Nuclear Engineering: Top 10 Schools, Pay, Jobs & More

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the field of nuclear engineering, specifically focusing on educational pathways, job prospects, salary expectations, and the nature of work in this discipline. Participants explore various aspects including top schools, starting salaries, and potential employers, while also touching on related fields and the implications of nuclear technology.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the top 10 schools for nuclear engineering and expresses uncertainty about job prospects and salary ranges.
  • Another participant suggests consulting the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on engineering careers, specifically nuclear engineering.
  • Concerns are raised regarding the salary differences between petroleum engineering and nuclear engineering, with one participant noting that a bachelor's in petroleum yields higher starting wages than a master's in nuclear engineering.
  • A participant from Australia mentions the lack of nuclear engineering programs at universities and their alternative plan to study electrical engineering with a focus on nuclear-related electives.
  • Some participants discuss the potential job opportunities in power plants and government roles related to weapons development, with differing views on the necessity of developing new nuclear weapons.
  • There is a debate about the current state of nuclear weapons development, with some arguing that existing capabilities are sufficient while others suggest ongoing needs for modernization.
  • One participant highlights that a degree in nuclear engineering can lead to careers outside of power plants or weapons, such as medical physics and radiation safety, and notes the demand for medical physicists.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of diversifying coursework in engineering to enhance job prospects and salary potential.
  • Some participants share links to other threads and resources related to nuclear engineering and sustainable energy studies.
  • Questions arise about the possibility of working on non-nuclear weapons and the interest of military branches in hiring nuclear engineers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the job market and educational pathways in nuclear engineering, with no clear consensus on the best schools or the future of nuclear weapons development. The discussion includes both supportive and critical perspectives on the current state of the field.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the cancellation of nuclear engineering programs at various schools and the potential for nuclear power to make a comeback, indicating a dynamic and uncertain landscape in the field.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in pursuing a career in nuclear engineering, those considering educational options in related fields, and professionals exploring job opportunities in energy or defense sectors may find this discussion relevant.

sublime
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well, I frequently view these forums, and you guys are pretty smart so i was wondering. If i were to become a nuclear engineer, what are the top 10 schools? what kinda pay is there, starting and w/ experience. where can I find jobs? who would i usually wokr for, and what would i actually be doing. I think i may want to go into it, but can't get a lot of detail. Thanks in advance
 
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sublime said:
well, I frequently view these forums, and you guys are pretty smart so i was wondering. If i were to become a nuclear engineer, what are the top 10 schools? what kinda pay is there, starting and w/ experience. where can I find jobs? who would i usually wokr for, and what would i actually be doing. I think i may want to go into it, but can't get a lot of detail. Thanks in advance

Some of your questions can be answered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage for Engineers:http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm

The page is subdivided into different fields of engineering. Just look for Nuclear Engineering in each section to find information specific to your field.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for the link.

Isnt it a bit strange that undert he average starting wages, a bachelors in petroleum will get you paid 3.5 thousand MORE than a masters
 
In Australia I don't seem to be able to find any university that offer's Nuclear Engineering. Therefore I have applied todo a combined Electrical Engineering and Science. I was then intending that all my science electives were nuclear related. I was doing so in the attempt to achieve the same out come if i was doing Nuclear Engineering.
 
You will have a hard time finding a "bad" school that has nuclear engeering program because most schools have canceled their programs years ago. Wit the recent energy projections, many people believe that nuclear power might make a comeback but don't hold your breath if you are an American.

You would most likely work in a power plant.
 
or get hired by the government to develop weapons
 
What? Don't you know that we already have enough weapons to end the world with the turn of a key and a couple of codes; what is there to develop?
 
bigger weapons to destroy thoes weapons in other countries
 
Perhaps you misunderstood, we already have the capability to effectivly end the world if we are attcked, there is no reason to spend any more money to develop more powerful weapons. At least not nuclear.
 
  • #11
TMFKAN64 said:
Clearly, JSBeckton, you have no future in government. :smile:

http://origin.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_4935317 tells the story of the most recent round of nuclear weapon development.

Clearly you saw that the article says that no weapons have been produced in decades, this is only a proposal.

Did you ever wonder where the money came from that was used to develop the B2 and Stealth Bomber? Don't always assume that your getting what's on the box. Silly rabbit.

And I do work for the government.
 
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  • #12
yeah but all of our nukes are going to go bad in about 15 years, so were planning on designing newer nukes that would be more efficient and thus leave less fallout.

And let's face it the knowledge that nuclear weapons exist in the numbers required to destroy the world keeps the industrialized world at peace. (notice how the last major war between the industrialized powers occurred 60 years ago and ended almost the moment nuclear weapons came onto the scene)
 
  • #13
A degree in nuclear engineering also does not necessarily mean you end up in power plants or working on weapons development. The nuclear engineering department at Ohio State has specialties in medical physics and instrumentation, as well as radiation safety (and all the normal ones that have you either directly or indirectly working for power/the government). Medical physicists are going to be in demand and pay pretty decently (though a better track for a medical physicist is through a medicine department).
 
  • #14
daveb said:
though a better track for a medical physicist is through a medicine department

Exactly, and if you go to Ohio State you will probably not get a job anyways.

Go Blue!
 
  • #15
Try these threads:

I want to be a nuclear engineer..

Nuclear Engineering - Grad School R.O.I.?

NRC, Vendors and utilities are hiring. Starting salaries are among the highest for engineering discplines.

I would recommend to anyone wanting to major in NE, one should diversify the coursework, i.e. take the harder ME, EE, CS/CE, CiVE, and MatSci courses. NE curricula usually include the ME (Thermodynamics/Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics, maybe MatSci), EE (Circuit Analysis and Electric Power), CE (programming languages) and CE (stress/strain and basic structural analysis). At the university where I studied NE, the MatSci courses were in the Mech Eng department, but that may have changed.

Anyone interested in ME/CivE/NE/AeroE needs a strong background in numerial simulations, i.e. one needs to know the physics behind complex systems which included numerical solutions are coupled PDE's for BV/IV problems. Many engineering fields use dynamic multiphyiscs codes these days for analysis as well as design.

The more skills one has, the greater the salary and opportunities. If one can do non-linear finite element analysis, one will find one is in demand at many places.
 
  • #17
is it possible to work on weapons besides nukes? do the army, navy, air force, and other research labs look for NEs?
 
  • #18
JSBeckton said:
Exactly, and if you go to Ohio State you will probably not get a job anyways.

Go Blue!

Haha. That's harsh.
 

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