Graduate Program
Graduate Faculty Advisor
Adam Hecht
Application Deadlines
| Fall semester: | July 15 |
| Spring semester: | November 10 |
| Summer session: | April 29 |
NOTE: Deadlines for international applicants are given elsewhere in this Catalog.
Degrees Offered
- Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering (M.S.)
Concentrations: Entrepreneurship and Technology Management; Medical Physics; Radiation Protection Engineering. - Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (Ph.D.)
Concentration: Nuclear Engineering.
Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program
Undergraduate students in the School of Engineering may seek admission to the M.S. in Nuclear Engineering under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog for specific admission information and requirements.
Interdisciplinary Program
Computational Science and Engineering: The Computational Science and Engineering interdisciplinary graduate certificate program prepares students to effectively use high-performance computing within their disciplines and is open to graduate students in this department. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog.
Information
The nuclear engineering research graduate programs at the University of New Mexico include nuclear criticality safety, radiation transport, reactor theory, single and two-phase flow in microgravity, space nuclear power, thermal-hydraulics, fusion energy, accelerator physics and engineering, occupational and environmental radiation protection, plasma physics, nuclear activation diagnostics, high energy density physics, reactor and shielding design, nuclear fuel irradiation behavior, theoretical and numerical methods in neutral and stochastic transport theory, charged particle transport, model-reference adaptive control of nuclear power plants, heat pipes for space application, computational methods for heat transfer and fluid flows, single phase laminar and combined flows, two-phase flows and probabilistic risk assessment.
The nuclear engineering laboratories are equipped with an AGN-201M nuclear training reactor; a hot cell facility with remote manipulators; a graphite pile; several solid-state detectors for alpha, beta and gamma radiation; computer-based data acquisition, analysis and control systems; and supporting radiation measurements systems. In addition to the well-equipped laboratories on campus, the advanced reactors and radiation equipment of Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, and the Air Force Research Laboratory are utilized for instruction and research. The laboratories provide not only experimental facilities but access to high-performance supercomputers for carrying on advanced computational physics.
The department maintains a computer pod for student use, equipped with PCs with a wide selection of software.
Additional information on programs and facilities may be obtained by contacting either the graduate advisor or the department chairperson.
Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Nuclear Engineering is a “traditional” nuclear engineering program. Graduates in engineering or science from any recognized college or university may apply for admission to graduate study in nuclear engineering. Students planning to do graduate work in nuclear engineering should focus on physics, mathematics and nuclear engineering in their undergraduate coursework in addition to acquiring competence in one of the branches of engineering or science. Undergraduate coursework in the following is recommended: atomic and nuclear physics, advanced applied mathematics, computer programming, thermodynamics and heat transfer, fluid mechanics, principles of circuits, materials science, nuclear measurements, reactor physics, and instrumentation.
A GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate study, and/or in previous engineering graduate study, is normally required for admission. In addition, the GRE is required of all Nuclear Engineering applicants.
The M.S. is offered under Plan I, Plan II, and Plan III options.
- Plan I (thesis) requires 30 credit hours with 24 credit hours of coursework and 6 credit hours of thesis. Of the 24 credit hours of coursework, a minimum of 9 credit hours is required at the 500-level with a maximum of 3 credit hours in problems courses.
- Plan II (non-thesis) requires 33 credit hours of coursework including a maximum of 6 credit hours for problems courses and a minimum of 12 credit hours in 500-level courses. Completion of a Master's project under the direction of a faculty member is also required.
- Plan III (coursework only) requires 30 credit hours of coursework including a maximum of 6 credit hours of problems courses.
A program that allows the Plan II to be completed in one calendar year is also offered. This program should be requested at the time of application and should begin in the summer or fall semester. The program typically includes a course load of 14 credit hours in the fall semester (two core courses, two electives and graduate seminar), 13 credit hours in the spring semester (two core courses, two electives and graduate seminar) and 6 credit hours in the summer semester (elective courses and/or individual problems).
Core Courses
| Credit Hours |
||
| NE 501 | Nuclear Engineering Seminar | 3 |
| NE 525 | Methods of Analysis in Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Engineering | 3 |
| Subtotal | 6 | |
| Choose two from the following: | ||
| NE 511 | Advanced Nuclear Reactor Theory | 3 |
| NE 520 | Radiation Interactions and Transport | 3 |
| NE 524 | Interaction of Radiation with Matter | 3 |
| NE 564 | Thermal-Hydraulics of Nuclear Systems | 3 |
| NE 571 | Radiation Damage in Materials | 3 |
| Subtotal | 6 |
A maximum of 3 credit hours of NE 501 can be applied towards the degree. Students who do not have a background in nuclear reactor theory are also required to take NE 410/510 Nuclear Reactor Theory (NE 410 must be a B or better). Additional coursework is chosen with the approval of the Graduate Advisor according to student interest in fusion, fission, or waste management areas. Students with undergraduate degree fields other than nuclear engineering may be required to take certain undergraduate background courses determined by the graduate advisor.
