Private industries working with radioisotopes, including medical facilities, also require professionals in these areas. The LSU program provides rigorous academic preparation for careers in nuclear engineering and health physics. Students may take courses in radiation detection, shielding, reactor physics and engineering, thermal hydraulics, and radiation protection. A thesis is for the Ph.D. degree. Faculty members are involved in important research programs, such as developing computer codes for lattice physics and criticality safety calculations, reactor pressure vessel fluence analysis, aerosol dispersion studies, nuclear data studies, thermal analysis of reactor piping, environmental applications of stable and radioactive isotopes, and health physics concerns of naturally occuring radioactive material.
Students often work on one of the faculty's research projects for their thesis.
Medical Physics Medical physics is an exciting field of study that applies elements of physics, nuclear science and radiology, and medical science to the treatment of cancer. As allied-health professionals, medical physicists work closely with physicians at hospitals and cancer treatment units. One of the strengths of the LSU medical physics program is its emphasis on acquiring practical clinical experience and hands-on training in cancer therapy. The nuclear science training covers topics such as properties of radioisotopes, radiation protection, radiation transport theory, shielding, radiation measurement, dosimetry, and radiobiology. Students who choose to pursue the dual M.S. medical physics program require an additional year of course work in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, leading to a master's degree in that discipline.