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Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
214 Nuclear Engineering Laboratory
103 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2295
Fax: (217) 333-2906
E-mail: nuclear@uiuc.edu
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering is a branch of engineering
that is concerned with the development and use of nuclear energy and
radiation sources for a wide variety of applications in energy production,
in materials processing and science, and for biomedical and industrial
uses. Areas of interest include the continued safe and reliable application
of fission reactors as central electric power plant thermal sources;
plasma processing applications and the longer term development of
fusion reactors for electric power generation; and the use of radiation
sources in such areas as materials, biological systems, medical treatment,
radiation instrumentation, environmental systems, and activation analysis.
Educational Objectives
Students pursuing the curriculum in nuclear, plasma, and radiological
engineering should develop a comprehensive understanding of basic
sciences, basic engineering, and advanced technical areas specific
to nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering and the means to
employ these principles in engineering practice. This should include
the ability to synthesize various concepts in engineering design and
in the development of new engineering concepts, understanding, and
applications. Students should develop a broad university-level understanding
and appreciation of social and behavioral sciences, humanities, human
cultures, and advanced communications skills consistent with the principles
of general education. Students should also develop an appreciation
of their abilities to contribute to society through ethical engineering
practice. The curriculum should provide a large, flexible selection
of both technical and free electives, which enables students to emphasize
breadth or depth of study or both in their chosen field of concentration.
The curriculum should prepare its graduates not only to enter directly
into a wide variety of careers in nuclear, plasma, and radiological
engineering but also to continue advanced professional study at the
graduate level. The curriculum should prepare students, regardless
of their chosen career path, to continue their professional development
throughout their careers.
Educational Outcomes
The nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering degree program seeks
to produce graduates who are able to:
- understand and apply principal concepts in mathematics, physics,
chemistry and engineering sciences,
- understand and apply principal concepts in the area of radiation
sources, interactions, and transport,
- understand and apply advanced engineering concepts in their
chosen area of professional concentration, consistent with full
preparation for graduate-level, advanced professional study in
that or other areas,
- comprehend and apply computational techniques,
- communicate effectively verbally and in writing,
- analyze engineering problems, think critically and inventively
about solutions to engineering problems, and use judgment to formulate
effective approaches to solutions,
- address more complex engineering problems by synthesizing and
adapting knowledge from several areas and use this approach effectively
in engineering design,
- incorporate a perspective about ethical, social, and cultural
values and an international perspective into their engineering
practice,
- maintain a professional outlook that embodies continued learning
and professional development throughout their professional lives,
- appreciate an appropriate variety of basic and advanced concepts
in other disciplines (i.e. general education),
- work effectively alone, in small groups, and in larger interdisciplinary
groups.
The Curriculum
The first two years of the curriculum provides a strong foundation
in basic sciences (physics, mathematics, and chemistry), engineering
sciences (analytical mechanics and thermodynamics), an introduction
to digital computer use, and introduction to nuclear energy systems.
Most technical concentration takes place in the third and fourth years
of the curriculum according to the educational and career interest
of the students. The curriculum provides three professional concentration
areas: power, safety and the environment; plasma and fusion science
and engineering; and radiological, medical, and instrumentation applications.
Each concentration area follows flexibility in developing advanced
technical expertise but also requires depth of understanding in the
area. The third path meets all pre-med requirements and facilitates
the minor in bioengineering. To complete this concentration area,
students should take certain chemistry and biology courses in the
first two years of the curriculum.
The curriculum requires 128 hours for graduation.
