Graduate Program in Nuclear Engineering

Students can register in the PhD Program at either Blacksburg or Greater Washington DC Area Campus. 

The target population of incoming direct PhD students is expected to be from undergraduate nuclear engineering programs as well as the general undergraduate engineering and physics pool. However, the target population for Master's to Ph.D. will be from Master's level nuclear engineering programs. Recruitment efforts will also focus on having the best M.S. nuclear engineering students at Virginia Tech continue on to obtain their Ph.D. Emphasis will be placed on recruiting a well-qualified, diverse background (gender, race, disabled, etc.) of students into the nuclear engineering program.

In the process of earning his/her degree, a Ph.D. student gains a deep knowledge of the nuclear engineering subject matter and independently carries out a comprehensive research project. Accordingly, each student's curriculum will be specifically tailored by his/her Advisory Committee within the requirements listed below.

Earning a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering requires the completion of a minimum 90-credit-hour program. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 ("A" = 4.0) is required for all coursework taken at the University. This policy is consistent with Mechanical Engineering department policy and University policy. No grade below B is allowed for any Ph.D. core course. Failure to earn a grade of B in a Ph.D. core course requires retaking the course.

The 90 credit-hours are made up of (1) 30 graded credit-hours of coursework consisting of Master's-level core courses and required Ph.D. core courses (see Sample Plan of Study), (2) 30 credit-hours of research, and (3) 30 credit-hours of enhancement courses which may consist of either research credits or graduate-level courses taken from any unit of the University.

A minimum of 30 graded credit-hours of courses must be taken as follows:

• NSEG 5124 Nuclear Reactor Analysis (3 cr)
• NSEG 5204 Nuclear Fuel Cycle (3 cr)
• NSEG 5424 Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (3 cr)
• NSEG 5604 Radiation Detection and Shielding (3 cr)
• Mathematics course from Appendix A (3 cr)

Students with a M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from another institution or those with a M.S. degree in another discipline who are accepted into the Ph.D. program will undergo an evaluation of their graded course work from their Master's degree to determine whether the courses which have been taken satisfy the above requirements. If not satisfied, the missing courses must be taken in their Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech.

Not more than 15 credit-hours of graded coursework may be transferred from another institution. These transfer credits may be applied to the Master's core course requirement above, the Ph.D. core course requirement below, or the enhancement requirement as approved by the student's Advisory Committee. All transferred course credits must have the grade of "B" or higher and have been earned while enrolled as a graduate student. All transfer credits must be accompanied by transcripts which verify the grades earned. Course syllabi might also be required.

In addition, all doctoral students will complete the following five Ph.D. core courses (15 credit hours):

• MSE 5384G Advanced Nuclear Materials (3 cr)
• NSEG 5134 Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport (3 cr)
• NSEG 6124 Advanced Nuclear Reactor Analysis (3 cr)
• NSEG 6334 Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis (3 cr)
• Mathematics course from Appendix A (3 cr)*

*The "Mathematics course from Appendix A (3 cr)" represents 3 graded credit hours of mathematics or statistics courses beyond the Master's level coursework math requirement listed above. Appropriate input is provided by the Advisor to determine which mathematics/statistics course(s) is/are to be taken by the student in support of their dissertation.

A minimum of 30 credit-hours of research (NSEG 7994 Research and Dissertation (variable; up to 12 credits per semester).

A minimum of 30 additional credit-hours consisting of a combination of either graduate coursework (5000-level or higher) from any unit of the University and/or research and dissertation credits (NSEG 7994), as approved by the student's Advisory Committee. These credits are tailored for the specific research topic and background of the student. Additional in-depth courses related to the student's research area, if applicable, would be included under this requirement. Moreover, students who plan to enter academia after completion of their PhD are encouraged to take electives such as GRAD 5104 Preparing the Future Professoriate and ENGE 5014 Foundations of Engineering Education. Those planning to enter industry are encouraged to take electives such as GRAD 5314 Future Industrial Professional in Science and Engineering. These electives satisfy part of the 30 credit-hours enhancement requirement.

All Ph.D. graduate students must participate in the nuclear engineering program seminar series. No course credit-hours will be given for this requirement. The seminars will consist of periodic presentations by on- and off-campus speakers to address technical issues, policy issues and professional growth issues. Policy issues should address public concerns and controversies of nuclear energy and science, nuclear weapons proliferation, national energy policy, nuclear security, public education on radiation, cybersecurity, etc. One purpose of the seminars is to broaden student interest in the policy arena and encourage them to take elective policy courses outside the nuclear engineering discipline such as in international policy, nuclear security, science and technology in society, political science, etc. In addition, seminars/workshops will be conducted on technical communication skills involving both oral and written communications. All Ph.D. students must present one technical seminar before graduating.

The nuclear engineering degree follows the Ph.D. residency requirement as set forth by the University. The purpose of the residency requirement is to ensure immersion in scholarship, research, and professional development. This will be satisfied through full-time enrollment for two consecutive semesters.

The residency requirement applies to students and not to specific campuses. The students located in Northern Virginia will meet the residency requirement by enrolling full-time for two consecutive semesters at the Virginia Tech Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church, VA.

Before registration for the second semester of study, each graduate student must confer with the members of the faculty and obtain the agreement of one to serve as the student's advisor. Students are expected to take the initiative in selecting their advisor. Advisors are not assigned to students; rather, they are determined by mutual agreement between individual students and professors. A student's advisor provides guidance in many areas including defining a plan of study and monitoring the student's progress toward his or her degree.

The Ph.D. student and his or her advisor, jointly select the other members of the Advisory Committee. The student is responsible for obtaining, from those selected, their agreement to serve on the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee for a Ph.D. candidate consists of a minimum of five faculty members, neither more than four nor less than three of who are in the Mechanical Engineering Department. The advisor or a co-Advisor must be a faculty member in the Nuclear Engineering Program. Exception to these norms may be considered in cases where outside people of comparable credentials are involved in the research. The Ph.D. student and his or her advisor are responsible for arranging meetings of the Advisory Committee at appropriate times. It is strongly recommended that the Advisory Committee meets when the student is starting his or her research to discuss the undertaking. As a minimum, each student should arrange a meeting with his or her Advisory Committee at least once per semester. Each student is expected to meet with the advisor regularly, usually weekly to biweekly, to discuss the status of the research progress towards degree.

Before admission to candidacy for the Ph.D., all doctoral students must satisfactorily complete the following:

Qualifying Examination - used to evaluate the student's mastery of the subject, to determine deficiencies, and to formulate judgments on whether the student should be encouraged to pursue Ph.D. studies. The Qualifying Examination is designed and administered by a Committee consisting of at least three nuclear engineering faculty members. The examination will be offered at least once per year, and may be offered more frequently if student demand warrants. The examination will consist of two 3-hour written tests given on the same day. The morning exam will involve solving problems in mathematics and physics. The afternoon exam will cover core nuclear engineering courses. The examination will ensure the student is properly prepared to conduct Ph.D. level research. Ph.D. students must take the qualifying examination within their first three semesters of study if they have an M.S. in nuclear engineering, or four semesters otherwise, and are given two opportunities for success.

Preliminary Doctoral Examination - an oral presentation given before the student's Advisory Committee. The student prepares a written description of his or her proposed dissertation research in the form of a prospectus and distributes it to the members of the committee one week in advance of the examination. The purpose is to determine if the student is prepared to undertake the proposed research. This examination is held after the student has passed the Qualifying Examination and has completed all of the required coursework and before the student has made significant progress on the dissertation research. The Preliminary Examination must be passed at least 6 months before the Final Examination. Students are given two opportunities for success.

The final examination comprises a written dissertation and an oral defense centered on the dissertation. This exam is advertised in advance, and all professorial rank faculty members are invited to attend. All members of a student's Advisory Committee are required to participate in that student's final examination. If suitable communication resources are available, committee members may participate from a remote location. In accordance with University policy, all graduate examinations are open to the faculty and faculty members are encouraged to attend and participate in such meetings. The examination is oral in nature, during which the candidate gives a brief review of his or her work, and answers questions on that work. To pass the final examination, a student is allowed at most one Unsatisfactory vote from a program committee member. If a student fails an examination, one full semester (a minimum of 15 weeks) must elapse before the second examination is scheduled. Not more than two opportunities to pass the final examination are allowed. A student failing the final examination two times will be dismissed from the program.

In general, the Nuclear Engineering Program requires that applicants:

• Have a minimum TARGET grade point average of 3.2/4.0, or better for either the B.S. degree program or in the last 60 hours of course work
• Have GRE TARGET scores of 150 verbal, 155 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical
• Students whose native language is not English, must also take the internet-based TOEFL, IELTS, or have COMPLETED a degree from an English speaking institution. Minimum TARGET scores 105 total, 26 reading and speaking areas.

Final admissions decisions are made based on a holistic evaluation of a candidate's application materials; research experience and the three letters of recommendation are a significant part of the evaluation of the application.

The Nuclear Engineering Program and the Department of Mechanical Engineering process applications on a rolling basis. However, to be given full consideration for admission and assistantships/fellowships, complete application materials must be received by:

• January 15th, for the Fall Term
• October 1st, for the Spring Term

All application materials should be received by the deadlines for admission. Please be aware that the Graduate School has different application deadlines. Refer to their website for those deadlines and submit your application to meet the earlier of the deadlines. The online application and additional information about requirements and how to apply may be found on the Graduate School website and on the Mechanical Engineering website.

Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members whose research areas most interests them by sending a resume and a cover letter via e-mail.

Depending on desired degree path, there may be different requirements. See below for additional information:

Direct Ph.D

For those students possessing a Bachelor's degree (but not an advanced degree), graduation from an accredited college or university or its equivalent, with an undergraduate overall grade point average (GPA) exceeding 3.5 ("A" = 4.0) is required. It is expected that exceptional undergraduate students would have a higher success rate in completing the Ph.D. program. If an undergraduate student has a GPA lower than 3.5, that student should apply instead to the Master's degree program. This 3.5 GPA requirement exceeds the Mechanical Engineering department requirement of a 3.2 GPA and the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering, or have an emphasis or minor in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will also be considered.

Master's to Ph.D

For those students already possessing a Master's degree, a graduate-level grade point average of at least 3.2 is required. This is consistent with the Mechanical Engineering department policy, but exceeds the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have a Master's degree in nuclear engineering, or have a graduate certificate or significant course work in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will be considered for top applicants with the understanding that it may take an extra year to complete the Ph.D. degree requirements to make up for the missing core background.

If all materials submitted with the online application are clearly legible, the Nuclear Engineering Protram does not require hard copy materials. It is highly recommended that you keep hard copies of all materials that you have submitted, since applications and supplemental information cannot be retrieved or altered once they are submitted.

Complete departmental applications consist of:

• Undergraduate Transcripts - Front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official transcript should be mailed directly to the Graduate School in a sealed envelope.
• Graduate Transcripts - If applicable, front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official graduate transcript should be mailed directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department in a sealed envelope.
• Letters of Reference - Three letters of reference are required. On-line references are preferred; however, if the online reference form is not used, references should be mailed in sealed envelopes directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department.
• GRE/TOEFL Scores - Self reported scores can be used for the evaluation process until official scores arrive to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service. GRE scores should be less than two years old. Please see the Graduate School website for information on how to report scores to Virginia Tech.

After filling out the online application, hard copy references should be sent in one large envelope to:

Nuclear Engineering Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering, MC 0238
Graduate Coordinator
100A Randolph Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Online Supplemental Materials

• Resume - 1 page preferred
• Statement of Purpose - 2 pages, maximum
• Publications - if applicable

Additional Application Notes

Please do not send e-mails requesting advice on your chances of acceptance, as we do not have the staff to review these requests. Out of professional courtesy to other universities, we do not accept mid-program transfers without a letter of release from the current advisor and or department head. You will be able to view the status of your application on the Banner website. For your protection, information on application status cannot be release by telephone or to third parties. The ME Department and the NEP can only recommend admission. Official notification from the Graduate School will be sent by postal mail. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants in the US is March 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants outside the US is May 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Please be aware that the online status only indicates if the application is complete at the VT Graduate School, not necessarily with the Department or Program.

This list of frequently asked questions may prove useful.

• NSEG 5124: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, spring
  Nuclear reactions and fission process. The fission chain reaction. Neutron diffusion and moderation. One-speed diffusion model of a nuclear reactor. Neutron slowing and multigroup diffusion theory. Nuclear reactor kinetics. Introduction to reactor core physics design.
• NSEG 5134: Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport, 3 credits, fall or summer*
  Basic particle transport concepts. Random processes, random number generation techniques, fundamental formulation of Monte Carlo, sampling procedures, and fundamentals of probability and statistics. Monte Carlo algorithms for particle transport, non-analog Monte Carlo method, formulations for different variance reduction techniques, and tallying procedures. Methodologies for parallelization and vectorization of the Monte Carlo methods, and examples of the Monte Carlo method for simulation of various real-life applications.
• MSE 5384G: Advanced Nuclear Materials, 3 credits or fall summer* (or NSEG 5424)
  Materials for nuclear applications with emphasis on fission reactors. Fundamental radiation effects on materials; material properties relevant to structural, moderator, reflector, blanket, coolant, control related structural systems. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required
• NSEG 5424: Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, 3 credits, fall (or MSE 5384G)
  Fundamental processes of hear generation and transport in nuclear reactors. Heat generation by fission and radiation interactions; spatial distribution of heat generation; heat transport by conduction and convection. Effects of boiling and critical heat flux. Fundamentals of reactor thermal and hydraulic design.
• NSEG 5604: Radiation Detection and Shielding, 3 credits, spring
  Radioactive decay, interaction of charged particles and photons with matter, methods of radiation detection and radiation dosimetry, counting statistics, external radiation protection using time, distance and shielding.
• NSEG 6124: Particle Transport Theory Methods and Application, 3 credits, spring or summer*
  Neutron transport theory. Neutron slowing down and resonance absorption. Neutron thermalization. Perturbation and variational methods. Homogenization theory. Space-time neutron kinetics.
• NSEG 6334: Nuclear Reactor Safety, 3 credits, spring
  Hazards of nuclear reactors; analysis of hypothetical design basis accidents; engineered safeguards and safety design principles; nuclear criticality safety; reactor containment; reactor safety codes; and probabilistic risk assessment.

*check with the instructor for availability

• NSEG 5114: Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals, 3 credits, fall or summer*
  A foundation course in nuclear engineering. Neutron physics, reactor theory and kinetics, basic reactor design and operation, and overall power plant operation. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
• NSEG 5214: Nuclear Plant Systems and Ops, 3 credits, spring
  Pressurized and boiling water reactors, detailed system functions and operation, reactor plant startup and shutdown procedures, reactor trip and casualty procedures, reactor transient response analysis, reactor plant licensing, ethics and integrity in the nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5284: Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safeguards, and Security, 3 credits, spring
  Technical essentials, policy analysis, theoretical perspectives of nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation. Fundamentals of the nuclear fuel cycle, management of international safeguards, threat of nuclear terrorism, and challenges for global nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5504: Radiation Effects on Metals and Alloys, 3 credits, spring
  Radiation effects on metals and alloys. Interaction between particles and atoms, radiation damage, displacement of atoms, diffusion of point defects, radiation-induced segregation, phase instability, transmutation products, irradiated material mechanical properties.
• NSEG 6134: Advanced Reactor Physics, 3 credits, spring
  This course discusses different advanced concepts including neutron spectra, multigroup cross-sections and resonance treatment and related issues, fuel depletion, theory of SCALE6 code system and its limitations, fuel-cell homogenization and issues, method of characteristics and fuel cell homogenization, application of perturbation theory and variational methods, finite-difference and nodal diffusion methods, advanced methods and parallel computing.

*check with the instructor for availability

Students can register in the M.S. Program at either Blacksburg or Greater Washington DC Area Campus. 

The M.S. designation requires completing a 30 credit-hour program subject to the following requirements. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 ("A" = 4.0) is required for all coursework taken at the University. This policy is consistent with Mechanical Engineering department policy and University policy. No grade below B is allowed for any M.S. core course. Failure to earn a grade of B in a M.S. core course requires retaking the course. Courses must be taken for a letter grade--not Pass/Fail (unless the course is only offered as Pass/Fail).

If a student is entering from another graduate program, not more than 50% of required grade course work from another institution may be transferred. These transfer credits may be applied to the core course requirements including the mathematics requirement, or to the elective requirements. All transferred course credits must have the grade of "B" or higher and have been earned while enrolled as a graduate student. All transfer credits must be accompanied by transcripts which verify the grades earned. Course descriptions might also be required. Transfer courses on the Plan of Study must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee. Enrollment in 6000-level and 7000-level courses typically consists of only Doctoral students.

All Master's students will complete the following five courses (total of 15 credit hours):

• NSEG 5124 Nuclear Reactor Analysis (3 cr)
• NSEG 5204 Nuclear Fuel Cycle (3 cr)
• NSEG 5424 Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (3 cr)
• NSEG 5604 Radiation Detection and Shielding (3 cr)
• Mathematics course from Appendix A (3 cr)*

*The "Mathematics course from Appendix A (3 cr)" represents a minimum of 3 graded credit-hours of mathematics or statistics courses. Appropriate input is provided by the Advisor to determine which mathematics/statistics course(s) is/are to be taken by the student in support of their thesis.

Six credit-hours of NSEG 5000-level or higher courses as approved by the Advisory Committee are required. However, if only six credit-hours of NSEG 5994 are applied toward the degree instead of nine credit-hours (see Research and Thesis below), the student must take an additional 3 credits of any science, engineering or mathematics 5000-level or higher course, as approved by their Advisor, to satisfy the requirement for a total of 30 credit-hours for the M.S. degree.

A minimum of 6 credits of NSEG 5994 Research and Thesis (variable) not to exceed 9 credits which can be applied toward the degree.

All students must participate in the nuclear engineering program seminar series. The seminars will consist of periodic presentations by on- and off-campus speakers to address both technical issues and policy issues. Policy issues should address public concerns and controversies of nuclear energy and science, nuclear weapons proliferation, national energy policy, nuclear security, public education on radiation, cybersecurity, etc. One purpose of the seminars is to broaden student interest in the policy arena and encourage them to take elective policy courses outside the nuclear engineering discipline such as in international policy, nuclear security, science and technology in society, political science, etc. In addition, each student is expected to give one seminar on their research/project topic before they graduate.

