Nuclear Criticality Safety Certificate

The University of Idaho's Nuclear Engineering Program offers a Graduate Certificate in the subject area of Nuclear Criticality Safety to students who successfully complete 12 credit hours (four courses) of rigorous focused study. To earn the certificate, students will choose from the following list of courses:

Course Descriptions

NE 450 Principles of Nuclear Engineering (3 credits)

• An introduction to basic nuclear and atomic processes, including radioactive decay, binding energy, radiation interactions, cross sections, reactor physics and neutron diffusion, radiation sources, health physics, types of reactors, nuclear fuel cycle and use of radioisotopes.
• Prerequisite: MATH 310, ENGR 320 or Permission

NE 535 Nuclear Criticality Safety I (3 credits)

• Physics of criticality, factors that affect reactivity, hand calculation techniques, experiments and the development of subcritical limits, criticality accidents, standards and regulations, evaluations.
• Prerequisite: NE 450 or Permission

NE 554 Radiation Detection & Shielding (3 credits)

• Radiation transport and shielding concepts. Methods for quantifying attenuation of nuclear particles and electromagnetic radiation. Radiation detection methods, data acquisition and processing.
• Prerequisite: MATH 310 or Permission

Optional courses that may be substituted for Radiation Detection & Shielding, with prior permission:

• NE 525 Neutron Transport Theory (3 credits)
• NE 533 Monte Carlo Methods (3 credits)

NE 555 Nuclear Criticality Safety II (3 credits)

• Applications of criticality safety techniques to facility design and review, requirements for unique isotopes, criticality safety evaluations, connections to nuclear materials management, applications of Monte Carlo analysis.
• Prerequisite: NE 535 or Permission