All candidates for the M.S. degree must satisfactorily pass a final examination which emphasizes the fundamental principles and applications of nuclear engineering. This examination is normally the thesis defense for Plan I students, and is normally based on a short-term project for Plan II students, including those in the one-year program. The examination is conducted by a committee of at least three faculty members. This committee is formed in consultation with the student’s research advisor or project advisor and is approved by the Department Chairperson.
Concentration in Entrepreneurship and Technology Management: For information and requirements, see the School of Engineering section of this Catalog.
Concentration in Medical Physics
The department offers a Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Program (CAMPEP) accredited masters-level concentration in Medical Physics. This concentration is intended to train graduate students to work in the radiological fields of medical imaging, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy. Students accepted into the program must have a strong foundation in basic physics, which will be demonstrated by an undergraduate degree in physics. Students with a degree in engineering, physical sciences, or allied sciences must have completed coursework that is equivalent of a minor in physics and include a two-semester calculus-based introductory physics course (total of 6 hours) and at least 3 upper-level undergraduate physics courses (at least 3 hours each) that would be required for a physics major/minor at the University of New Mexico. Courses will be evaluated against UNM physics courses and must be equivalent to UNM PHYS 301, 302, 303, 304, 330, 405, or 406. Commonly accepted courses include electricity & magnetism (PHYS 405), atomic physics, modern physics (PHYS 330), quantum mechanics, optics (PHYS 302), nuclear physics, heat & thermodynamics (PHYS 301), and advanced mechanics (PHYS 303)
Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering in the Medical Physics concentration requires 36 graduate credit hours. No electives are required in this curriculum but are encouraged. The Medical Physics concentration is a Plan II program and does not have a thesis option.
Requirements
| Credit Hours |
||
| First Year | Fall | |
| RADS *480 | Human Cross Sectional Anatomy | 3 |
| NE 523L | Environmental Measurements Laboratory | 3 |
| NE 524 | Interaction of Radiation with Matter | 3 |
| MPHY 505 | Topics: Journal Club | 1 |
| Total | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| MPHY 516 | Fundamentals of Medical Imaging | 3 |
| MPHY 517L | Medical Imaging Laboratory I | 1 |
| MPHY 527 | Radiation Biology for Engineers and Scientists | 3 |
| NE 528 | External Radiation Dosimetry | 3 |
| Total | 10 | |
| Second Year | Fall | |
| MPHY 518 | Advanced Medical Imaging | 3 |
| MPHY 519L | Medical Imaging Laboratory II MR Ultrasound and Nuclear Imaging Physics | 1 |
| MPHY 540 | Radiation Oncology Physics | 3 |
| MPHY 541L | Radiation Oncology Physics Laboratory | 3 |
| Total | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| NE 591 | Practicum | 6 |
| Total | 6 |
Concentration in Radiation Protection Engineering
The department offers a masters-level concentration in Radiation Protection Engineering (RPE). This concentration is intended to train people to work in the area of occupational and environmental health physics and leads to a terminal, professional master’s degree. The admissions requirements for this concentration differ from those of the traditional program. The prerequisites are: a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program OR a Bachelor’s degree including a minimum of one year of general college chemistry with laboratory, one year of general college physics with laboratory, one year of differential and integral calculus, a semester of differential equations, and 32 total credit hours of mathematics (calculus level or above) and science.
Students concentrating in the RPE program are required to take five core courses in health physics:
- NE 523L - Environmental Measurements Laboratory
- NE 524 - Interaction of Radiation with Matter
- NE/MPHY 527 - Radiation Biology for Engineers and Scientists
- NE 528 - External Radiation Dosimetry
- NE 529 - Internal Radiation Dosimetry
Another 12 credit hours of electives are required to complete the RPE coursework. These electives are chosen from areas of interest such as waste management, nuclear power or calculational methods. In addition to the 30 credit hours of courses, students must take 6 credit hours of NE 591 Practicum. The practicum involves a semester-long project in the area of health physics usually under the supervision of a certified health physicist. After completing the coursework and practicum, the student is awarded a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering with a radiation protection engineering (health physics) concentration. Graduates of the RPE concentration do not qualify for automatic admission to the Ph.D. program. They must fulfill all prerequisite requirements for the Ph.D. program before they may be admitted. The Radiation Protection Engineering concentration is a Plan II program and does not have a thesis option.
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
- Concentration in Nuclear Engineering
A GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate study, and/or in previous engineering graduate study, is normally required for admission. In addition, the GRE is required of all Nuclear Engineering applicants.
Course Requirements
In addition to the general University doctoral degree requirements listed in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog, students pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering must meet the following criteria:
- The coursework applied to the degree must include a minimum of 18 credit hours of 500-level or higher courses.
- A maximum of 6 credit hours of problems courses (NE 551/552) is allowed beyond the Master’s degree.
- All students are required to enroll in NE 501 every semester up to a maximum of eight semesters beyond the B.S.N.E., or four semesters beyond the Master’s degree.