Before registration for the second semester of study, each graduate student must confer with the members of the faculty and obtain the agreement of one to serve as the student's advisor. Students are expected to take the initiative in selecting their advisor. Advisors are not assigned to students; rather, they are determined by mutual agreement between individual students and professors. A student's advisor provides guidance in many areas including defining a plan of study and monitoring the student's progress toward his or her degree. The advisor must be a faculty member in the nuclear engineering program. Alternatively, the student's co-advisor must be a faculty member in the nuclear engineering program. The Master's student and his or her advisor jointly select the other members of the Advisory Committee. The composition of the committee is intended to reflect the scientific expertise needed to advise the student during their training. For a Master's degree, there must be three members on the Committee counting the student's advisor, two of whom must be in the Mechanical Engineering Department. The Master's student and his or her advisor are responsible for arranging meetings of the Advisory Committee at appropriate times. It is strongly recommended that the Advisory Committee meets when the student is starting his or her research to discuss the undertaking. As a minimum, each student should arrange a meeting with his or her Advisory Committee at least once per semester. Each student should meet with the advisor regularly to discuss the status of the graduate progress towards the degree.

The final examination is comprised of a written thesis and an oral defense. It is required that all Master's candidates prior to graduation take an oral final examination, covering not only their thesis or engineering project, but also their general engineering knowledge. A student will have completed all 30 credit-hours required of their program by the end of the semester that the Final Examination is scheduled. All members of a student's Advisory Committee are required to participate in that student's final examination. If suitable communication resources are available, committee members may participate from a remote location. In accordance with University policy, all graduate examinations are open to the faculty and faculty members are encouraged to attend and participate in such meetings. The examination is oral in nature, during which the candidate gives a brief review of his or her work, and answers questions on the work that follows. To pass the final examination, a student is allowed at most one Unsatisfactory vote from a program committee member. If a student fails an examination, one full semester (a minimum of 15 weeks) must elapse before the second examination is scheduled. Not more than two opportunities to pass the final examination are allowed. A student failing the final examination two times will be dismissed from graduate studies by the Graduate School.

In general, the Nuclear Engineering Program requires that applicants:

• Have a minimum TARGET grade point average of 3.2/4.0, or better for either the B.S. degree program or in the last 60 hours of course work
• Have GRE TARGET scores of 150 verbal, 155 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical
• Students whose native language is not English, must also take the internet-based TOEFL, IELTS, or have COMPLETED a degree from an English speaking institution. Minimum TARGET scores 105 total, 26 reading and speaking areas.

Final admissions decisions are made based on a holistic evaluation of a candidate's application materials; research experience and the three letters of recommendation are a significant part of the evaluation of the application.

The Nuclear Engineering Program and the Department of Mechanical Engineering process applications on a rolling basis. However, to be given full consideration for admission and assistantships/fellowships, complete application materials must be received by:

• January 15th, for the Fall Term
• October 1st, for the Spring Term

All application materials should be received by the deadlines for admission. Please be aware that the Graduate School has different application deadlines. Refer to their website for those deadlines and submit your application to meet the earlier of the deadlines. The online application and additional information about requirements and how to apply may be found on the Graduate School website and on the Mechanical Engineering website.

Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members whose research areas most interests them by sending a resume and a cover letter via e-mail.

Depending on desired degree path, there may be different requirements. See below for additional information:

Direct Ph.D

For those students possessing a Bachelor's degree (but not an advanced degree), graduation from an accredited college or university or its equivalent, with an undergraduate overall grade point average (GPA) exceeding 3.5 ("A" = 4.0) is required. It is expected that exceptional undergraduate students would have a higher success rate in completing the Ph.D. program. If an undergraduate student has a GPA lower than 3.5, that student should apply instead to the Master's degree program. This 3.5 GPA requirement exceeds the Mechanical Engineering department requirement of a 3.2 GPA and the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering, or have an emphasis or minor in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will also be considered.

Master's to Ph.D

For those students already possessing a Master's degree, a graduate-level grade point average of at least 3.2 is required. This is consistent with the Mechanical Engineering department policy, but exceeds the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have a Master's degree in nuclear engineering, or have a graduate certificate or significant course work in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will be considered for top applicants with the understanding that it may take an extra year to complete the Ph.D. degree requirements to make up for the missing core background.

If all materials submitted with the online application are clearly legible, the Nuclear Engineering Program does not require hard copy materials. It is highly recommended that you keep hard copies of all materials that you have submitted, since applications and supplemental information cannot be retrieved or altered once they are submitted.

Complete departmental applications consist of:

• Undergraduate Transcripts - Front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official transcript should be mailed directly to the Graduate School in a sealed envelope.
• Graduate Transcripts - If applicable, front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official graduate transcript should be mailed directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department in a sealed envelope.
• Letters of Reference - Three letters of reference are required. On-line references are preferred; however, if the online reference form is not used, references should be mailed in sealed envelopes directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department.
• GRE/TOEFL Scores - Self reported scores can be used for the evaluation process until official scores arrive to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service. GRE scores should be less than two years old. Please see the Graduate School website for information on how to report scores to Virginia Tech.

After filling out the online application, hard copy references should be sent in one large envelope to:

Nuclear Engineering Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering, MC 0238
Graduate Coordinator
100A Randolph Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Online Supplemental Materials

• Resume - 1 page preferred
• Statement of Purpose - 2 pages, maximum
• Publications - if applicable

Additional Application Notes

Please do not send e-mails requesting advice on your chances of acceptance, as we do not have the staff to review these requests. Out of professional courtesy to other universities, we do not accept mid-program transfers without a letter of release from the current advisor and or department head. You will be able to view the status of your application on the Banner website. For your protection, information on application status cannot be release by telephone or to third parties. The ME Department and the NEP can only recommend admission. Official notification from the Graduate School will be sent by postal mail. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants in the US is March 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants outside the US is May 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Please be aware that the online status only indicates if the application is complete at the VT Graduate School, not necessarily with the Department or Program.

This list of frequently asked questions may prove useful.

• NSEG 5124: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, spring
  Nuclear reactions and fission process. The fission chain reaction. Neutron diffusion and moderation. One-speed diffusion model of a nuclear reactor. Neutron slowing and multigroup diffusion theory. Nuclear reactor kinetics. Introduction to reactor core physics design.
• NSEG 5204: Nuclear Fuel Cycle, 3 credits, spring
  Uranium nuclear fuel cycle: mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel manufacturing, in-core fuel management and refueling, spent fuel storage, reprocessing/recycling and final disposition as waste in a geologic repository. Introduction to nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation as applied to each step of the cycle.
• MSE 5384G:  Advanced Nuclear Materials 3 credits, fall or summer* (or NSEG 5424)
  Materials for nuclear applications with emphasis on fission reactors. Fundamental radiation effects on materials; material properties relevant to structural, moderator, reflector, blanket, coolant, control related structural systems. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
• NSEG 5424: Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, 3 credits, fall (or MSE 5348G)
  Fundamental processes of hear generation and transport in nuclear reactors. Heat generation by fission and radiation interactions; spatial distribution of heat generation; heat transport by conduction and convection. Effects of boiling and critical heat flux. Fundamentals of reactor thermal and hydraulic design.
• NSEG 5604: Radiation Detection & Shielding, 3 credits, spring
  Radioactive decay, interaction of charged particles and photons with matter, methods of radiation detection and radiation dosimetry, counting statistics, external radiation protection using time, distance and shielding.

• NSEG 5114: Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals, 3 credits, fall or summer*
  A foundation course in nuclear engineering. Neutron physics, reactor theory and kinetics, basic reactor design and operation, and overall power plant operation. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
• NSEG 5134, Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport, 3 credits, fall or summer*
  Basic particle transport concepts. Random processes, random number generation techniques, fundamental formulation of Monte Carlo, sampling procedures, and fundamentals of probability and statistics. Monte Carlo algorithms for particle transport, non-analog Monte Carlo method, formulations for different variance reduction techniques, and tallying procedures. Methodologies for parallelization and vectorization of the Monte Carlo methods, and examples of the Monte Carlo method for simulation of various real-life applications.
• NSEG 5214: Nuclear Plant Systems & Ops, 3 credits, spring
  Pressurized and boiling water reactors, detailed system functions and operation, reactor plant startup and shutdown procedures, reactor trip and casualty procedures, reactor transient response analysis, reactor plant licensing, ethics and integrity in the nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5284: Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safeguards, and Security, 3 credits, spring
  Technical essentials, policy analysis, theoretical perspectives of nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation. Fundamentals of the nuclear fuel cycle, management of international safeguards, threat of nuclear terrorism, and challenges for global nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5504: Radiation Effects on Metals and Alloys, 3 credits, spring
  Radiation effects on metals and alloys. Interaction between particles and atoms, radiation damage, displacement of atoms, diffusion of point defects, radiation-induced segregation, phase instability, transmutation products, irradiated material mechanical properties.
• NSEG 6124: Advanced Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, spring, summer*
  Neutron transport theory. Neutron slowing down and resonance absorption. Neutron thermalization. Perturbation and variational methods. Homogenization theory. Space-time neutron kinetics.
• NSEG 6334: Nuclear Reactor Safety, 3 credits, spring
  Hazards of nuclear reactors; analysis of hypothetical design basis accidents; engineered safeguards and safety design principles; nuclear criticality safety; reactor containment; reactor safety codes; and probabilistic risk assessment.

