About the Program

Bachelor of Science (BS)

The program is designed to prepare students for a career in industry, the national laboratories, or in state or federal regulatory agencies. The program, leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Nuclear Engineering, emphasizes study in the following areas of nuclear engineering: nuclear reactions and radiation, introduction to medical imaging, nuclear reactor theory and design, fusion power engineering, radioactive waste management, radiological and biophysics, and nuclear materials.

Many students will go on to complete a one-year master's degree program (the department does not have a fifth-year MS program). Students interested in careers in scientific research or in college-level teaching go on to complete the doctorate.

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Admission to the Major

Prospective undergraduates to the College of Engineering will apply for admission to a specific program in the College. For further information, please see the College of Engineering's website.

Admission to Engineering via a Change of College application for current UC Berkeley students is highly unlikely and very competitive as there are few, if any, spaces that open in the College each year to students admitted to other colleges at UC Berkeley. For further information regarding a Change of College to Engineering, please see the College's website.

Minor Program

The department offers a minor in Nuclear Engineering (NE) that is open to all students who are not majoring in NE and who have completed the necessary prerequisites for the minor requirements. For information regarding the prerequisites, please see the Minor Requirements tab on this page.

The Nuclear Engineering (NE) minor is open to any undergraduate who satisfies the following requirements:

• Declaration of a major (not NE) on the UC Berkeley campus
• A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of applying
• Completion of the minor must not delay graduation

To apply for the minor, submit the Petition for Admission to the Undergraduate Minor to the undergraduate adviser after completion of the prerequisite courses. Upon completion of the minor requirements, submit a Petition for Completion of the Undergraduate Minor to the undergraduate adviser.

Joint Majors

The Department of Nuclear Engineering also offers three joint majors with other departments in the College of Engineering and one joint major with a Department in the College of Chemistry. For further information on these programs, please click the links below:
Chemical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Chemistry)
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences/Nuclear Engineering (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences)
Materials Science and Engineering/Nuclear Engineering (Department of Materials Science and Engineering)
Mechanical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering (Department of Mechanical Engineering)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

1. All technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

3. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for all work undertaken at UC Berkeley.

4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

For a detailed plan of study by year and semester, please see the Plan of Study tab.

Lower Division Requirements

Upper Division Requirements

Upper Division Technical Electives

The following groups of electives should help undergraduate students focus their choices on specific professional goals. The electives selected need not be from any single group.

Minor Requirements

Minor programs are areas of concentration requiring fewer courses than an undergraduate major. These programs are optional but can provide depth and breadth to a UC Berkeley education. The College of Engineering does not offer additional time to complete a minor, but it is usually possible to finish within the allotted time with careful course planning. Students are encouraged to meet with their ESS adviser to discuss the feasibility of completing a minor program.

All the engineering departments offer minors. Students may also consider pursuing a minor in another school or college.

General Guidelines

1. All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the department advisor for information on requirements, and the declaration process.

2. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for graded credit.

3. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the prerequisite courses is required for acceptance into the minor program.

4. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.

5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

6. Completion of the minor program cannot delay a student’s graduation.

Lower Division Prerequisites

Upper Division Requirements

College Requirements

Students in the College of Engineering must complete no fewer than 120 semester units with the following provisions: 

1. Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program study. 
2. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical coursework required of the major.
3. The final 30 units and two semesters must be completed in residence in the College of Engineering on the Berkeley campus.
4. All technical courses (math, science and engineering) that can fulfill requirements for the student's major must be taken on a letter graded basis (unless they are only offered P/NP). 
5. Entering freshmen are allowed a maximum of eight semesters to complete their degree requirements. Entering junior transfers are allowed a maximum of four semesters to complete their degree requirements. (Note: junior transfers admitted missing three or more courses from the lower division curriculum are allowed five semesters.) Summer terms are optional and do not count toward the maximum. Students are responsible for planning and satisfactorily completing all graduation requirements within the maximum allowable semesters. 
6. Adhere to all college policies and procedures as they complete degree requirements.
7. Complete the lower division program before enrolling in upper division engineering courses. 

Humanities and Social Sciences (H/SS) Requirement

To promote a rich and varied educational experience outside of the technical requirements for each major, the College of Engineering has a six-course Humanities and Social Sciences breadth requirement, which must be completed to graduate. This requirement, built into all the engineering programs of study, includes two reading and composition courses (R&C), and four additional courses within which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. Follow these guidelines to fulfill this requirement:

