Nuclear Engineering Jobs: Hours, Descriptions, & More

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around career prospects in nuclear engineering, including job descriptions, working hours, and distinctions between roles within the field. Participants explore the nature of jobs available to nuclear engineering graduates and the differences between nuclear physicists and nuclear engineers.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses interest in nuclear engineering but is concerned about working hours, asking if there are jobs with better hours.
  • Another participant notes that in facilities requiring 24/7 staffing, at least 25% of jobs offer decent shifts, suggesting that there are options with reasonable hours.
  • A question is raised about the differences between nuclear physicists and nuclear engineers, with a suggestion that experimentalists in the field should also understand theoretical aspects.
  • It is proposed that nuclear physicists typically investigate new laws of nuclear physics, while nuclear engineers apply known principles to design and operate nuclear power plants safely.
  • A later reply emphasizes the challenge of balancing the roles of experimentalist and theorist due to employer expectations, noting that few employers support dual roles.
  • One participant counters with an anecdote about Einstein, suggesting that it is possible to manage multiple roles despite differing workloads.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best job roles or working hours in nuclear engineering, and there are differing views on the relationship between nuclear physicists and engineers, as well as the feasibility of balancing experimental and theoretical work.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about job availability and working conditions are not fully explored, and the discussion reflects varying perspectives on the roles and responsibilities of nuclear physicists versus engineers.

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Hello, I am very interested in majoring in nuclear engineering. I not sure which jobs stand out to me but I've been attracted to most of the job descriptions I've looked at. The only things is from what I gather the hours are not good. Are there generally some jobs in the field with solid hours? Also, if you are/know someone in nuclear engineering how do you like it? Tell me a bit about what you do?
 
In jobs where the facility needs to be staffed 24/7, at least 25% of the jobs are the decent shifts.

Of course, there are other jobs too with decent working hours with that degree.
 
What's the difference between nuclear physicist and nuclear engineer?

And can't an experimentalist in this field also be a theorist?

I mean every experimentalist should know the theory like the theorist, while the theorist doesn't need to know how to deal with experiment apparatus.
 
MathematicalPhysicist said:
What's the difference between nuclear physicist and nuclear engineer?

And can't an experimentalist in this field also be a theorist?

I mean every experimentalist should know the theory like the theorist, while the theorist doesn't need to know how to deal with experiment apparatus.

In most cases nuclear physicists are investigating new laws of nuclear physics. Whereas, nuclear engineers are using known operational principles of nuclear power plants to design and safely operate them.

While experimentalists can also be theorists, one must pay sufficient attention to what one is being paid to do and the expectations of the employer. It can be challenging to satisfy the demands of the employer with enough time left over to pursue alternate interests. Very few employers pay folks to be both experimentalists and theorists.
 
Well if we take anecdotes, Einstein was paid to be a patent clerk, and still found the time to write his papers and phd.

Yeah I know different workload.
 

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