*check with the instructor for availability

The M.Eng. degree requires completing a 30-credit-hour program subject to the following requirements. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 ("A" = 4.0) is required for all coursework taken at the University. This policy is consistent with Mechanical Engineering department policy and University policy. No grade below B is allowed for any M.Eng. core course. Failure to earn a grade of B in a M.Eng. core course requires retaking the course. Courses must be taken for a letter grade--not Pass/Fail (unless the course is only offered as Pass/Fail).

If a student is entering from another graduate program, not more than 50% of required grade course work from another institution may be transferred. These transfer credits may be applied to the core course requirements including the mathematics requirement, or to the elective requirements. All transferred course credits must have the grade of "B" or higher and have been earned while enrolled as a graduate student. All transfer credits must be accompanied by transcripts which verify the grades earned. Course descriptions might also be required. Transfer courses on the Plan of Study must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee. Erollment in 6000-level and 7000-level courses typically consists of only Doctoral students.

All Master's students will complete the following five courses (total of 15 credit hours):

• NSEG 5124 Nuclear Reactor Analysis
• NSEG 5204 Nuclear Fuel Cycle
• NSEG 5424 Reactor Thermal Hydraulics/MSE 5384G Advanced Nuclear Materials
• NSEG 5604 Radiation Detection and Shielding
• Mathematics course*

*A minimum of 3 graded credit-hours of mathematics or statistics courses. Appropriate input is provided by the Advisor to determine which mathematics/statistics course(s) is/are to be taken by the student in support of their thesis.

Nine credit-hours of NSEG 5000-level or higher courses as approved by the Advisory Committee are required. However, if only three credit-hours of NSEG 5904 are applied toward the degree instead of six credit-hours (see Project and Report below), the student must take an additional three credit-hours of any science, engineering or mathematics 5000-level or higher course, as approved by their Advisor, to satisfy the requirement for a total of 30 credit-hours for the M.Eng. degree.

A minimum of 3 credits of NSEG 5904 Project and Report (variable) not to exceed 6 credits which can be applied toward the degree. A complete list of NSEG (Nuclear Science and Engineering) courses, nuclear-related Mechanical Engineering courses, and approved mathematics/statistics courses can be found in Appendix A.

All students must participate in the nuclear engineering program seminar series. The seminars will consist of periodic presentations by on- and off-campus speakers to address both technical issues and policy issues. Policy issues should address public concerns and controversies of nuclear energy and science, nuclear weapons proliferation, national energy policy, nuclear security, public education on radiation, cybersecurity, etc. One purpose of the seminars is to broaden student interest in the policy arena and encourage them to take elective policy courses outside the nuclear engineering discipline such as in international policy, nuclear security, science and technology in society, political science, etc. In addition, each student is expected to give one seminar on their research/project topic before they graduate.

Before registration for the second semester of study, each graduate student must confer with the members of the faculty and obtain the agreement of one to serve as the student's advisor. Students are expected to take the initiative in selecting their advisor. Advisors are not assigned to students; rather, they are determined by mutual agreement between individual students and professors. A student's advisor provides guidance in many areas including defining a plan of study and monitoring the student's progress toward his or her degree. The advisor must be a faculty member in the nuclear engineering program. Alternatively, the student's co-advisor must be a faculty member in the nuclear engineering program. The Master's student and his or her advisor jointly select the other members of the Advisory Committee. The composition of the committee is intended to reflect the scientific expertise needed to advise the student during their training. For a Master's degree, there must be three members on the Committee counting the student's advisor, two of whom must be in the Mechanical Engineering Department. The Master's student and his or her advisor are responsible for arranging meetings of the Advisory Committee at appropriate times. It is strongly recommended that the Advisory Committee meets when the student is starting his or her research to discuss the undertaking. As a minimum, each student should arrange a meeting with his or her Advisory Committee at least once per semester. Each student should meet with the advisor regularly to discuss the status of the graduate progress towards the degree.

The final examination is comprised of a written thesis or project report and an oral defense. It is required that all Master's candidates prior to graduation take an oral final examination, covering not only their thesis or engineering project, but also their general engineering knowledge. A student will have completed all 30 credit-hours required of their program by the end of the semester that the Final Examination is scheduled. All members of a student's Advisory Committee are required to participate in that student's final examination. If suitable communication resources are available, committee members may participate from a remote location. In accordance with University policy, all graduate examinations are open to the faculty and faculty members are encouraged to attend and participate in such meetings. The examination is oral in nature, during which the candidate gives a brief review of his or her work, and answers questions on the work that follows. To pass the final examination, a student is allowed at most one Unsatisfactory vote from a program committee member. If a student fails an examination, one full semester (a minimum of 15 weeks) must elapse before the second examination is scheduled. Not more than two opportunities to pass the final examination are allowed. A student failing the final examination two times will be dismissed from graduate studies by the Graduate School.

In general, the Nuclear Engineering Program requires that applicants:

• Have a minimum TARGET grade point average of 3.2/4.0, or better for either the B.S. degree program or in the last 60 hours of course work
• Have GRE TARGET scores of 150 verbal, 155 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical
• Students whose native language is not English, must also take the internet-based TOEFL, IELTS, or have COMPLETED a degree from an English speaking institution. Minimum TARGET scores 105 total, 26 reading and speaking areas.

Final admissions decisions are made based on a holistic evaluation of a candidate's application materials; research experience and the three letters of recommendation are a significant part of the evaluation of the application.

The Nuclear Engineering Program and the Department of Mechanical Engineering process applications on a rolling basis. However, to be given full consideration for admission and assistantships/fellowships, complete application materials must be received by:

• January 15th, for the Fall Term
• October 1st, for the Spring Term

All application materials should be received by the deadlines for admission. Please be aware that the Graduate School has different application deadlines. Refer to their website for those deadlines and submit your application to meet the earlier of the deadlines. The online application and additional information about requirements and how to apply may be found on the Graduate School website and on the Mechanical Engineering website.

Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members whose research areas most interests them by sending a resume and a cover letter via e-mail.

Depending on desired degree path, there may be different requirements. See below for additional information:

Direct Ph.D

For those students possessing a Bachelor's degree (but not an advanced degree), graduation from an accredited college or university or its equivalent, with an undergraduate overall grade point average (GPA) exceeding 3.5 ("A" = 4.0) is required. It is expected that exceptional undergraduate students would have a higher success rate in completing the Ph.D. program. If an undergraduate student has a GPA lower than 3.5, that student should apply instead to the Master's degree program. This 3.5 GPA requirement exceeds the Mechanical Engineering department requirement of a 3.2 GPA and the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering, or have an emphasis or minor in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will also be considered.

Master's to Ph.D

For those students already possessing a Master's degree, a graduate-level grade point average of at least 3.2 is required. This is consistent with the Mechanical Engineering department policy, but exceeds the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have a Master's degree in nuclear engineering, or have a graduate certificate or significant course work in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will be considered for top applicants with the understanding that it may take an extra year to complete the Ph.D. degree requirements to make up for the missing core background.

If all materials submitted with the online application are clearly legible, the Nuclear Engineering Protram does not require hard copy materials. It is highly recommended that you keep hard copies of all materials that you have submitted, since applications and supplemental information cannot be retrieved or altered once they are submitted.

Complete departmental applications consist of:

• Undergraduate Transcripts - Front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official transcript should be mailed directly to the Graduate School in a sealed envelope.
• Graduate Transcripts - If applicable, front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official graduate transcript should be mailed directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department in a sealed envelope.
• Letters of Reference - Three letters of reference are required. On-line references are preferred; however, if the online reference form is not used, references should be mailed in sealed envelopes directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department.
• GRE/TOEFL Scores - Self reported scores can be used for the evaluation process until official scores arrive to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service. GRE scores should be less than two years old. Please see the Graduate School website for information on how to report scores to Virginia Tech.

After filling out the online application, hard copy references should be sent in one large envelope to:

Nuclear Engineering Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering, MC 0238
Graduate Coordinator
100A Randolph Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Online Supplemental Materials

• Resume - 1 page preferred
• Statement of Purpose - 2 pages, maximum
• Publications - if applicable

Additional Application Notes

Please do not send e-mails requesting advice on your chances of acceptance, as we do not have the staff to review these requests. Out of professional courtesy to other universities, we do not accept mid-program transfers without a letter of release from the current advisor and or department head. You will be able to view the status of your application on the Banner website. For your protection, information on application status cannot be release by telephone or to third parties. The ME Department and the NEP can only recommend admission. Official notification from the Graduate School will be sent by postal mail. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants in the US is March 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants outside the US is May 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Please be aware that the online status only indicates if the application is complete at the VT Graduate School, not necessarily with the Department or Program.

This list of frequently asked questions may prove useful.

