Two smoking towers of a Nuclear power plant.

Nuclear Materials, Science, & Engineering Certificate

Voiland CollegeWSU School of Mechanical and Materials EngineeringGraduate ProgramNuclear Materials, Science, & Engineering Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Materials, Science, & Engineering equips students with the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in the diverse and evolving nuclear industry. The Pacific Northwest has long been a hub for nuclear science research and industrial activity, particularly in the Tri-Cities region—home to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the Columbia Generating Station (the only operational commercial nuclear power plant in the Northwest), the nation’s largest nuclear waste treatment project, and the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

The certificate program is therefore well-aligned strategically with both the region’s needs and WSU’s strengths in nuclear science and engineering, including support of the regional industry as well as capabilities at WSU Pullman’s training reactor and Nuclear Science Center.

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About the Certificate

Graduate certificate programs are designed for part-time study without formal admission to a degree program.

  • Part-time students admitted to a certificate program are classified as Not-Advanced-Degree-Candidate (NADC), meaning a student with a baccalaureate degree who wishes to take graduate courses but does not wish to pursue a graduate degree. Consult the Graduate School Policies & Procedures for further details.
  • Current WSU graduate students (master’s or doctoral) may concurrently enroll in a graduate certificate with committee approval.

Curriculum Overview

To obtain the certificate, students must complete a minimum of nine credits from an approved list of courses that include the ones listed below. Also:

  • At least six credits must be at the graduate level.
  • No S/F courses will be used or counted towards the certificate
  • A grade B or higher is required in each course.
  • Students must submit an Application for Graduation for Graduate Certificate with the appropriate signatures, pay a fee, and submit it to the Graduate School when the certificate coursework has been completed.

Approved Courses:

A broad introduction: applied nuclear physics, application to the nuclear fuel cycle and reactor core design, systems and safety.

Fundamentals of nuclear engineering, heat deposition and removal from nuclear reactors, radiation protection, radiation shielding, and licensing, safety, and environmental aspects of nuclear reactor operation.

Nuclear reactor design problems in thermodynamics, fluid flow, heat transfer, fuel preparation, waste disposal, materials selection; discussion of reactor types. Nuclear power plant licensing and related topics will also be introduced and discussed.

Glass composition design, processing, and properties; engineering and technology related to glasses and glass-ceramics; case studies in applied glass science and characterization.

Topics offered related to nuclear engineering such as Thermal Hydraulics and Advanced Reactor Design.

Topics offered related to nuclear materials, science, and engineering.

These course offerings above address the following key components:
  • Fundamental nuclear science and engineering
  • Reactor operation and engineering
  • Safety
  • Waste management

Admission Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Meet all course prerequisites or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and understanding for courses prior to enrollment.
  • Non-degree seeking students who only seek to obtain the certificate will need to complete the on-line Graduate School application form, pay the appropriate application fee, and submit the required application material.

Time Limit:

The certificate must be completed within 6 years from the beginning date of the earliest course applied toward the certificate. Extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Student Opportunities

Across the nation, and the Pacific Northwest in particular, there is a tremendous growth in the nuclear reactor industry, spurring significant demand in workforce comprising trained personnel with engineering background. The Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Materials, Science, & Engineering provides formal academic coursework to scientists and engineers whose primary training is in a non-nuclear discipline; statistics show that only a small portion of scientists and engineers employed in the nuclear industry, ~5%, have a nuclear degree. Thus, this certification program addresses the needs and expectations of the current industry.

Career Opportunities

The Pacific Northwest hosts several businesses in nuclear fuels (Framatome), nuclear medical isotopes (lsoRay) and nuclear reactors (Terrapower), which presents job opportunities for students trained in nuclear science and engineering. WSU has significantly grown training and research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students enabled by Department of Energy investments in WSU’s Nuclear Science Center, one of the few university research reactors in the nation.

Apply to the Program

Visit the graduate school to apply to the Nuclear Materials, Science, & Engineering Certificate Program.