1. Complete a minimum of six courses from the  approved Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) lists. 
2. Courses must be a minimum of 3 semester units (or 4 quarter units).
3. Two of the six courses must fulfill the College's Reading and Composition (R&C) requirement. These courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required). The first half (R&C Part A) must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half (R&C Part B) must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. Please see the Reading and Composition Requirement page for a complete list of R&Cs available and a list of exams that can be applied toward the R&C Part A requirement. Students can also use the Class Schedule to view R&C courses offered in a given semester.  Note: Only R&C Part A can be fulfilled with an AP, IB, or A-Level exam score. Test scores do not fulfill R&C Part B for College of Engineering students.
4. The four additional courses must be chosen from the five areas listed in #13 below. These four courses may be taken on a pass/no pass basis.
5. Special topics courses of 3 semester units or more will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
6. Two of the six courses must be upper division (courses numbered 100-196).
7. One of the six courses must satisfy the campus American Cultures (AC) requirement. Note that any American Cultures course of 3 units or more may be used to meet H/SS 
8. A maximum of two exams (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or A-Level) may be used toward completion of the H/SS requirement. View the list of exams that can be applied toward H/SS requirements.
9. No courses offered by any engineering department other than BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 185, and MEC ENG 191K may be used to complete H/SS requirements.
10. Language courses may be used to complete H/SS requirements. View the list of language options.
11. Courses may fulfill multiple categories. For example, CY PLAN 118AC satisfies both the American Cultures requirement and one upper division H/SS requirement.
12. Courses numbered 97, 98, 99, or above 196 may not be used to complete any H/SS requirement.
13. The College of Engineering uses modified versions of five of the College of Letters and Science (L&S) breadth requirements lists to provide options to our students for completing the H/SS requirement. The five areas are:

• Arts and Literature
• Historical Studies
• International Studies
• Philosophy and Values
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Within the guidelines above, choose courses from any of the Breadth areas listed above. (Please note that you cannot use courses on the Biological Science or Physical Science Breadth list to complete the H/SS requirement.) To find course options, go to the Class Schedule, select the term of interest, and use the Breadth Requirements filter.

Class Schedule Requirements

• Minimum units per semester: 12.0
• Maximum units per semester:  20.5
• Minimum technical courses: College of Engineering undergraduates must enroll each semester in no fewer than two technical courses (of a minimum of 3 units each, with the exception of Engineering 25, 26 and 27) required of the major program of study in which the student is officially declared. (Note: For most majors, normal progress will require enrolling in 3-4 technical courses each semester). Students who are not in compliance with this policy by the end of the fifth week of the semester are subject to a registration block that will delay enrollment for the following semester. 
• All technical courses (math, science, engineering) that satisfy requirements for the major must be taken on a letter-graded basis (unless only offered as P/NP).

Minimum Academic (Grade) Requirements

• A minimum overall and semester grade point average of 2.00 (C average) is required of engineering undergraduates. Students will be subject to dismissal from the University if during any fall or spring semester their overall UC GPA falls below a 2.00, or their semester GPA is less than 2.00. 
• Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical courses required for the major curriculum each semester.
• A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00, and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical course work required for the major is needed to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

Unit Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, students must complete at least 120 semester units of courses subject to certain guidelines:

• Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study. 
• A maximum of 16 units of special studies coursework (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199) is allowed towards B.S. degree, and no more than 4 units in any single term can be counteds.
• A maximum of 4 units of physical education from any school attended will count towards the 120 units.

• Passed (P) grades may account for no more than one third of the total units completed at UC Berkeley, Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF), UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. Transfer credit is not factored into the limit. This includes transfer units from outside of the UC system, other UC campuses, credit-bearing exams, as well as UC Berkeley Extension XB units.

Normal Progress

Students in the College of Engineering must enroll in a full-time program and make normal progress each semester toward the bachelor's degree. The continued enrollment of students who fail to achieve minimum academic progress shall be subject to the approval of the dean. (Note: Students with official accommodations established by the Disabled Students' Program, with health or family issues, or with other reasons deemed appropriate by the dean may petition for an exception to normal progress rules.) 

UC and Campus Requirements

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Satisfaction of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all Reading and Composition courses at UC Berkeley.

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Campus Requirement

American Cultures

The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.

The American Cultures requirement and courses constitute an approach that responds directly to the problem encountered in numerous disciplines of how better to present the diversity of American experience to the diversity of American students whom we now educate.

Faculty members from many departments teach American Cultures courses, but all courses have a common framework. The courses focus on themes or issues in United States history, society, or culture; address theoretical or analytical issues relevant to understanding race, culture, and ethnicity in American society; take substantial account of groups drawn from at least three of the following: African Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Asian Americans, Chicano/Latino Americans, and European Americans; and are integrative and comparative in that students study each group in the larger context of American society, history, or culture.

This is not an ethnic studies requirement, nor a Third World cultures requirement, nor an adjusted Western civilization requirement. These courses focus upon how the diversity of America's constituent cultural traditions have shaped and continue to shape American identity and experience.

Visit the Class Schedule or the American Cultures website for the specific American Cultures courses offered each semester. For a complete list of approved American Cultures courses at UC Berkeley and California Community Colleges, please see the American Cultures Subcommittee’s website. See your academic adviser if you have questions about your responsibility to satisfy the American Cultures breadth requirement.

Plan of Study

For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The mission of the Department of Nuclear Engineering is to maintain and strengthen the University of California's only center of excellence in nuclear engineering education and research and to serve California and the nation by improving and applying nuclear science and technology. The mission of the undergraduate degree program in Nuclear Engineering is to prepare our students to begin a lifetime of technical achievement and professional leadership in academia, government, the national laboratories, and industry.

