Nuclear Engineering

Start Earning Your Nuclear Engineering Degree Today for a Bright Tomorrow

Nuclear technologies are the future, offering talented nuclear engineers endless opportunities in a thriving industry that will see exponential growth in the coming years.
Why earn your nuclear engineer degree from South Carolina State University? South Carolina State produces more qualified black nuclear engineers than any other nuclear engineering degree program nationwide. That’s because we offer the only undergraduate nuclear engineering degree in the Palmetto State and the only nuclear engineering program at a historically black college or university (HBCU) in the country. 
How much do nuclear engineers make? Determine your value starting with our mission to educate highly skilled, well-prepared nuclear engineers ready to enter professional careers in the public and private sectors, or to go on to prestigious graduate schools.

Our nuclear engineering degree delivers high value and clout

When you enroll at South Carolina State, you’ll have the confidence that our nuclear engineer degree program was designated one of the 25 best values in the nation in 2021 by Best Value Schools. Our nuclear engineering program is also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. 

Method of Instruction

• Face-to-face

Nuclear Engineering Program Educational Objectives

1. To educate nuclear engineers who are highly sought after and are able to contribute in nuclear and related fields. 
2. To educate nuclear engineers who can obtain graduate degrees.
3. To train graduates who have the communication and problem solving skills to succeed as professionals in any environment (as individuals in groups or in leadership positions).
4. To produce graduates who are aware of the impact of their activities as engineers in the realm of ethical, environmental, societal, legal and global concerns. 

 

Nuclear Engineering Student Outcomes

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. 

Nuclear Engineering Program Highlights

What does a nuclear engineer do? At South Carolina State, you’ll learn the answer to this important question firsthand through hands-on learning and networking opportunities. Benefits that nuclear engineer degree students enjoy at South Carolina State include:

Opportunities to put your learning into action

Nuclear engineering degree students are in high demand for industry internships. How much do nuclear engineers make? Find out while you learn.

Ample networking and career-building opportunities

Our program attracts distinguished and prominent guest nuclear engineers, including three presidents of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and an undersecretary and deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. The ANS offers further nationwide networking opportunities.

Top-notch facilities and resources

Our program offers a state-of-the-art applied radiation sciences laboratory for hands-on study of nuclear technologies. This lab includes radiation detection instruments such as Geiger-Muller counters, Sodium Iodide detectors and High Purity Germanium detector. Also equipped in the laboratory for spectroscopic analysis is an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) for trace analysis. You'll answer the question, "What does a nuclear engineer do?" in some of the best facilities here.

Funding to help you afford your degree

Various scholarships are available to eligible sophomores, juniors and seniors when they apply.

Accreditation

The Nuclear Engineering Program at South Carolina State University is “accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and Nuclear Engineering and similarly named Programs Program Criteria.

What Does a Nuclear Engineer Do?

So, what does a nuclear engineer do? Do you dream of developing designs for nuclear plants, applying radiation to diagnose and treat disease, working toward radiation uses for producing and preserving food supplies, or ensuring that nuclear technologies reduce environmental pollution from fossil fuels?
Join us in the Nuclear Engineering Department, which will prepare you to address a wide variety of needs in the industry. When you leave with your nuclear engineer degree from South Carolina State, you’ll be able to apply engineering design and solutions in an array of fields, including public health and safety.

Nuclear engineering careers

With a solid foundation in cutting-edge nuclear technologies, your nuclear engineering degree will make you a standout candidate for top-notch jobs in the industry. You’ll be well-prepared to earn rewarding salaries in job fields such as reactor operations or design, radiology, national security, and forensic or environmental science.
South Carolina State University nuclear engineering degree graduates hold jobs at entities such as:

• Duke Energy
• Entergy
• National Regulatory Commission
• Savannah River National Laboratory
• Westinghouse Electric Corporation

How much do nuclear engineers make? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nuclear engineers earn a median salary of $120,380.

What You Will Study in Nuclear Engineering

Fundamentals of engineering make up the core of our nuclear engineering degree coursework. This translates to a world of opportunities for our graduates. You’ll learn the necessary skills to succeed in any related industry by mastering communication, problem-solving, team-building, and leadership.
Expanding your knowledge in the disciplines of engineering, science, and mathematics is only the beginning. Ethical, environmental, social, legal, and global considerations inform both our foundation and advanced courses. By the time you graduate with a nuclear engineer degree, you will be prepared to take on the entire process of operating nuclear reactors, from planning to testing.
After establishing the basic foundations in areas of calculus, general chemistry, and physics, you’ll go on to courses such as:

• Strength of Materials
• Fluid Dynamics
• Nuclear Reactor Theory

Finishing your nuclear engineering degree is a collaborative journey

South Carolina State has a collaborative curriculum with the University of Wisconsin and North Carolina State University. As a senior in our nuclear engineering program, you’ll spend your last semester at one of these two institutions. 

What Nuclear Engineering Graduates Are Saying

“In this field, there’s a new discovery every day, so Dr. Musa Danjaji always kept up and provided us the updates and information about our major.”  -- Saoud Henzab, B.S. Nuclear Engineering ’22

About the SC State Department of Engineering