2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Nuclear Engineering Minor

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus


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Program Coordinator/Contact

Robert McTaggart, Assistant Department Head and Program Coordinator
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics
Daktronics Engineering Hall 255
605-688-5428

Program Information

A minor in Nuclear Engineering can be beneficial to individuals who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in engineering, physical sciences, and health related fields or pre-professional programs; e.g. the nuclear power industry has strong demand for many different engineering majors (e.g. EE, ME, CE, etc.) that have a background that this minor provides. Nuclear Engineering is a broad multidisciplinary field that offers rewarding careers related to nuclear power, health physics, medical physics, nuclear and particle physics, and industrial applications such as sterilization of medical products or food irradiation. Students who complete the minor in nuclear engineering at SDSU will be well prepared for engineering/science careers or for graduate programs for advanced degrees related to nuclear engineering, health physics, medical physics, or physics.

Course Delivery Format

Instruction is mostly didactic (classroom) along with a field experience accomplished through the required internship/research experience. Students who are majoring in a field that requires a capstone/research design experience can often use that experience to fulfill the experiential requirement of the minor. Contact the program coordinator for details.

Student Learning Outcomes


Completion of the minor in Nuclear Engineering will enable students to:

  • Apply advanced mathematics, science, and/or engineering science to nuclear and/or radiological systems.
  • Measure nuclear and radiological processes.
  • Understand the biological effects of radiation and standard radiation safety practices.
  • Demonstrate competency in contemporary issues regarding nuclear power.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in an area of nuclear science.

Academic Requirements


Students planning a Nuclear Engineering minor must declare the minor and receive departmental approval for how they intend to fulfill the internship/research experience requirement. Contact the program coordinator if you are planning to graduate with this minor.

Internship/Research Requirement


The internship/research experience must be related to nuclear science or operations in the nuclear industry. Student must obtain prior approval for the experience from the Coordinator. Credits: 2-3

Total Required Credits: 18