Virginia Tech® home

Nuclear Engineering Minor

The minor in Nuclear Engineering prepares students in engineering and related sciences for careers in the nuclear industry, nuclear power plants, state and national government, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Navy, Naval shipyards that build nuclear-powered ships and submarines, and for graduate studies in Nuclear Engineering.

Undergraduate students who complete the minor are equipped to pursue a master’s degree through the UG/G program, dual enrollment, or traditional application to the Nuclear Engineering graduate program.

Nuclear Engineering Minor Requirements:
The minor consists of 18 credits, including four required courses:

  • MATH2214, Differential Equations (3 credits) – prerequisites:  MATH1226, MATH2114(or MATH1114)
  • NSEG3145, Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering Part I (3 credits) – prerequisite: MATH2214
  • NSEG3146, Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering Part II (3 credits) – prerequisite: NSEG3145
  • NSEG3604, Radiation Detection, Protection, & Shielding  (3 credits) – prerequisite: PHYS2306, corequisite: MATH2114

Students choose an additional two electives (6 credits total) from the following:

  • NSEG4204, Nuclear Fuel Cycle (3 credits), corequisite: NSEG3146
  • NSEG4214, Nuclear Power Plant Operations (3 credits), prerequisite: NSEG3146
  • NSEG4424, Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (3 credits), prerequisite: NSEG3145
  • MSE4384, Nuclear Materials (3 credits), prerequisites: (MSE3044 or ME3304) and (MSE3054 or ESM3054, or ME3614 or ME3624)
  • NSEG4974, Independent Study (3 credits maximum)
  • NSEG4994, Undergraduate Research (3 credits maximum)
  • PHYS3224, Modern Physics (4 credits) - will be substituted as an elective on your DARS report if you are following an older catalog
  • PHYS4514, Introduction to Nuclear Physics (3 credits), prerequisite: PHYS3224 - will be substituted as an elective on your DARS report if you are following an older catalog

Graduation requirements for the Nuclear Engineering minor can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.  (Be sure to navigate to the archived catalog for your date of entry if you are not a first-year student).

Adding the Nuclear Engineering Minor:  The Nuclear Engineering Minor can be added during select times during the year (end of Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters).  Please see the Engineering Education website for application dates and instructions to add an engineering minor.  

Dropping an Engineering Minor:  Students cannot graduate from Virginia Tech with an incomplete minor. If you have added an engineering minor (like Nuclear Engineering) and no longer plan to complete it, you should fill out the "Minor Drop Request" form using the link on COE Academic Forms page.

For More Information:  Please contact Amanda Leong with technical questions about the minor or nuclear engineering careers.  You can also talk with the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate advisors.

Notes:  Only undergraduate students can add the Nuclear minor; graduate students should consider applying to one of the Nuclear Engineering certificate programs or pursuing an additional degree in our Nuclear Engineering graduate programs.  Undergraduates cannot graduate with an incomplete minor.  If they wish to complete the minor, they should change their graduation date to when both the bachelor's degree and the minor will be completed or e-mail our Academic Dean’s Office, coeacademicdean@vt.edu, to drop the minor.