Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering

Degree Prep

View the Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering prerequisites, deadlines and contact information on the U of I Admissions website.

Degree Roadmap

• The Doctor of Philosophy degree is an advanced research-based degree. The results of the research done are summarized in a publishable doctoral dissertation.
• Depending on your interests, your academic adviser and graduate committee will help you develop a focused plan of study for the Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering degree.
• The program requires a minimum of 78 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree and normally takes 3 to 5 years to complete.

View Nuclear Engineering Graduate Handbook (PDF)

View current Nuclear Engineering courses
Catalogs are released each year with up-to-date course listings. Students reference the catalog released during their first year of enrollment. For catalog related questions, email registrar@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-6731.

Degree Requirements

• Nuclear graduate requirements
• College of Graduate Studies requirements
• Students are required to write a dissertation and give a final dissertation defense at the end of their degree program.

General Ph.D. requirements apply. Preliminary screening of candidates and program planning for those admitted are essential features of the Ph.D. program. Early in the program, the student must complete a qualifying examination, which will be oral and possibly written. The preliminary examination is taken after most of the course work is completed. This examination is generally limited to the areas of emphasis indicated by the student's dissertation topic and includes a presentation of the dissertation proposal; it will be written and oral. No foreign language is required; however, the program does require a satisfactory level of achievement in mathematics and numerical analyses and in computer programming.

Professional Licensing

Completion of the program will count towards eligibility for the Professional Engineer's License (PE) to practice Engineering, which requires a four-year degree from an ABET-accredited school, four years of experience under a PE, and passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles of Practice in Engineering (PE) Exams.

Questions?

For questions relating to Nuclear Engineering degrees, please contact Richard Christensen, Director, U of I Nuclear Engineering Program at 208-533-8102 or email rchristensen@uidaho.edu.

Funding Opportunities

The University of Idaho is awarded more than $100 million in annual grants, contracts and research appropriations.

• Idaho National Laboratory Graduate Fellowship Program – Recipients of this competitive fellowship receive full tuition and fees by U of I during their first three years of graduate school. INL covers tuition, fees, and a $60,000 annual salary during the final two years of their doctoral research, to be conducted at INL.
• Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) – Funded through the Department of Energy, this student training and outreach program teaches students how to assess and make recommendations toward energy savings, waste reduction and productivity on an industrial site. Open to undergraduate and graduate students in all engineering and computer science disciplines.
• National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Graduate Fellowship Program – These year-long salaried assignments offer hands-on experience in nuclear security and nonproliferation. Administered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and open to all engineering disciplines.
• NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) – $25,000 fellowship programs that contribute to NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery. Open to full-time graduate and doctoral students.
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP ) – For outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees.
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship – Three-year fellowship with full coverage of tuition and all mandatory fees, including a monthly stipend and up to $1,000 a year in medical insurance.
• DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE Professional) Programs – RISE Professional offers summer research internships in Germany to Master’s and Ph.D. students at companies and non-university research institutions with strong relations to industry.
• Faculty provide funding through a variety of external agencies and industry partners. Contact our faculty  to learn more about these funding opportunities.

For more funding options, visit the College of Graduate Studies’ funding website .

Clubs & Organizations

Our college offers 20+ clubs and organizations tied to international and national engineering organizations, including national competition teams.

Learn about clubs related to your major:

• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (ASABE)
• American Nuclear Society (ANS)
• Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA)
• Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC)
• National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE)
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)