• NSEG 5124: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, spring
  Nuclear reactions and fission process. The fission chain reaction. Neutron diffusion and moderation. One-speed diffusion model of a nuclear reactor. Neutron slowing and multigroup diffusion theory. Nuclear reactor kinetics. Introduction to reactor core physics design.
• NSEG 5204: Nuclear Fuel Cycle, 3 credits, spring
  Uranium nuclear fuel cycle: mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel manufacturing, in-core fuel management and refueling, spent fuel storage, reprocessing/recycling and final disposition as waste in a geologic repository. Introduction to nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation as applied to each step of the cycle.
• MSE 5384G: Advanced Nuclear Materials, 3 credits, fall or spring (or NSEG 5424)
  Materials for nuclear applications with emphasis on fission reactors. Fundamental radiation effects on materials; material properties relevant to structural, moderator, reflector, blanket, coolant, control related structural systems. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
• NSEG 5424: Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, 3 credits, spring (or MSE 5384G)
  Fundamental processes of hear generation and transport in nuclear reactors. Heat generation by fission and radiation interactions; spatial distribution of heat generation; heat transport by conduction and convection. Effects of boiling and critical heat flux. Fundamentals of reactor thermal and hydraulic design.
• NSEG 5604: Radiation Detection & Shielding, 3 credits, spring
  Radioactive decay, interaction of charged particles and photons with matter, methods of radiation detection and radiation dosimetry, counting statistics, external radiation protection using time, distance and shielding.

• NSEG 5114: Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals, 3 credits, fall or summer (check with instructor for availability)
  A foundation course in nuclear engineering. Neutron physics, reactor theory and kinetics, basic reactor design and operation, and overall power plant operation. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
• NSEG 5134: Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport, 3 credits, fall or summer (check with instructor for availability)
  Basic particle transport concepts. Random processes, random number generation techniques, fundamental formulation of Monte Carlo, sampling procedures, and fundamentals of probability and statistics. Monte Carlo algorithms for particle transport, non-analog Monte Carlo method, formulations for different variance reduction techniques, and tallying procedures. Methodologies for parallelization and vectorization of the Monte Carlo methods, and examples of the Monte Carlo method for simulation of various real-life applications.
• NSEG 5214: Nuclear Plant Systems & Ops, 3 credits, spring
  Pressurized and boiling water reactors, detailed system functions and operation, reactor plant startup and shutdown procedures, reactor trip and casualty procedures, reactor transient response analysis, reactor plant licensing, ethics and integrity in the nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5284; Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safeguards, and Security, 3 credits, spring
  Technical essentials, policy analysis, theoretical perspectives of nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation. Fundamentals of the nuclear fuel cycle, management of international safeguards, threat of nuclear terrorism, and challenges for global nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5504: Radiation Effects on Metals and Alloys, 3 credits, spring
  Radiation effects on metals and alloys. Interaction between particles and atoms, radiation damage, displacement of atoms, diffusion of point defects, radiation-induced segregation, phase instability, transmutation products, irradiated material mechanical properties.
• NSEG 6124: Particle Transport Theory, Methods and Applications, 3 credits, spring, summer (check with instructor for availability)
  Neutral particle interactions and related cross sections; linear Boltzmann equation in “forward” and “adjoint” forms and their applications; perturbation and variational techniques for particle transport problems; different numerical methods for solving the linear Boltzmann equation; limitations of these methods for solving real-life problems; and parallel and serial computational implementations. Pre: 5124 (3H,3C)
• NSEG 6334: Nuclear Reactor Safety, 3 credits, spring
  Hazards of nuclear reactors; analysis of hypothetical design basis accidents; engineered safeguards and safety design principles; nuclear criticality safety; reactor containment; reactor safety codes; and probabilistic risk assessment.

This is an accelerated graduate program for students from the US Naval Academy (USNA) who are receiving a BS degree in Nuclear Engineering to enroll in the Masters of Engineering (MENG) degree in the Nuclear Engineering Program at Virginia Tech during the Spring Semester of the academic year.

Undergraduate students from USNA must be accepted into the program prior to the spring semester of the academic year. Students qualifying for the program must be in the last 12 months of their undergraduate degree and are expected to complete their degree by the end of the spring semester of the academic year. Once completion of the undergraduate degree has been verified, students accepted into this accelerated program will be classified as regular graduate students. Students will take 10 credits of graded coursework during the spring semester that may be used towards meeting the MS degree requirement. Students will not double count any courses for the undergraduate USNA and graduate VT degrees. Students admitted in the program must have a GPA of 3.0 or better. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better during their first semester (spring semester of the academic year) to be accepted as regular graduate students upon their graduation from USNA. Courses must not be taken pass-fail if a graded option is available.

All Master's students will complete the following five courses (total of 15 credit hours):

• NSEG 5124 Nuclear Reactor Analysis
• NSEG 5204 Nuclear Fuel Cycle
• NSEG 5424 Reactor Thermal Hydraulics/MSE 5384G Advanced Nuclear Materials
• NSEG 5604 Radiation Detection and Shielding
• Mathematics course*

*A minimum of 3 graded credit-hours of mathematics or statistics courses. Appropriate input is provided by the Advisor to determine which mathematics/statistics course(s) is/are to be taken by the student in support of their thesis.

Nine credit-hours of NSEG 5000-level or higher courses as approved by the Advisory Committee are required. However, if only three credit-hours of NSEG 5904 are applied toward the degree instead of six credit-hours (see Project and Report below), the student must take an additional three credit-hours of any science, engineering or mathematics 5000-level or higher course, as approved by their Advisor, to satisfy the requirement for a total of 30 credit-hours for the M.Eng. degree.

A minimum of 3 credits of NSEG 5904 Project and Report (variable) not to exceed 6 credits which can be applied toward the degree. A complete list of NSEG (Nuclear Science and Engineering) courses, nuclear-related Mechanical Engineering courses, and approved mathematics/statistics courses can be found in Appendix A.

All students must participate in the nuclear engineering program seminar series. The seminars will consist of periodic presentations by on- and off-campus speakers to address both technical issues and policy issues. Policy issues should address public concerns and controversies of nuclear energy and science, nuclear weapons proliferation, national energy policy, nuclear security, public education on radiation, cybersecurity, etc. One purpose of the seminars is to broaden student interest in the policy arena and encourage them to take elective policy courses outside the nuclear engineering discipline such as in international policy, nuclear security, science and technology in society, political science, etc. In addition, each student is expected to give one seminar on their research/project topic before they graduate.

Before registration for the second semester of study, each graduate student must confer with the members of the faculty and obtain the agreement of one to serve as the student's advisor. Students are expected to take the initiative in selecting their advisor. Advisors are not assigned to students; rather, they are determined by mutual agreement between individual students and professors. A student's advisor provides guidance in many areas including defining a plan of study and monitoring the student's progress toward his or her degree. The advisor must be a faculty member in the nuclear engineering program. Alternatively, the student's co-advisor must be a faculty member in the nuclear engineering program. The Master's student and his or her advisor jointly select the other members of the Advisory Committee. The composition of the committee is intended to reflect the scientific expertise needed to advise the student during their training. For a Master's degree, there must be three members on the Committee counting the student's advisor, two of whom must be in the Mechanical Engineering Department. The Master's student and his or her advisor are responsible for arranging meetings of the Advisory Committee at appropriate times. It is strongly recommended that the Advisory Committee meets when the student is starting his or her research to discuss the undertaking. As a minimum, each student should arrange a meeting with his or her Advisory Committee at least once per semester. Each student should meet with the advisor regularly to discuss the status of the graduate progress towards the degree.

The final examination is comprised of a written thesis or project report and an oral defense. It is required that all Master's candidates prior to graduation take an oral final examination, covering not only their thesis or engineering project, but also their general engineering knowledge. A student will have completed all 30 credit-hours required of their program by the end of the semester that the Final Examination is scheduled. All members of a student's Advisory Committee are required to participate in that student's final examination. If suitable communication resources are available, committee members may participate from a remote location. In accordance with University policy, all graduate examinations are open to the faculty and faculty members are encouraged to attend and participate in such meetings. The examination is oral in nature, during which the candidate gives a brief review of his or her work, and answers questions on the work that follows. To pass the final examination, a student is allowed at most one Unsatisfactory vote from a program committee member. If a student fails an examination, one full semester (a minimum of 15 weeks) must elapse before the second examination is scheduled. Not more than two opportunities to pass the final examination are allowed. A student failing the final examination two times will be dismissed from graduate studies by the Graduate School.

In general, the Nuclear Engineering Program requires that applicants:

-Have a minimum TARGET grade point average of 3.2/4.0, or better for either the B.S. degree program or in the last 60 hours of course work
-Have GRE TARGET scores of 150 verbal, 155 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical
-Students whose native language is not English, must also take the internet-based TOEFL, IELTS, or have COMPLETED a degree from an English speaking institution. Minimum TARGET scores 105 total, 26 reading and speaking areas.

Final admissions decisions are made based on a holistic evaluation of a candidate's application materials; research experience and the three letters of recommendation are a significant part of the evaluation of the application.

The Nuclear Engineering Program and the Department of Mechanical Engineering process applications on a rolling basis. However, to be given full consideration for admission and assistantships/fellowships, complete application materials must be received by:

-January 15th, for the Fall Term
-October 1st, for the Spring Term

All application materials should be received by the deadlines for admission. Please be aware that the Graduate School has different application deadlines. Refer to their website for those deadlines and submit your application to meet the earlier of the deadlines. The online application and additional information about requirements and how to apply may be found on the Graduate School website and on the Mechanical Engineering website.

Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members whose research areas most interests them by sending a resume and a cover letter via e-mail.

Depending on desired degree path, there may be different requirements. See below for additional information:

Direct Ph.D

For those students possessing a Bachelor's degree (but not an advanced degree), graduation from an accredited college or university or its equivalent, with an undergraduate overall grade point average (GPA) exceeding 3.5 ("A" = 4.0) is required. It is expected that exceptional undergraduate students would have a higher success rate in completing the Ph.D. program. If an undergraduate student has a GPA lower than 3.5, that student should apply instead to the Master's degree program. This 3.5 GPA requirement exceeds the Mechanical Engineering department requirement of a 3.2 GPA and the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering, or have an emphasis or minor in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will also be considered.

Master's to Ph.D

For those students already possessing a Master's degree, a graduate-level grade point average of at least 3.2 is required. This is consistent with the Mechanical Engineering department policy, but exceeds the University requirement of a 3.0 GPA. In addition, the most competitive applicants will have a Master's degree in nuclear engineering, or have a graduate certificate or significant course work in nuclear engineering. However, other relevant science and engineering disciplines will be considered for top applicants with the understanding that it may take an extra year to complete the Ph.D. degree requirements to make up for the missing core background.

If all materials submitted with the online application are clearly legible, the Nuclear Engineering Protram does not require hard copy materials. It is highly recommended that you keep hard copies of all materials that you have submitted, since applications and supplemental information cannot be retrieved or altered once they are submitted.

Complete departmental applications consist of:

• Undergraduate Transcripts - Front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official transcript should be mailed directly to the Graduate School in a sealed envelope.
• Graduate Transcripts - If applicable, front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official graduate transcript should be mailed directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department in a sealed envelope.
• Letters of Reference - Three letters of reference are required. On-line references are preferred; however, if the online reference form is not used, references should be mailed in sealed envelopes directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department.
• GRE/TOEFL Scores - Self reported scores can be used for the evaluation process until official scores arrive to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service. GRE scores should be less than two years old. Please see the Graduate School website for information on how to report scores to Virginia Tech.

After filling out the online application, hard copy references should be sent in one large envelope to:

Nuclear Engineering Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering, MC 0238
Graduate Coordinator
100A Randolph Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Online Supplemental Materials

• Resume - 1 page preferred
• Statement of Purpose - 2 pages, maximum
• Publications - if applicable

Additional Application Notes

Please do not send e-mails requesting advice on your chances of acceptance, as we do not have the staff to review these requests. Out of professional courtesy to other universities, we do not accept mid-program transfers without a letter of release from the current advisor and or department head. You will be able to view the status of your application on the Banner website. For your protection, information on application status cannot be release by telephone or to third parties. The ME Department and the NEP can only recommend admission. Official notification from the Graduate School will be sent by postal mail. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants in the US is March 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants outside the US is May 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Please be aware that the online status only indicates if the application is complete at the VT Graduate School, not necessarily with the Department or Program.

This list of frequently asked questions may prove useful.

• NSEG 5124: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, fall
  Nuclear reactions and fission process. The fission chain reaction. Neutron diffusion and moderation. One-speed diffusion model of a nuclear reactor. Neutron slowing and multigroup diffusion theory. Nuclear reactor kinetics. Introduction to reactor core physics design.
• NSEG 5204: Nuclear Fuel Cycle, 3 credits, fall
  Uranium nuclear fuel cycle: mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel manufacturing, in-core fuel management and refueling, spent fuel storage, reprocessing/recycling and final disposition as waste in a geologic repository. Introduction to nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation as applied to each step of the cycle.
• MSE 5384G: Advanced Nuclear Materials (or NSEG 5424), 3 credits, fall or spring (check with instructor for availability)
  Materials for nuclear applications with emphasis on fission reactors. Fundamental radiation effects on materials; material properties relevant to structural, moderator, reflector, blanket, coolant, control related structural systems. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required
• NSEG 5424: Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (or MSE 5384G), 3 credits, spring
  Fundamental processes of hear generation and transport in nuclear reactors. Heat generation by fission and radiation interactions; spatial distribution of heat generation; heat transport by conduction and convection. Effects of boiling and critical heat flux. Fundamentals of reactor thermal and hydraulic design.
• NSEG 5604: Radiation Detection & Shielding, 3 credits, fall
  Radioactive decay, interaction of charged particles and photons with matter, methods of radiation detection and radiation dosimetry, counting statistics, external radiation protection using time, distance and shielding.

• NSEG 5114: Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals, 3 credits, fall or summer (check with instructor for availability)
  A foundation course in nuclear engineering. Neutron physics, reactor theory and kinetics, basic reactor design and operation, and overall power plant operation. Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required.
• NSEG 5134: Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport, 3 credits, fall
  Basic particle transport concepts. Random processes, random number generation techniques, fundamental formulation of Monte Carlo, sampling procedures, and fundamentals of probability and statistics. Monte Carlo algorithms for particle transport, non-analog Monte Carlo method, formulations for different variance reduction techniques, and tallying procedures. Methodologies for parallelization and vectorization of the Monte Carlo methods, and examples of the Monte Carlo method for simulation of various real-life applications.
• NSEG 5214: Nuclear Plant Systems & Ops, 3 credits, fall
  Pressurized and boiling water reactors, detailed system functions and operation, reactor plant startup and shutdown procedures, reactor trip and casualty procedures, reactor transient response analysis, reactor plant licensing, ethics and integrity in the nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5284: Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safeguards, and Security; 3 credits; fall
  Technical essentials, policy analysis, theoretical perspectives of nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation. Fundamentals of the nuclear fuel cycle, management of international safeguards, threat of nuclear terrorism, and challenges for global nuclear industry.
• NSEG 5504: Radiation Effects on Metals and Alloys, 3 credits
  Radiation effects on metals and alloys. Interaction between particles and atoms, radiation damage, displacement of atoms, diffusion of point defects, radiation-induced segregation, phase instability, transmutation products, irradiated material mechanical properties.
• NSEG 6124: Advanced Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, fall
  Neutron transport theory. Neutron slowing down and resonance absorption. Neutron thermalization. Perturbation and variational methods. Homogenization theory. Space-time neutron kinetics.
• NSEG 6334: Nuclear Reactor Safety, 3 credits, fall
  Hazards of nuclear reactors; analysis of hypothetical design basis accidents; engineered safeguards and safety design principles; nuclear criticality safety; reactor containment; reactor safety codes; and probabilistic risk assessment.

The VT Nuclear Engineering Program offers two Graduate Certificates: Certificate in Nuclear Engineering and Certificate in Nuclear Science Technology and Policy (NSTP).

The primary purposes of the Nuclear Engineering Certificate are to (1) provide a purposeful, cohesive set of technical electives in nuclear engineering; and (2) facilitate networking among faculty, students, and employers in nuclear engineering applications. The certificate is useful in transitioning from a non-nuclear engineering-related job to a nuclear engineering-related job. The Nuclear Engineering Certificate will also make those who do not have a nuclear engineering degree more competitive in applying for engineering positions in the nuclear industry. The certificate provides a solid foundation in nuclear reactor physics, with additional specialization in reactor physics, nuclear fuel cycle, radiation measurements, reactor thermal hydraulics, nuclear materials, or nuclear power plant operations. The certificate requires completion of 9 credit hours of graduate course work.

Any student who has a BS degree in an engineering or science program can enroll in this Certificate Program. A student is awarded a Certificate after completing four courses with a grade B or better. These courses are listed below.

Currently enrolled Virginia Tech students may apply for this certificate by simply filling out the application form and submitting it to the Graduate School.

Graduate School
Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown
Virginia Tech (0325)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Fax: (540) 231-2039
Phone: (540) 231-8636
Email: grads@vt.edu

Anyone who is not enrolled at Virginia Tech must officially apply to Graduate School.

The VT Nuclear Engineering Program offers two Graduate Certificates: Certificate in Nuclear Engineering and Certificate in Nuclear Science Technology and Policy (NSTP).

This Certificate is a joint program among the Department of Science and Technology in Society, the School of Public and International Affairs, and the Nuclear Engineering Program. Students who have either at least a BS in a technical or policy related discipline are encouraged to enroll in this program.

The Nuclear Science, Technology, and Policy (NSTP) Graduate Certificate integrates policy and management with nuclear science and technology to prepare students from diverse educational backgrounds for careers managing and leading nuclear policy organizations across a spectrum of activity in safety, security, safeguards, and non-proliferation. The Certificate courses offer fundamental knowledge of concepts in nuclear science and technology that are relevant to policy issues, and also provide an introduction to topics in safety, security, and nonproliferation, which occupy the bulk of government concerns with nuclear issues. Finally, the Certificate will allow students to interact with policymakers in the field through briefings, simulations, and exercises at the Certificate’s Northern Virginia locations and institutions, agencies, and other partners in Washington, DC.

The Certificate requires completing a total of four courses. Two of these course are dedicated,the anchor course and a capstone course. The other two courses are electives, one of which must be technical and one social sciences.

