The Department of Nuclear Engineering offers programs leading to the Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Nuclear Engineer, Doctor of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The fields in which doctoral and master's degree candidates may elect to study are applied fusion technology, applied plasma physics, applied radiation physics, fission reactor engineering, fission reactor physics, health physics, nuclear and alternative energy systems and policy analysis, nuclear fuel management, nuclear material engineering, radiological sciences, and reactor safety analysis. The program in radiological sciences is offered jointly by the Department of Nuclear Engineering and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Candidates for the S.M. degree are required to complete an acceptable thesis and at least 66 credit units in subjects more advanced than the required undergraduate preparation for nuclear engineering.
Theses can be primarily theoretical or experimental, or they can combine both approaches.
A master's thesis can be completed within twelve to eighteen months. The M.Eng. program prepares students for productive professional engineering careers by providing additional depth in nuclear-related subjects beyond the bachelor's degree together with the breadth of perspective necessary for engineering leadership in the field. This is a fast-paced and intensive program that is normally completed in nine months. The object of the Nuclear Engineer degree program is to provide a broader knowledge of nuclear engineering than that required for the master's degree and to develop competence in engineering application or design, but with less emphasis on research than characterizes a doctoral program. The program includes completion of both an extensive individually arranged academic course program and a special project of significant engineering value.