PhD

Doctoral Program

Major Requirements

  • The Major is defined as "Nuclear Engineering", not the student's thesis specialty.
  • The Major consists of at least six courses in the field of Nuclear Engineering taken while in graduate standing either at UCB or at another institution.
  • At least four 200-level Nuclear Engineering courses taken at UCB must be included in the Major.
  • A 3.5 GPA in the Major is required.

All students must take at least 2 letter-grade NE courses during the first year as a graduate student.

For more information, see Guidelines and Procedures for Graduate Students

Minor Requirements: (Two minors required)

  • Each Minor should be in a distinct technical area and named (e.g., "Numerical Analysis", "Heat Transfer", "Plasma Physics").
  • At least one Minor (the "outside minor") should consist principally of non-Nuclear Engineering courses; this Minor may consist of three upper division courses. If at least one graduate course is part of this Minor, two courses are sufficient.
  • If a minor in Nuclear Engineering is selected, it must contain at least two courses, one of which must be a 200-level course.
  • A 3.0 GPA minimum is required in both Minors.

All courses taken to fulfill the Ph.D. course requirments must be letter-graded.

DEPARTMENTAL EXAMS REQUIRED FOR PH.D.

Screening Exam

Students must pass a written screening exam during the first year in graduate study. This exam which is based on undergraduate thermodynamics, nuclear materials, heat transfer and fluid mechanics, nuclear physics, neutronics, radiaoactive waste management and fusion theory. Four of the seven areas must be passed in order the pass the exam. There are two chances to pass.

Oral Exam

After completion of the coursework for the Ph.D. the student takes the Oral Exam. The content of the exam is usually a presentation of the student's research and questions relating the coursework in the outside minor. The exam committee is composed of 4 faculty members (normally three from the department, and a non-departmental faculty member who represents an outside minor.)

Ph.D. Dissertation

A dissertation on a subject chosen by the candidate, bearing on the principal subject of the student's major study and demonstrating the candidate's ability to carry out independent investigation, must be completed and receive the approval of the dissertation committee and the dean of the Graduate Division. The committee consists of three members, including the instructor in charge of the dissertation and one member outside the candidate's department.