Nuclear Engineering Mission

The mission of the Department of Nuclear Engineering is to maintain and strengthen the University of California’s only center of excellence in nuclear engineering education and research, and to serve California and the nation by improving and applying nuclear science and technology. The mission of the undergraduate degree program in Nuclear Engineering is to prepare our students to begin a lifetime of technical achievement and professional leadership in academia, government, the national laboratories, and industry.

The mission of the Department of Nuclear Engineering supports the broader mission of the U.C. Berkeley College of Engineering.

The U.C. Berkeley Nuclear Engineering program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the national organization that reviews engineering programs to ensure educational quality.

The foundation of the U.C. Berkeley NE program is a set of five key objectives for educating undergraduate students. The NE program continuously reviews these objectives internally to ensure that they meet the current needs of our students, and each Spring the Program Advisory Committee meets to review the program and recommend changes to better serve our students. The NE Program Advisory Committee was established in 1988 and is composed of senior leaders from industry, the national laboratories and academia.

Nuclear Engineering Objectives

The Nuclear Engineering at U.C. Berkeley prepares undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia. To meet the needs of these constituencies, the Objectives of the NE undergraduate program are to produce graduates who as practicing engineers and researchers:

1)  Apply solid knowledge of the fundamental mathematics and natural (both physical and biological) sciences that provide the foundation for engineering applications.

2)  Demonstrate an understanding of 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 exhibited strong, independent learning, analytical and problem-solving skills, with special emphasis on design, communication, and an ability to work in teams.

4)  Demonstrate an understanding of the broad social, ethical, safety and environmental context within which nuclear engineering is practiced.

5)  Display an awareness of the importance of, and opportunities for, life-long learning.

Nuclear Engineering Outcomes

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.