Electric Power & Machines BSc Possible Nuclear Engineering MSc ?

[xhatemx]

I'm a fresh graduate with a BSc degree in Electric Power & Machines. However, my MSc thesis should be nuclear related due to some issues with my university.

What do you think a proper field of research in Nuclear Engineering where I could use my BSc electric power background ?

It worth mentioning that my current MSc courses are directed towards ElectroMagnetic Fields and High Voltage technology.

Hatem

 

[xhatemx]

I'm sorry if posting this breaks any of the forum rules but I need to take a decision soon.

 

[MATLABdude]

The following advice has the caveat that YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary (depending upon locale, country, scope of research, and whether or not the University/country considers a MSc to be a junior Ph.D. or a consolation prize). Also, I'm just a lowly electronics type in a Canadian University.

I presume that your M.Sc. entails research of some sort or other, and that you're enrolled in a nuclear engineering M.Sc. program, in which you'd like to use your power engineering background (that or I completely mis-interpreted what you said and you want to leverage your power engineering to get you into nuclear engineering). There is always the option of changing your thesis topic / advisor.

I'd suggest that maybe you could focus on the power generation aspects of nuclear technology; most are just radioactive boilers (that sometimes boil sodium or some such instead of water) hooked up to turbines. In gross over-simplified terms, anyways.

If the nuclear engineering route is what you wish to pursue, I'd strongly recommend talking with faculty (and prospective advisors, if you don't already have one) at your university regarding possible specific projects and research directions. There are nuclear physicists and engineers on PhysicsForums, and perhaps one will weigh in; that probably doesn't replace the consultation with your (prospective) advisor(s).

Good luck!

 

[xhatemx]

Thank you MATLABdude. Very helpful.

I didn't want to bother you with the reason why I'm obliged to pursue a Nuclear Engineering route, but here it is:

My University has a plan to initiate a Nuclear Engineering department in 4 years. They have selected fresh graduates from Electric & Mechanical Power departments to be the future staff of the Nuclear department. That being said, I have to switch my study. The complex problem is that almost none of my University staff is into Nuclear Engineering, so I don't have anyone to seek his advice regarding possible research directions.

 

[MATLABdude]

Thank you MATLABdude. Very helpful.

I didn't want to bother you with the reason why I'm obliged to pursue a Nuclear Engineering route, but here it is:

My University has a plan to initiate a Nuclear Engineering department in 4 years. They have selected fresh graduates from Electric & Mechanical Power departments to be the future staff of the Nuclear department. That being said, I have to switch my study. The complex problem is that almost none of my University staff is into Nuclear Engineering, so I don't have anyone to seek his advice regarding possible research directions.

I'm no university president / faculty dean / department head, but this sounds completely bass-ackwards from how it should be done (hire the faculty with experience, insights and ideas, and then have them recruit and train graduate students). If you don't mind me asking, what country / university is this?

 

[xhatemx]

I totally agree but they have their reasons. The system here runs in a very different way than yours. Moreover, as a developing country we don't really have those faculty with nuclear experience. The only other possible solution was hiring foreign faculty which is not acceptable also.

It's Cairo University