Undergraduate Programming in Nuclear Engineering

The Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State offers a curriculum with a strong focus on experimental research, distinguishing it from many other programs.

Our nuclear engineering major relates theory to practice in a way that is unique to the University.

Penn State is one of the few universities where undergraduate students can work with a functioning nuclear reactor. As the crown jewel of the program, the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor is the longest operating licensed research reactor in the country.

Penn State’s collaboration with nuclear companies and agencies give students an unmatched educational experience, where they can train with the simulation and analysis codes currently used in industry and gain access to some of the most sophisticated national facilities in nuclear and plasma sciences.

Becoming a nuclear engineer gives an individual the opportunity to mold the future in exciting new ways. Many of our graduates work at nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel vendors, and in non-power areas including nuclear policy, nuclear security, nuclear materials development, and plasma science and engineering at national labs. Other graduates go on to work in industries that use radioactivity or radiation, such as medicine, food, and agriculture. Learn more »

What is a nuclear engineer?

Nuclear engineering is a multidisciplinary field with extensive applications beyond providing nuclear power for electrical production. Nuclear engineers may apply radiation to treat disease, operate nuclear energy systems, develop safety regulations, or facilitate space exploration. Nuclear technology touches our lives in many ways, and nuclear engineers solve everyday problems to contribute to our health and safety.

Examples of career opportunities: Reactor designer; nuclear safety analyst; nuclear operations engineer; nuclear medical radiologist; nuclear fusion engineer

Related Minors, Certificates, and Associate Degrees

• Explore College of Engineering Minors