Suggested Sequence
First year
| Hours |
First Semester |
| 3 |
CHEM 102—General Chemistry
I |
| 1 |
CHEM 103—General Chemistry
Lab I |
| 0 |
ENG 100—Engineering Lecture |
| 5 |
MATH 220—Calculus I |
| 1 |
NPRE 100—Orient to Nucl Plasma
Rad Eng |
| 4-3 |
RHET 105—Principles of Composition1
or Free elective 2, 3 |
| 3 |
Elective in social sciences or humanities4 |
| 17-16 |
Total |
| Hours |
Second Semester |
| 3 |
CS 101—Intro to Computing,
Eng & Sci 5 |
| 3 |
MATH 230—Calculus II |
| 4 |
PHYS 211—Univ Physics, Mechanics
|
| 3 |
Elective in social sciences or humanities4 |
| 3-4 |
Free elective 2,3
or RHET 105—Principles of Composition1 |
| 16-17 |
Total |
Second year
| Hours |
First Semester |
| 3 |
MATH 242—Calculus of Several
Variables |
| 4 |
PHYS 212—Univ Physics, Elec
& Mag |
| 2 |
TAM 210—Introduction to Statics |
| 3 |
NPRE concentration elective6 |
| 3 |
Elective in social sciences or humanities4 |
| 15 |
Total |
| Hours |
Second Semester |
| 2 |
AE 252—Intro to Aerospace Dynamics |
| 3 |
MATH 385—Intro Differential
Equations |
| 3 |
ME 300—Thermodynamics |
| 2 |
PHYS 214—Univ Physics, Quantum
Phys |
| 3 |
NPRE 247—Modeling Nuclear Energy
System |
| 3 |
Elective in social sciences or humanities4 |
| 16 |
Total |
Third year
| Hours |
First Semester |
| 3 |
ECE 205—Intro Elec & Electr
Circuits |
| 1 |
ECE 206—Intro Elec & Electr
Ckts Lab |
| 3 |
MATH 380—Advanced Calculus |
| 3 |
NPRE 446—Prin Rad Interact
Matter, I |
| 4–3 |
TAM 335—Introductory Fluid
Mechanics or ME 310—Introductory Gas Dynamics or elective
in radiological, medical, and instrumentation application7 |
| 3 |
Elective in social sciences or humanities4 |
| 17–16 |
Total |
| Hours |
Second Semester |
| 3 |
NPRE 421—Plasma and Fusion
Science6 |
| 3 |
NPRE 447—Prin Rad Interact
Matter, I |
| 3 |
NPRE 451—Nucl Plasma Rad Eng
Lab |
| 3 |
NPRE 455—Neutron Diffusion
& Transport |
| 2 |
NPRE concentration elective6 |
| 3 |
Free elective2 |
| 17 |
Total |
Fourth year
| Hours |
First Semester |
| 3 |
NPRE 431—Materials in Nuclear
Eng |
| 3 |
NPRE 448—Nuclear Sys Eng and
Design |
| 6-7 |
NPRE concentration elective6 |
| 3 |
Elective in social sciences or humanities4 |
| 15–16 |
Total |
| Hours |
Second Semester |
| 3 |
NPRE 441—Prin of Radiation
Protection |
| 4 |
NPRE 458—Design in Nucl Plasma
Rad Eng |
| 8 |
NPRE concentration elective6 |
| 15 |
Total |
1. RHET 105 may be taken in the
first or second semester of the first year as authorized. The alternative
is a free elective.
2. A total of 6 hours of electives are free to be selected by the
students.
3. Consideration should be given to NPRE 101-Introduction to Energy
Sources, as a free elective in the freshman or sophomore year. Alternately,
free elective hours provide a means to fulfill requirements for the
Bioengineering minor or the Computer Science minor without excessive
additional hours beyond the normal degree requirements.
4. Each student is required to select 18 hours, including ECON 102
or 103, from the campus general education approved list of social
science and humanities electives.
5. Students may elect to take CS 125-Intro to Computer Science, in
place of CS 101-Intro to Computing, Eng & Sci. The extra hour
will be taken from the NPRE concentration electives.
6. A student must fulfill the NPRE professional concentration requirement
by taking the required technical courses and technical elective courses
in one of the three professional concentration areas: Power, Safety,
and the Environment; Plasma and Fusion Science Engineering; or Radiological,
Medical, and Instrumentation Applications.
7. Students in the Power, Safety, and the Environment and in the Plasma
and Fusion Science Engineering concentration paths must take a fluid
mechanics course and NPRE 421-Plasma and Fusion Science. Students
in the Radiological, Medical, and Instrumentation Applications concentration
path must select courses from their technical elective sequences. Professional Concentration Areas
Students must fulfill the professional concentration area requirements
by completing the required courses and technical elective course requirements
in one of the three areas of professional concentration: power, safety,
and the environment; plasma and fusion science and engineering; or
radiological, medical, and instrumentation applications. The number
of required technical course and technical elective course hours is
26 semester hours. The course requirements for each area are indicated
below.
Students are encouraged to follow the example sequences of technical
elective courses to develop a solid background in one of the various
technical concentration areas. Students must select a set of technical
elective courses to build depth in a specific area, rather than select
introductory courses in each of several subfields. The student's academic
advisor must approve the student's course sequence to insure that
a strong technical concentration program is achieved.