: the anchor course, STS/SPIA/NSEG 5284, and a capstone course (offered as GRAD 5134 Interdisciplinary Research – this course will only count toward the Certificate when it is offered as the NSTP Certificate Capstone). In addition, each student selects one technical course, and one social sciences course, from the list below (“electives”).

The the first corse course is known as the "anchor" course ( STS/SPIA/NSEG 5284) which is taken by all students completing the certificate. The second core course is the capstone course (offered as GRAD 5134 Interdisciplinary Research - this course will only count toward the Certificate when it is offered as the NSTP Certificate Capstone).

The core courses will be co-taught by faculty members from engineering/science and policy/STS. The two core courses explicitly target both technical and non-technical students.
The anchor course is designed to provide a broad overview of both technical and non-technical matters related to nuclear science, technology, and policy, and to introduce fundamental terms, categories, and processes, often in a hands-on manner.

The capstone course will include two main activities: 1) critical analysis of technical challenges and policy dilemmas in the nuclear fields; 2) engagement with specific case studies and current issues. For both activities, we will invite experts from various government and nonprofit organizations in the Washington DC Metro area to give seminars and to participate in the formation and evaluation of case studies. The students in the capstone will engage in a semester-long problem-based learning project that they will develop with their peers and instructors throughout the semester. They will apply the conceptual tools, theories, and methods learned in the other certificate courses, and present a final report to a relevant agency or decision-maker.

The other two courses remain as electives, to be tailored to each students interests. Since some electives are offered under “advanced topics” course numbers, these courses can only count toward the certificate if they are offered on specific topics. We have provided a tentative list below (“related”); this list is not meant to be comprehensive. The certificate faculty will consider other related courses, existing and new ones, to count as electives toward the certificate. In all instances, the selection of elective courses needs to be approved by a student’s advisor.

Admission to the Graduate School and completing a Graduate Certificate Application are required for all students. For both degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students, the Graduate School requires completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or better for admission to Certificate Status. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA < 3.0 may qualify for Commonwealth Campus admission. Students pursuing a degree and a certificate simultaneously are classified within their degree program. Certificate credits may be used to meet degree requirements if they are appropriate for inclusion on the degree Plan of Study. The faculty administering the Certificate will assist students with determining course selection.

Currently enrolled Virginia Tech students may apply for this certificate by simply filling out the application form and submitting it to the Graduate School.

Graduate School
Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown
Virginia Tech (0325)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Fax: (540) 231-2039
Phone: (540) 231-8636
Email: grads@vt.edu

Anyone wishing to enroll in the whom is not currently enrolled at Virginia Tech must officially apply for Graduate Certificate status at grads.vt.edu

• GRAD 5134: Interdisciplinary Research, Capstone Course, 3 credits, spring
  Taught as the Capstone in Nuclear Science, Technology, and Policy. Seminar-style series of lectures, discussions, and active-learning exercises, with one semester-long problem-based learning assignment (depending on student numbers in two or more teams). This allows students to apply the tools acquired in the anchor course in interdisciplinary teams, with real-world relevance. The results of the project(s) will be presented to one or more stakeholders outside the university. Outside speakers will be recruited from industry, government agencies, national labs, community organizations, etc. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• STS 5284: Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safeguards, and Security; Anchor Course; 3 credits; fall
  Technical essentials, policy analysis, theoretical perspectives of nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation. Fundamentals of the nuclear fuel cycle, management of international safeguards, threat of nuclear terrorism, and challenges for global nuclear industry. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C).

• GIA 5514: Global Security (Social Sciences & Policy), 3 credits, spring
  This course examines the changing nature of global security. It offers an introduction to the meaning of global security at a time of rapid change in international affairs. It examines the traditional sources of insecurity in the international system, the rising concerns and threats to global security from ethnic conflicts and failing states, and the emerging new security agenda arising from challenges to global stability including threats arising from poverty, discrimination, environmental degradation and the lack of human rights. This course seeks to understand the root causes of insecurity and the various challenges to international stability in the contemporary international system. Discussions include the policy implications of these security challenges, the mechanisms developed by the international community, and the response of states and other actors in the international system to meet these challenges today. Pre: GIA 5444 or PSCI 5444 or UAP 5264 (3H, 3C)
• GIA 5664: Energy and Environmental Security (Social Sciences & Policy), 3 credits, spring
  Assesses how energy and natural resources affect human conflict, security, and risk. Considers theories of scarcity and human ecology pertaining to causes of wars. Examines case studies of different natural resources to identify drivers of risk, resilience, and sustainability. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C). (New course, under review)
• NSEG 5114: Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, fall
  A foundations course in nuclear engineering to prepare graduate students for all subsequent graduate work in the field of nuclear engineering. Topics include neutron physics, reactor theory and kinetics, basic reactor design and operation, and overall power plant operation. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 5124: Nuclear Reactor Analysis (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, fall
  Nuclear reactions and fission process. The fission chain reaction. Neutron diffusion and moderation. Introduction to reactor theory. One-speed diffusion model of a nuclear reactor. Neutron slowing and multigroup diffusion theory. Nuclear reactor kinetics. Introduction to reactor core physics design. Reactor physics analysis. Pre: 5114 (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 5134: Applied Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, fall
  This is a general course on the Monte Carlo Methods which uses fundamental particle transport concepts to demonstrate various methodologies and examine associated issues. The topics covered include: random processes; random number generation techniques and testing; fundamental formulation of Monte Carlo (FFMC); various sampling procedures; fundamentals of probability and statistics as needed for MC simulations; non-analog or variance reduction techniques; various tallying procedures; representation of physical models based on combinatorial geometry; solving integral formulations via MC; importance sampling and the use of importance function; use of MC for eigenvalue problems; MC methods in parallel and vector environments; and use of MC for simulation of various real-life problems. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 5204: Nuclear Fuel Cycle (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, spring
  Uranium nuclear fuel cycle: mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel manufacturing, in-core fuel management and refueling, spent fuel storage, reprocessing/recycling and final disposition as waste in a geologic repository. Introduction to nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation as applied to each step of fuel cycle. (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 5214: Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Systems (Nuclear Engineering) 3 credits, spring
  Nuclear reactor startup and shutdown, reactivity control, casualty procedures, refueling, initial startup of new plants, standards and codes, ethics and integrity. Pre: 5114 (3H, 3C)
• MSE 5384G: Advanced Nuclear Materials (Nuclear Materials), 3 credits, spring
  Introduction to materials for nuclear applications with emphasis on fission reactors. Fundamental radiation effects on materials; material properties relevant to structural, moderator, reflector, blanket, coolant, control shielding and safety systems; processes such as nuclear fuel cycles, fuel enrichment and reprocessing, and related structural systems.
• NSEG 5424: Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, spring
  Fundamental processes of heat generation and transport in nuclear reactors. Heat generation by fission and radiation interactions; spatial distribution of heat generation; heat transport by conduction and convection. Effects of boiling and critical heat flux. Fundamentals of reactor thermal and hydraulic design. Pre: 5114 (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 5604: Radiation Detection and Shielding (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, spring
  Radioactive decay, interaction of charged particles and photons with matter, methods of radiation detection and radiation dosimetry, counting statistics, external radiation protection using time, distance and shielding. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 6124: Radiation Transport Theory Methods and Applications (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, spring
  Neutron transport theory: derivation and solution techniques of the neutron transport equation. Analytical solution methods; discrete ordinates method; spherical harmonics method. Integral form of the transport equation. Monte Carlo method. Introduction to neutron transport computer codes and their application in reactor core and shielding design. Pre: 5124 (3H, 3C)
• NSEG 6334: Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis (Nuclear Engineering), 3 credits, spring
  Hazards of nuclear reactors; analysis of hypothetical design basis accidents; engineered safeguards and safety design principles; nuclear criticality safety; reactor containment; reactor safety codes; and probabilistic risk assessment. Pre: 5114 (3H, 3C)
• PAPA 5254: Homeland Security and the Terrorist Threat (Social Sciences & Policy), 3 credits, fall
  A multidisciplinary introduction to the theory, strategy, decision-making, and doctrine of Homeland Security as practiced in the U.S. Describes the threat, nature of current global conflicts in which the U.S. is engaged, America’s foreign and domestic policy responses to 9/11, and strategic and operational homeland security functions. Designed to promote subject matter understanding, simplification of issues, and consensus decision-making. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• PAPA 5354: Homeland Security Response and Recovery (Social Sciences & Policy), 3 credits, spring
  Multi-disciplinary policy course focused on emergency response and recovery following catastrophic manmade and natural disasters in the U.S. Emphasis on strategic and operational decision making; response models and strategies; the preparation, response and recovery roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local jurisdictions; and federal policy alternatives to address the complex resource challenges of multi-jurisdictional response planning and operations execution. Designed to promote subject matter understanding, simplification of issues, and consensus decision-making. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• PAPA 6254: Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resiliency (Social Sciences & Policy), 3 credits, spring
  An introduction to the policy, strategy and practical application of critical infrastructure protection and resiliency from an all-hazards perspective. Describes the strategic context presented by the 21st century risk environment, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with infrastructure -related public-private partnerships, information-sharing, risk analysis and prioritization, risk mitigation, performance metrics, and incident management. Students will be exposed to complex intergovernmental and public-private sector policymaking, operational planning and crisis management. Designed to promote subject matter understanding, critical analysis of issues and insight into senior leader decision making. Includes a practical examination of stakeholder interaction and key subject matter areas through an interactive tabletop exercise and research paper assignment. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C).
• PAPA 6264: Advanced Topics in Policy Systems Management (Social Sciences & Policy), 3 credits
  An introduction to the policy, strategy and practical application of critical infrastructure protection and resiliency from an all-hazards perspective. Describes the strategic context presented by the 21st century risk environment, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with infrastructure -related public-private partnerships, information-sharing, risk analysis and prioritization, risk mitigation, performance metrics, and incident management. Students will be exposed to complex intergovernmental and public-private sector policymaking, operational planning and crisis management. Designed to promote subject matter understanding, critical analysis of issues and insight into senior leader decision making. Includes a practical examination of stakeholder interaction and key subject matter areas through an interactive tabletop exercise and research paper assignment. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C)
• PAPA/STS 6663: Advanced Topics in Science and Technology Policy, 3 credits
  Complexity, Emerging Policy, Doctrine and Strategy. Variable topics in science and technology policy. Includes advanced study of science, technology, and economy; science, technology, and power; strategies for research and development policy, public and private sector; transfer of technology; technological forecasting; government regulation and responses; science policy assumptions and challenges, specialist knowledge and expertise; state and academic knowledge production; issues of race, class, gender, and national identity in policy work. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C).
• PSCI 5464: Critical Security Studies, 3 credits
  Provides an overview of the critical study of security in world politics. Introduces alternative conceptualizations of security to the military-focused, state-centric security/strategic studies. Considers constructivist, post-structuralist and critical theoretic attempts to conceptualize the nature of security. Compares and contrasts these approaches with widely-accepted understandings of security in light of key debates in contemporary security studies. Pre: PSCI 5444 or GIA 5444 (3H, 3C)
• PSCI 5474: Global Governance, 3 credits
  Examination of the norms, institutions and practices developed by the international community to address systemic global governance problems: genocide, failed states, transnational corruption, displaced persons, AIDS, poverty. Role of United States in World community examined. Power of international organizations versus states. Capacity problems of both. Future of United Nations and global governance considered. Pre: Graduate Standing. (3H, 3C)
• PSCI/GIA 5514: Global Security, 3 credits
  Security examined as an essentially contested concept. Traditional national security and emergent global security discourses and agendas explained. Security institutions and organizations analyzed. Questions of power, identity and representation examined as factors delimiting security conceptions, practices and agendas. Pre: Graduate Standing. GIA 5444 or UAP 5264 or PSCI 5444 (3H, 3C)
• PSCI 5524: U.S. Foreign Policy After September 11, 3 credits
  Course offers a historical and analytical evaluation of U.S. foreign policy after this epochal change especially with regard to the war on terror, geopolitics in the Middle East, and relations with new global powers after the end of the Cold War. Pre: PSCI 5484 (3H, 3C)
• STS/SPIA-6554: Energy Policy, 3 credits
  Historical and Contemporary Issues. Social-scientific perspectives in energy policy. National and international topics and controversies such as fossil fuel resources, climate change, energy security, and the debate over nuclear power. Comparison of international perspectives. Challenges involved with management and regulation of large technological systems, the politics of expertise at the intersection of global climate change and energy security, and the changing character of our global energy infrastructure. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C).
• STS/SPIA 6564: Risk in Contemporary Culture, 3 credits
  Examines the phenomenon of risk from a variety of qualitative perspectives. Considers what constitutes a risk, and who decides what risks to take. Critically addresses notions of safety, reliability, and probability underlying risk assessment and risk management. Focuses on the role of expertise, trust, and communication in risk regulation. Discusses which democratic policy instruments facilitate stable, consensual decisions in contemporary societies. Pre: Graduate standing (3H, 3C).