Learning Goals for the Major

The foundation of the UC Berkeley Nuclear Engineering (NE) program is a set of five key objectives for educating undergraduate students. The NE program continuously reviews these objectives internally to ensure that they meet the current needs of the students, and each spring the Program Advisory Committee meets to review the program and recommend changes to better serve students. The NE Program Advisory Committee was established in 1988 and is composed of senior leaders from industry, the national laboratories, and academia.

Nuclear engineering at UC Berkeley prepares undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with four primary constituencies: industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs). Graduate research programs are the dominant constituency. From 2000 to 2005, sixty-eight percent of graduating NE seniors indicated plans to attend graduate school in their senior exit surveys. To meet the needs of these constituencies, the objectives of the NE undergraduate program are to produce graduates who as practicing engineers and researchers do the following:

1. Apply solid knowledge of the fundamental mathematics and natural (both physical and biological) sciences that provide the foundation for engineering applications.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of nuclear processes, and the application of general natural science and engineering principles to the analysis and design of nuclear and related systems of current and/or future importance to society.
3. Exhibit strong, independent learning, analytical and problem solving skills, with special emphasis on design, communication, and an ability to work in teams.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the broad social, ethical, safety, and environmental context within which nuclear engineering is practiced.
5. Value and practice life-long learning.

Courses

Nuclear Engineering

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

Rebecca Abergel, Assistant Professor. Effects of heavy element exposure and contamination on different biological systems.
Research Profile

Lee A. Bernstein, Adjunct Professor.

Massimiliano Fratoni, Assistant Professor. Nuclear reactor design, fuel cycle analysis, fusion reactors.
Research Profile

Ehud Greenspan, Professor. Professor of the Graduate School.

Peter Hosemann, Associate Professor. Microscopy, nanomaterials, Nuclear materials, material science, radiation damage, corrosion in liquid metals, materials development, materials under extremes, nuclear applications, ion beam microscopy, nanoscale mechanical testing.
Research Profile

Daniel M. Kammen, Professor. Public policy, nuclear engineering, energy, resources, risk analysis as applied to global warming, methodological studies of forecasting, hazard assessment, renewable energy technologies, environmental resource management.
Research Profile

Ka-Ngo Leung, Professor. Professor of the Graduate School, Plasma and Ion Beam technology in microfabrication processes.

Edward C. Morse, Professor. Applied plasma physics: fusion technology: microwaves, experimental investigation of RF plasma heating, experimental studies of compact toroids spectral method for magnetohydrodynamic stability.
Research Profile

Eric B. Norman, Professor. Professor of the Graduate School, nuclear astrophysics, experimental nuclear physics, homeland security, neutrinos.
Research Profile

Per F. Peterson, Professor. Nuclear engineering, heat and mass transfer, reactor thermal hydraulics, nuclear reactor design, radioactive waste, nuclear materials management.
Research Profile

Raluca O. Scarlat, Assistant Professor. Chemical and termophysical characterization of high-temperature molten salts and other inorganic fluids, and heat and mass transport pertaining to energy systems Electrochemistry, corrosion, thermodynamics Nuclear reactor safety analysis, licensing and design, and engineering ethics .
Research Profile

Rachel Slaybaugh, Assistant Professor. Computational methods, high performance computing, neutron transport.
Research Profile

Karl A. Van Bibber, Professor. Experimental nuclear physics, Particle Astrophysics, Accelerator Technology and Neutron Sources.
Research Profile

Kai Vetter, Professor.

Jasmina L. Vujic, Professor. Nuclear engineering, numerical methods in reactor physics, neutron and photon transport, reactor core design and analysis, shielding, radiation protection, biomedical application of radiation, optimization techniques for vector, parallel computers.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Ralph E. Berger, Lecturer.

Alan Michael Bolind, Lecturer.

Emeritus Faculty

T. Kenneth Fowler, Professor Emeritus. Plasma physics, nuclear engineering, magnetic fusion, confinement and stability of plasmas for thermonuclear fusion, fusion reactor design, spehromak compact toroid plasma confinement configuration.
Research Profile

Lawrence M. Grossman, Professor Emeritus. Nuclear engineering, reactor physics, numerical approximation methods in neutron diffusion, transport theory, control and optimization theory in nuclear reactor engineering.
Research Profile

Selig N. Kaplan, Professor Emeritus. Radiation reactions, interaction of radiation of matter, detection and measurement of ionizing radiation.
Research Profile

William E. Kastenberg, Professor Emeritus. Risk management, risk assessment, nuclear reactor safety, ethical issues in emerging technologies.
Research Profile

Donald R. Olander, Professor Emeritus. Nuclear engineering, nuclear materials: reactor fuel behavior, hydriding of zirconium and uranium, high-temperature kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of nuclear reactor fuels, performance of degraded nuclear fuels.
Research Profile