under our esteemed faculty members who have diverse research expertise and are considered national and global leaders in the nuclear field. In addition to having a variety of research areas to pursue and excellent leadership, our department offers competitive Graduate Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Research Assistantships. We believe in supporting our students as they study to obtain their PhD in nuclear engineering.
What can you do with a MS in Nuclear Engineering after graduation?
What you can do with your nuclear engineering PhD depends on what research you’ve participated in and have interest in. You could go on to work on using nuclear energy for clean power sources or space exploration. You could pursue academia and continue to perform research and mold the new generation of nuclear engineers. If you enjoy working with reactors, you could design, build, run, and regulate nuclear power plants. The possibilities of a PhD in nuclear engineering are expansive.
Featured Courses
Below are some of the courses that students in our program can choose to take. For a list of courses, visit the Graduate Catalog.
NE 530 Nuclear Security Science and Analysis
As you’re taking this course, you’ll gain an understanding of nuclear threats and the evolution of nuclear threats to present day, as well as Issues and strategies in detecting nuclear threats.
NE 542 Management of Radioactive Materials
Technology for processing, treatment, handling and storage of radioactive nuclides. Analytical and numerical methods for evaluating environmental impact of radioactive materials. Licensing and regulation issues.
NE 585 Process System Reliability and Safety
This class covers the qualitative and quantitative techniques for assessing and improving process systems reliability and safety.
NE 635 Nuclear Forensics
As the introduction to nuclear forensics, this course dives into the principles of isotopic signatures and their origins, ultra-trace radiochemical separations, and isotope measurements via nuclear counting and mass spectrometry.
Related Programs
Still choosing the right program for you? Here are some related programs to nuclear engineering:
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