Undergraduate - Nuclear Engineering Department

To achieve its five key objectives, the NE program has designed its curriculum and advising to ensure that our graduating students achieve nine key outcomes. We monitor, in a variety of ways, how well we achieve these outcomes for our students, and periodically update our curriculum to continuously improve our teaching.

The graduates of the Department of Nuclear Engineering's undergraduate program will have:

• The ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, natural science and engineering to the analysis of nuclear and other systems.
• The ability to identify, formulate and solve nuclear engineering problems.
• The ability to design integrated systems involving nuclear and other physical processes.
• The ability to design and perform laboratory experiments to gather data, test theories, and solve problems.
• The ability to learn and work independently, and to practice leadership and teamwork in and across disciplines.
• The ability for effective oral, graphic and written communication.
• A broad education necessary to understand the social, safety and environmental consequences of engineering decisions, and to engage thoughtfully in public debate on technological issues.
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
• Knowledge of the importance of, and opportunities for, life-long learning.

To ensure that we achieve these key outcomes, every NE graduate course and NE undergraduate course has a clearly defined set of outcomes that overlap the nine listed above.

The table below shows which NE required and elective courses satisfy each of the 9 NE educational outcomes.

Learning Goals

Nuclear engineering at U.C. Berkeley prepares undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with four primary constituencies:  industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs).  Graduate research programs are the dominant constituency; from 2000 to 2005, 68% of graduating NE seniors indicated plans to attend graduate school in their senior exit surveys.  To meet the needs of these constituencies, the objectives of the NE undergraduate program are to produce graduates who:
1.   Possess solid knowledge of the fundamental mathematics and natural (both physical and biological) sciences that provide the foundation for engineering applications.
2.   Understand nuclear processes, and the application of general natural science and engineering principles to the analysis and design of nuclear and related systems of current and/or future importance to society.
3.   Have strong, independent learning, analytical and problem solving skills, with special emphasis on design, communication, and an ability to work in teams.
4.   Understand the broad social, ethical, safety and environmental context within which nuclear engineering is practiced.
5.   Are aware of the importance of, and opportunities for, life-long learning.