Power, Safety, and the Environment
NPRE students who wish to specialize in the Power, Safety, and the
Environment option must take 8 to 9 hours of required engineering
courses and select 17 or 18 hours of technical electives as described
here:
Required Courses
Students must take a fluid mechanics course (3 or 4 hrs.), a plasma
and fusion engineering course (3 hrs.), and an advanced laboratory
course (2 hrs.):
| Hours |
Required Courses |
| 4 |
TAM 335—Introductory Fluid
Mechanics or ME 310—Introductory Gas Dynamics |
| 3 |
NPRE/ECE 421/PHYS 479—Plasma
and Fusion Science |
| 2 |
NPRE 453—Nuclear Reactor Laboratory
or NPRE 432—Nuclear Eng Materials Lab |
Electives
Students must take a minimum of six hours from the following list:
| Hours |
NPRE Electives |
| 2–3 |
NPRE 201—Energy Systems |
| 3 |
NPRE 412—Nuclear Power Econ
& Fuel Mgmt |
| 2 |
NPRE 442—Radioactive Waste
Management |
| 3 |
NPRE 457—Safety Anlys Nucl
Reactor Sys |
| 3 |
NPRE/GLBL 480—Topics in Energy
Security |
| 3 |
NPRE/GLBL 481—Writ Sem on Tech
& Security |
| 1 |
NPRE/GLBL 482—Miltry &
Civ Uses Nucl Energy |
| 1 |
NPRE/GLBL 483—Seminar on Security |
| 3 |
NPRE 498—Special Topics (Contact
the undergraduate studies office of the department for a current
list of approved topics and course sections.) |
Students must select the remaining 11 to 12 hours of technical electives
from the following lists, or course sequences that provide similar
depth in a single discipline:
| Hours |
Thermal Sciences |
| 4 |
ME 320—Heat Transfer |
| 3 |
ME 400—Energy Conversion Systems |
| 3 |
ME 402—Design of Thermal Systems |
| 4 |
ME 404—Intermediate Thermodynamics |
| 4 |
ME 410—Intermediate Gas Dynamics |
| 4 |
ME 411—Viscous Flow and Heat
Transfer |
| 4 |
ME 420—Intermediate Heat Transfer |
| Hours |
Power and Control Systems |
| 3 |
ECE 329—Intro Electromagnetic
Fields |
| 4 |
ECE 410—Digital Signal Processing,
I |
| 3 |
ECE 430—Power Ckts & Electromechanics |
| 3 |
ECE 476—Power System Analysis |
| 4 |
ECE 486—Control Systems |
| Hours |
Solid, Fluid and Continuum Mechanics |
| 3 |
TAM 251—Introductory Solid
Mechanics |
| 1 |
TAM 252—Solid Mechanics Design
|
| 3 |
TAM 424—Mechanics of Structural
Metals |
| 4 |
TAM 435—Intermediate Fluid
Mechanics |
| 4 |
TAM 445—Continuum Mechanics |
| 4 |
TAM 451—Intermediate Solid
Mechanics |
| 3 |
TAM 456—Experimental Stress
Analysis |
| Hours |
Computational Sciences and Engineering |
| 3 |
CS 257—Numerical Methods |
| 3 |
CSE 401/CS/MATH 450/ECE 491—Intro
to Numerical Analysis |
| 3 |
CSE 411/CS/MATH 455—Numerical
Methods for PDEs |
| 3 |
CSE 412/CS/MATH 458—Numerical
Linear Algebra |
| 3 |
CSE 413/CS/MATH 459—Numerical
Approx and ODEs |
| 3 |
ME 471—Intro to Finite Element
Anlys |
| Hours |
Environmental Engineering and Science |
| 3 |
CEE 201—Systems Engrg &
Economics |
| 3 |
CEE 330—Environmental Engineering |
| 3 |
CEE 437—Water Quality Engineering |
| 2 or 4 |
CEE 443—Env Eng Principles,
Chemical |
| 3 |
CEE 444—Env Eng Principles,
Biological |
| 3 |
CEE 445—Air Quality Modeling |
| 3 |
CEE 446—Air Quality Engineering |
| 3 |
CEE 447—Atmospheric Chemistry |
Plasma and Fusion Science and Engineering
NPRE students who wish to specialize in the Plasma and Fusion Science
and Engineering option are required to take two plasma courses (6
hrs.), a fluid mechanics course (3 or 4 hrs.), an advanced plasmas
laboratory course (2 hrs.), and select the remaining 14 or 15 hours
of technical electives as described below.
