WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University is adding an online master’s degree in nuclear engineering to its highly ranked online engineering graduate programs designed for professional engineers looking to enhance their knowledge and skills and advance their careers.
Beginning with the fall 2021 semester, the Master of Nuclear Engineering (MNE) program will be offered and taught by the same faculty who teach on Purdue’s flagship campus. The on-campus nuclear engineering program is rated among the best in the field.
“I am thrilled that we are now able to provide the same excellent education to those who wanted to advance their knowledge but couldn’t because they couldn’t be on campus,” said Seungjin Kim, the Capt. James F. McCarthy, Jr. and Cheryl E. McCarthy Head and Professor of Nuclear Engineering. “With the new online Master of Nuclear Engineering degree program, they will learn from our renowned faculty from anywhere and earn an advanced Purdue nuclear engineering degree.”
U.S. News and World Report consistently rank Purdue’s online graduate engineering programs in the nation’s top 10 overall. The magazine places the nuclear engineering program, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020, among the dozen best nationally.
Purdue’s School of Nuclear Engineering, in conjunction with the College of Engineering and Purdue Online, already offers an online interdisciplinary Master of Science in Engineering degree with a concentration in nuclear engineering.
The new online master’s in nuclear engineering expands the curriculum for a degree fully focused on the nuclear engineering discipline. MNE course topics include nuclear materials, nuclear reactor physics and theory, nuclear engineering systems, fusion, thermal hydraulics and safety, and radiation and security.
Students in the online master’s program complete either 30 hours of coursework or 24 hours of courses and a six-credit project. Students work with an advisor to tailor a plan of study that meets their needs. The flexible program makes it possible to take a break from studies if needed then resume and to earn the degree over a number of years, the better to balance work and family commitments.
Shripad Revankar, professor and chairman of the School of Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program, led the effort to develop the online nuclear engineering master’s degree.
“The MNE program offers a great opportunity to practicing and fresh engineers to obtain a Purdue graduate degree,” Revankar said. “The program offers new technical skills to advance their current career via virtual learning and a collaboration environment, providing added flexibility and self-paced learning. The program will bring the strength of Purdue nuclear engineering academic training to the forefront of virtual education, and we are happy that this new MNE program opens the door for many people.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for nuclear engineers is growing, and their median salary is about 15 percent greater than the median salary for all engineers. The 2019 median pay for an entry-level nuclear engineer was $113,460 annually.
Interested students are invited to apply now for the fall 2021 semester. For more information about applying, tuition costs, plans of study, and program flexibility, visit the program webpage.
Information: Greg Kline, gkline@purdue.ed
Sources: Seungjin Kim, seungjin@purdue.edu and Shripad Revankar, shripad@purdue.edu
