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In 1896, Antoine Henri Becquerel explained how exposure to light could cause salts of uranium to emit strange rays very much like the x-rays discovered a few months before. Strangely, the most exciting feature of Becquerel's discovery was that he was wrong; uranium did not emit anything because of exposure to light.

Antoine Henri Becquerel

In fact, Becquerel had observed the spontaneous transmutation of one supposedly immutable "element" into another! It was in this fantastic shift of our world view that the fields of nuclear engineering and radiological science have their origin. For his pioneering work, Becquerel won the 1903 Nobel Prize ; in addition, a unit of radiation equal to 1 decay per second was named after him.

In the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences (NERS) at the University of Michigan (UM), we are interested in all of the fields of technological application that have grown out of this hundred-year old discovery. This relatively recent genesis actually makes nuclear engineering and radiological science the youngest of the engineering professions having achieved all of their technological application in the last fifty years. Nuclear engineering and radiological sciences are concerned with the technological uses of radioactive materials.  These applications include:

• The extraction of useful energy from the nucleus of the atom,
• The manufacture and safe handling of an incredible number of radioactive isotopes that are used in industry and in many hospital diagnostic procedures,  
• The modification of material properties for practical purposes, and
• The development of new instruments and scanners to detect and image radiation.

All of these applications support an industry which contributes roughly 4.1 million jobs and $300 billion dollars each year to the United States economy.

What can our graduates do?

The answer is just about anything. Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences are diverse fields and lead to many different career paths. Below are some examples of areas where our graduates find employment.

• Power Industry
• Nuclear Medicine
• Health Physics, and Radiation Safety
• Materials Research and Design and Development
• Radiation Detection and Measurement
• Thermonuclear Fusion

Power Industry

The electric power generation industry is a major contributor to our quality of life in the United States; almost 20% of this industry's output is from nuclear-electric generating stations. By virtue of the small volume and solid form of their waste product, nuclear power plants produce electricity with only a tiny environmental impact when compared to the truly massive airborne and solid waste released from coal plants. Nuclear engineers are actively involved in the day-to-day operations of nuclear power plants. They plan and design refueling operations and also design the fuel to be installed.  Refueling optimizes maximum energy delivery and has several years of useful life. These activities involve engineers at the utility as well as hundreds of engineers at consulting firms and reactor fuel design and manufacturing companies.  

Nuclear Medicine, Health Physics, and Radiation Safety

In the radiological sciences, radiological health engineering is undergoing rapid growth. These engineers are concerned with the health impacts of radiation, radiation protection, and medical uses of radiation on which so many of modern medicine's diagnostic and treatment methods are based. Many major medical centers contain radioactive sources from which technicians "milk" the short-lived radioactive isotopes used in many medical procedures. Ensuring the safety of technicians, doctors, and patients who use their product is an example of the responsibility of the radiological health engineer. The overall objective is the protection of people and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation. Therefore, the radiological health engineer requires a sound education in the fundamental physics of radiation and radioactive materials and in basic engineering principles. This is the kind of education that UM NERS is dedicated to delivering.

Materials Research and Design and Development

Nuclear engineering and radiological science are also concerned with the physical effect of radiation on engineering materials.  The nuclear engineer needs to understand and ameliorate the deleterious effects of radiation on engineering structures; in addition, they use these effects to improve materials and optimize them for specific applications.

Radiation Detection and Measurement

Nuclear engineers and radiological scientists are also interested in the development of more advanced radiation detection systems and in the development of imaging technology. One use of these technologies is in robots whose "eyes" see by radiation rather than light. Active research programs and courses at NERS address these exciting areas of engineering.

Thermonuclear Fusion

Other nuclear engineers are working on the problem of controlled thermonuclear fusion which is a process by which sea water can provide an almost unlimited supply of energy for humanity. The problem is to confine certain nuclei at very high temperatures and pressures until they fuse in a reaction very similar to the nuclear reaction which drives the sun (and thereby generates solar power). This effort involves the nuclear engineer in the use of complex magnetic bottles and high-power laser and charged particle beams. While this quest is by no means an easy one, the incredible potential pay-off has inspired many to seek the grail of an inexhaustible energy source. This area of research is the focus of large scale international efforts and many of our graduates choose to attend graduate school in order to become part of this global effort.

An RF generated plasma

What are the job opportunities?

Because of the wide variety and fundamental nature of research, a nuclear engineer needs a strong scientific background as well as specialized training in design and application. These unique multidisciplinary individuals are employed by industries, national laboratories, hospitals, universities, the military, and private consulting. They are making vital and innovative contributions in a varied array of interesting fields which include nuclear power, plasma physics and fusion, instrumentation, semiconductor technology, biomedical engineering, imaging, physiological measurement, environmental studies, nondestructive testing, space travel, space research, radiation protection, national defense, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, and food preservation.

There are about 100 nuclear power plants currently operating in the U.S. representing an investment of over $200 billion. Nuclear engineers are increasingly needed by utilities and other industries supporting the operation of these plants.  They are also needed in the design of future generation power plants planned for many parts of the world. Consequently, there are increasing concerns about radiation safety, increased regulation of medical radiation, international nuclear disarmament, environmental remediation/restoration programs, and radioactive waste disposal concerns.  The demand for our graduates will be stable and most likely increase over the next 20 years.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have a continuing need for nuclear engineers for the development and regulation of nuclear energy. Students with advanced degrees will find opportunities at many DOE laboratories in research and development of nuclear energy and other nuclear applications. The U.S. Navy also has a strong demand for nuclear engineers to maintain its nuclear-powered fleet and operate its land-based nuclear training facilities.  In addition, the other armed forces have needs for nuclear engineers as well.