Nuclear engineers are in high demand. Utility companies, government energy and defense agencies, national laboratories, nuclear plant designing firms and other private companies employ our graduates. They tackle issues in consumer and industrial power, space exploration, water supply, food supply safety, health and transportation. As nuclear engineers, you may develop designs for nuclear power plants, apply radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, support nuclear energy systems to reduce environmental pollution from fossil fuels, or develop power systems to fuel satellites and deep space probes. Your career options are limitless.

Our Department of Nuclear Engineering operated the nations’ first nuclear reactor and established the first university nuclear engineering educational curriculum. We now operate a one-megawatt PULSTAR reactor for design and operation courses, as well as for service and research activities. Other facilities include several plasma applications research labs, radiochemistry labs, numerous high power engineering graphic workstations and high-speed data systems.

Courses include:

Intro to Nuclear Engineering, Fundamentals of Nuclear Energy, Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Reactor Energy Conversion, Radiation Safety & Shielding or Nuclear Fuel Cycles, Reactor Systems, Nuclear Materials or Nuclear Fuel Cycle or Electromagnetism I, Senior Design Project(see note)

Note-The senior design project in nuclear engineering is a two semester long activity, with one credit hour senior design prep in the fall followed by three credit hours in the spring semester, involving a team of students involved in the design of practical nuclear engineering systems. Current and future systems are emphasized, and use of computers encouraged. A written report and presentation are included.

Additional Information:

A Closer Look at Engineering

In’s and Out’s of Engineering CODA

Video-Nuclear Engineering at NC State

Video-Engineering Majors Exploration

Video-The Creativity of Engineering at NC State

14 Grand Challenges for Engineering 

College	College of Engineering
Discipline	Engineering
Academic Department	Nuclear Engineering
Departmental Contact	Dr. Lisa Marshall
Major Overview	Nuclear Engineering
Plan Requirements	Nuclear Engineering
Semester Sequence	Nuclear Engineering
Related Majors	None
Minors	Nuclear Engineering
Related Minors	None
Skills You Could Develop	Design Problem solving Technical Communication Accuracy of Recording and Reporting
Learn More About This Major	Nuclear Engineering Nuclear Engineering-Student Organizations
Career Titles	Nuclear Engineer
Learn More About Careers	Make Your Career Goals a Reality-Career Development Center Careers in the Nuclear Industry American Nuclear Society Nuclear Energy Institute National Association of Power Engineers National Society of Professional Engineers Career One Stop Videos Occupational Outlook Handbook