Required Courses
| Hours |
Required Courses |
| 3 |
NPRE/ECE 421/PHYS 479—Plasma
and Fusion Science |
| 3 |
NPRE 429—Plasma Engineering |
| 4 |
TAM 335—Introductory Fluid
Mechanics or ME 310—Introductory Gas Dynamics |
| 2 |
NPRE 423—Plasma Laboratory |
Technical Electives
14 or 15 hours must be selected from the following lists, or course
sequences that provide similar depth in a single discipline.
| Hours |
Physical Science Electives |
| 3 |
CHEM 104—General Chemistry
II (Physical Version) |
| 1 |
CHEM 105—General Chemistry
Lab II (Physical Version) |
| 3 |
PHYS 435—Electromagnetic Fields
I |
| 3 |
PHYS 436—Electromagnetic Fields
II |
| 4 |
PHYS 460—Condensed Matter Physics |
| Hours |
Electrical Engineering Electives |
| 3 |
ECE 329—Intro Electromagnetic
Fields |
| 3 |
ECE 440—Solid State Electronic
Devices |
| 3 |
ECE 441—Physcs & Modeling
Semicond Dev |
| 4 |
ECE 444—IC Device Theory &
Fabrication |
| 3 |
ECE 484—Prin Adv Microelec
Processing |
| Hours |
Electronic Materials Electives |
| 3 |
MSE 304—Electronic Properties
of Matls |
| 3 |
MSE 403—Synthesis of Materials |
| 3 |
MSE 460—Electronic Matis &
Proc, I |
| 3 |
MSE 461—Electronic Matis &
Proc, II |
| 3 |
MSE 462—Electronic Materials
Lab |
Radiological, Medical and Instrumentation Applications
NPRE students who wish to specialize in the Radiological, Medical
and Instrumentation Applications option must take the required advanced
radiological engineering course (3 hrs.) and one of the required advanced
laboratory courses (2 hrs.) and select 21 to 22 hours of technical
electives as described below.
| Hours |
Radiological Engineering Required Courses |
| 3 |
NPRE 435—Prin Imaging w Ionizing
Rad |
| 2 |
NPRE 444—Nuclear Analytical
Methods Lab or MCB 403—Cell & Membrane Physiology Lab
* |
Technical Electives
21 to 22 hours must be selected from the following lists, or course
sequences that provide similar depth in a single discipline. The initial
list contains technical courses that are prerequisite for the more
advanced sequences.
| Hours |
Common Engineering and Technical Electives |
| 1 |
BIOE 120—Introduction to Bioengineering |
| 3 |
CHEM 104—General Chemistry
II |
| 1 |
CHEM 105—General Chemistry
Lab II |
| 3 |
CHEM 232—Elementary Organic
Chemistry I |
| 2 |
CHEM 233—Elementary Organic
Chem Lab I |
| 4 |
IB 150—Organismal & Evolutionary
Biol |
| 1 |
IB 151—Organismal & Evol
Biol Lab |
| 4 |
MCB 150—Molec & Cellular
Basis of Life |
| 1 |
MCB 151—Molec & Cellular
Laboratory |
| 4 |
ME 310—Introductory Gas Dynamics |
| 3 |
NPRE/ECE 421/PHYS 479—Plasma
and Fusion Science |
| 4 |
TAM 335—Introductory Fluid
Mechanics |
| Hours |
Biomolecular Engineering Electives |
| 1 |
BIOE 120—Introduction to Bioengineering |
| 3 |
BIOEN 414—Biomedical Instrumentation or
BIOE 472—Techniques in Biomolecular Eng |
| 3 |
CHEM 232—Elementary Organic
Chemistry I |
| 3 |
MCB 450—Introductory Biochemistry |
| 3 |
MCB 401—Cell & Membrane
Physiology or BIOP 401 Introduction to Biophysics |
| 2 |
MCB 403—Cell & Membrane
Physiology Lab |
| 3 |
NPRE 441—Prin of Radiation
Protection |
| Hours |
Biomedical Engineering Electives |
| 1 |
BIOE 120—Introduction to Bioengineering |
| 3 |
CHEM 232—Elementary Organic
Chemistry I |
| 3 |
ECE/BIOE 280—Biomedical Imaging |
| 3 |
ECE/BIOE 414—Biomedical Instrumentation
or BIOE 472 Techniques in Biomolecular Eng |
| 2 |
ECE/BIOE 415—Biomedical Instrumentation
Lab |
| 3 |
ECE/BIOE 480—Magnetic Resonance
Imaging |
| 3 |
MCB 401—Cell & Membrane
Physiology or BIOP 401—Introduction to Biophysics |
| 3 |
MCB 402—Sys & Integrative
Physiology |
| 2 |
MCB 403—Cell & Membrane
Physiology Lab |
| 2 |
MCB 404—Sys & Integrative
Physiol Lab or MCB 103—Intro to Human Physiology |
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