Global Outreach and Extended Education

Graduate Certificate in
Nuclear Power Generation

Watch a video introduction to this program

MSE in Electrical Engineering with
Nuclear Power Generation graduate certificate (pdf format)

Fall 2009 Online NPG Offerings

EEE 460/591 Topic: Nuclear Power Engineering, class # 87157
EEE 463/591 Topic: Electrical Power Plants, class # 72871
EEE 562 Nuclear Reactor Theory and Design, class # 86794

Overview

The Nuclear Power Generation (NPG) graduate certificate is a multidisciplinary professional option within the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. Courses from multiple academic units constitute both the core and elective classes available to the student. All of the core classes and many of the NPG elective courses will be offered online through the Engineering Office of Global Outreach and Extended Education (GOEE). The graduate-level certificate program requires 18 hours of coursework with a minimum of two-thirds at the 500-level or higher.

Students typically begin with the study of nuclear science and engineering fundamentals. Subsequent courses focus on reactor theory, power plant dynamics, structural materials, and operational safety. Elective course(s) allow students to tailor the remaining studies toward facilitating their career goals and focusing on studies tied to their discipline.

Program Sections:

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Admission

Admission into this program is continous, normal program deadlines are used.

Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline, such as physics, chemistry and mathematics, from a regionally accredited institution are eligible to apply to the program. Applicants are required to submit an official ASU graduate online application, official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework, and a statement of career and educational goals. Regular admission may be granted to applicants who have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) or better in the last two years of work leading to a bachelor’s degree and are competitive in the applicant pool. The application for graduate admission may be completed online at http://graduate.asu.edu/admissions/ .

Core and Elective Courses

Core Courses

EEE 562 Nuclear Reactor Theory and Design (3)
EEE 563 Nuclear Reactor System Dynamics and Diagnostics (3)
EEE 564 Interdisciplinary Nuclear Power Operations (3)
MSE 565 Structural Materials in Nuclear Power Systems (3)

Elective Courses

EEE 460/591 Nuclear Power Engineering (3) **
EEE 463 Electrical Power Plants (3)
EEE 498 Health Physics (3)
EEE 598 Radiation Effects on Electronics (3)
IEE 547 Human Factors Engineering (3)
SOS 534 / CEE 598 / MAE 598 Sustainable Energy and Material Use (3)
MSE 540 Fracture, Fatigue, and Creep (3)

** EEE 460 is a pre-requisite to the core courses; for those students who have not successfully completed such a course, EEE 460/591 may be taken as an elective prior to enrolling in the core courses and applied toward the 18 hrs required for the graduate certificate.

Students must enroll in at least 6 credit hours in a calendar year. The certificate program must be completed within five calendar years. All courses which will count for the certificate must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, and each course used to earn the certificate must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.

Course Descriptions

EEE 460/591 Nuclear Power Engineering

Radioactivity and decay. Radiation interactions and dose. Nuclear reaction, fission and fusion theory. Fission reactors, four factor formula, moderation. Nuclear power, TMI, Chernobyl. Nuclear fuel cycle.

EEE 562 Nuclear Reactor Theory and Design

Principles of neutron chain reacting systems. Neutron diffusion and moderation. One, two and multi group diffusion equation solution methods. Heterogeneous reactors. Nuclear fuel steady-state performance. Core thermal-hydraulics. Core thermal design.

EEE 563 Nuclear Reactor System Dynamics and Diagnostics

Time dependent solution to neutron diffusion equation. Reactor kinetics and reactivity changes. Dynamics, stability and control of reactor systems. Modeling neutronic and thermal processes. System characterization in time and frequency domains. Reactor surveillance and diagnostics.

EEE 564 Interdisciplinary Nuclear Power Operations

Nuclear power plant systems. Study of the interrelationship and propagation of effects that systems and design changes have on one another, especially in relation to nuclear power plant safety and operations. Case studies and design projects.

MSE 565 Structural Materials in Nuclear Power Systems

This course provides an overview of reactor systems and discusses the structural materials used in reactor components (e.g., Fuel/core, wall/blanket, heat exchanger, and steam turbine materials). Design considerations, and materials degradation processes that occur in service are discussed. The effect of radiation damage on materials properties is emphasized. Reactor systems including fission-(e.g., PWR, LWR, BWR, LMFBR) and fusion-based reactors are reviewed.

Program Delivery Mode

Program Delivery Mode

The primary mode of instructional delivery will be online through the Office of Global Outreach and Extended Education (GOEE) (formerly the Center for Professional Development, CPD); see http://www.asuengineeringonline.com/ .

How to apply?

To apply for the Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Power Generation, visit http://asu.edu/gradapp.

Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Power Generation