- Up to 3 credit hours of NE 501 (not previously applied to the M.S.), or 6 credit hours total beyond the Bachelor's degree, may be applied toward the 48 credit coursework requirement for the Ph.D.
- Students are required to complete the nuclear engineering core courses listed below. Otherwise, no specific courses are required for doctoral students. Courses are selected by the student in consultation with the research advisor and Committee on Studies.
Core Courses
Students with an undergraduate degree in Nuclear Engineering and are admitted directly to the Ph.D. program are required to take:
| Credit Hours |
||
| NE 501 | Nuclear Engineering Seminar | 3 |
| NE 525 | Methods of Analysis in Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Engineering | 3 |
| Subtotal | 6 | |
| Choose two from the following: | ||
| NE 511 | Advanced Nuclear Reactor Theory | 3 |
| NE 520 | Radiation Interactions and Transport | 3 |
| NE 524 | Interaction of Radiation with Matter | 3 |
| NE 564 | Thermal-Hydraulics of Nuclear Systems | 3 |
| NE 571 | Radiation Damage in Materials | 3 |
| Subtotal | 6 |
Students admitted to the Ph.D. program with an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from another institution may use equivalent graduate-level courses to satisfy the core requirements. These courses must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Advisor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering.
Students admitted to the Ph.D. program with undergraduate or M.S. degrees in fields other than Nuclear Engineering may be required to take certain undergraduate background courses as determined by the Graduate Advisor.
Comprehensive Examination: The Comprehensive examination must be administered and passed in the same semester the Candidacy form is approved by the program faculty and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Defense of Dissertation: All candidates must pass a Final examination (Defense of Dissertation). The Dissertation Committee conducts the defense of the dissertation.
Courses
NE 101. Introduction to Nuclear Engineering. (1)
NE 213. Laboratory Electronics for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Engineers. (3)
NE 230. Principles of Radiation Protection. (3)
NE 231. Principles of Nuclear Engineering. (3)
NE 311. Introduction to Transport Phenomena. (3)
NE 312. Unit Operations. (3)
NE 313L. Introduction to Laboratory Techniques for Nuclear Engineering. (4)
NE 314. Thermodynamics and Nuclear Systems. (3)
NE 315. Nuclear Engineering Analysis and Calculations. (3)
NE **323L. Radiation Detection and Measurement. (4)
NE *330. Nuclear Engineering Science. (3)
NE 371. Nuclear Materials Engineering. (3)
NE 410 / 510. Nuclear Reactor Theory. (3)
NE *413L. Nuclear Engineering Laboratory I. (3)
NE 439 / 539. Radioactive Waste Management. (3)
NE 449. Seminar in Hazardous Waste Management. (1, no limit Δ)
NE 452. Senior Seminar. (1)
NE 462 / 562. Monte Carlo Techniques for Nuclear Systems. (3)
NE 464 / 564. Thermal-Hydraulics of Nuclear Systems. (3)
NE 468 / 568. Introduction to Space Nuclear Power. (3)
NE 470. Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials. (3)
NE *485. Fusion Technology. (3)
NE 491–492. Undergraduate Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ, 1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
NE 495–496. Nuclear Engineering Honors Problems I and II. (1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ, 1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
NE *497L. Nuclear Engineering Computational Methods. (3)
NE 498L. Nuclear Engineering Design. (3)
NE 499. Selected Topics. (1-3, no limit Δ)
NE 501. Nuclear Engineering Seminar. (1, no limit Δ)
NE 502. Nuclear Engineering Research Methods Seminar. (1, no limit Δ)
NE 508. Nuclear Engineering Research Seminar. (2, may be repeated nine times Δ)
NE 510 / 410. Nuclear Reactor Theory. (3)
NE 511. Advanced Nuclear Reactor Theory. (3)
NE 513L. Graduate Nuclear Engineering Laboratory. (1-4 to a maximum of 4 Δ)
NE 515. Special Topics. (1-3, no limit Δ)
NE 520. Radiation Interactions and Transport. (3)
NE 523L. Environmental Measurements Laboratory. (1-4 to a maximum of 4 Δ)
NE 524. Interaction of Radiation with Matter. (3)
NE 525. Methods of Analysis in Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Engineering. (3)
NE 527. Radiation Biology for Engineers and Scientists. (3)
NE 528. External Radiation Dosimetry. (3)
NE 529. Internal Radiation Dosimetry. (3)
NE 539 / 439. Radioactive Waste Management. (3)
NE 551–552. Problems. (1-3, no limit Δ; 1-3)
NE 562 / 462. Monte Carlo Techniques for Nuclear Systems. (3)
NE 564 / 464. Thermal-Hydraulics of Nuclear Systems. (3)
NE 568 / 468. Introduction to Space Nuclear Power. (3)
NE 571. Radiation Damage in Materials. (3)
NE 591. Practicum. (3 or 6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
NE 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)
NE 610. Advanced Methods in Radiation Transport. (3)
NE 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)
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Office of the Registrar
MSC11 6325
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Phone: (505) 277-8900
Fax: (505) 277-6809