Nuclear Engineering Program is planning to offer an online Masters of Engineering (MENG) in Nuclear Engineering, starting Fall 2020. This program will include a combination synchronous and asynchronous courses. If you are interested in learning about the program, please contact Mrs. Allison Jones at arjones@vt.edu

The degree requires 24 or 27 credits of courses plus 6 or 3 credits of project & report. From 24 credits, at least 18 credits of NSEG courses (including the math requirement). The remaining 6 or 9 credits of elective courses can come from the nuclear engineering courses or any engineering, science or mathematics 5000-level courses.

• NSEG 5124: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, 3 credits, spring
• NSEG 5204: Nuclear Fuel Cycle, 3 credits, spring
• NSEG 5424: Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, 3 credits, fall
• NSEG 5604: Radiation Detection & Shielding, 3 credits, spring
• NSEG 5904: Project & Report, 3 credits; fall, spring, summer

• NSEG 5104: Applied Mathematics for Nuclear Engineering, 3 credits, fall
• NSEG 5114: Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals, 3 credits, fall
• NSEG 5134: Monte Carlo Methods for Particle Transport, 3 credits, fall
• NSEG 5214: Nuclear Plant Systems & Operations, 3 credits, spring
• NSEG 5284: Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safeguards and Security; 3 credits; fall
• NSEG 5894: Special Studies, 3 credits; fall, spring, summer
• NSEG 5974: Independent Study, 3 credits; fall, spring, summer

If all materials submitted with the online application are clearly legible, the Nuclear Engineering Program does not require hard copy materials. It is highly recommended that you keep hard copies of all materials that you have submitted, since applications and supplemental information cannot be retrieved or altered once they are submitted.

Complete departmental applications consist of:

• Undergraduate Transcripts - Front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official transcript should be mailed directly to the Graduate School in a sealed envelope.
• Graduate Transcripts - If applicable, front and back scans of official transcripts are required. Once the application is complete, a final official graduate transcript should be mailed directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department in a sealed envelope.
• Letters of Reference - Three letters of reference are required. On-line references are preferred; however, if the online reference form is not used, references should be mailed in sealed envelopes directly to the Mechanical Engineering Department.
• GRE/TOEFL Scores - Self reported scores can be used for the evaluation process until official scores arrive to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service. GRE scores should be less than two years old. Please see the Graduate School website for information on how to report scores to Virginia Tech.

After filling out the online application, hard copy references should be sent in one large envelope to:

Nuclear Engineering Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering, MC 0238
Graduate Coordinator
100A Randolph Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Online Supplemental Materials

• Resume - 1 page preferred
• Statement of Purpose - 2 pages, maximum
• Publications - if applicable

Additional Application Notes

Please do not send e-mails requesting advice on your chances of acceptance, as we do not have the staff to review these requests. Out of professional courtesy to other universities, we do not accept mid-program transfers without a letter of release from the current advisor and or department head. You will be able to view the status of your application on the Banner website. For your protection, information on application status cannot be release by telephone or to third parties. The ME Department and the NEP can only recommend admission. Official notification from the Graduate School will be sent by postal mail. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants in the US is March 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants outside the US is May 15th for complete applications received by January 15th. Please be aware that the online status only indicates if the application is complete at the VT Graduate School, not necessarily with the Department or Program.

This list of frequently asked questions may prove useful.

NSEG 5104
NSEG 5114
NSEG 5134
NSEG 5284 (every other year, next Fall 2021)
NSEG 5424

NSEG 5124
NSEG 5204
NSEG 5214
NSEG 5504
NSEG 5604

NSEG 5134
NSEG 6124

NEH was established in 2018 by Prof. Andrei Afanasev (George Washington University) and Prof. Alireza Haghighat (Virginia Tech) through a grant from the Office of International Nuclear Policy and Cooperation, US Department of Energy, for the purpose of education of Ukrainian citizens in Nuclear Science and Nuclear Engineering.

Thus far, NEH has developed curricula tailored for the Ukrainian citizens, identified and established dialogue with key stakeholders in the US and Ukraine, and identified the needs and interests of the stakeholders through a workshop which was held on Aug. 8-9, 2019. The main outcome of this workshop is as follows:

>>More students are needed in the areas of physics, engineering and nuclear sciences. A theme throughout the two-day meeting was the decline of students entering these critical fields and the need for recruiting the next generation of nuclear scientists.
>>The Nuclear Education Hub provides an opportunity to strengthen the existing education and research programs in nuclear sciences and engineering, as well as adding the study of safety, security, regulations and policy.
Further detail about the workshop is given below.

Because of the pandemic the follow-up trip to Ukraine had to be postponed. However, considering the new Biden administration’s goals for resetting the US international role, the recent agreements on nuclear energy between several Eastern European countries, and the end of pandemic in sight, NEH has expanded its mission by including other new nuclear countries.

With its new mission, NEH not only would engage in and facilitate education of cadre of nuclear experts, but also will directly contribute to the export and deployment of the US nuclear technology and reactor systems, and therefore effective participation in setting safety and security standards for the next generation nuclear reactor designs.

To address the global needs, the NEH co-directors have decided to establish the NEH nonprofit organization (see a white paper on NEH's mission), which seeks partners from the US educational institution, industry, and national laboratories. If interested in this opportunity, please contact either Prof. Afanasev (afanas@gwu.edu) or Prof. Haghighat (haghighat@vt.edu).