ABET Program

The mission of the undergraduate program in Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley is to maintain and strengthen the UC'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 program prepares undergraduate students for employment or advances studies with four primary constituencies: industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs).

The mission of the Department of Nuclear Engineering supports the broader mission of the U.C. Berkeley College of Engineering.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the Nuclear Engineering undergraduate program are to educate undergraduate students on five key objectives. These objectives are reviewed continuously to ensure that they meet the current students needs, and each Spring by the Program Advisory Committee, which is composed of senior leaders from industry, the national laboratories, and academia.

The five key objectives of the program are to produce graduates who as practicing engineers and researchers:

Apply solid knowledge of the fundamental mathematics and natural (both physical and biological) sciences that provide the foundation for engineering applications.
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.
Exhibit strong, independent learning, analytical and problem solving skills, with special emphasis on design, communication, and an ability to work in teams.
Demonstrate an understanding of the broad social, ethical, safety and environmental context within which nuclear engineering is practiced.
Value and practice life-long learning.

Student Outcomes

The Department of Nuclear Engineering has designed its curriculum and advising to ensure the graduating students achieve seven key outcomes.

Graduates of the Department of Nuclear Engineering's undergraduate program will have:

an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

To ensure that we achieve these key outcomes, every NE course has a clearly defined set of outcomes that overlap the seven listed above.

The table below shows which NE required and elective courses satisfy each of the seven NE educational outcomes.

Course(s)	ABET Student Outcomes
Course(s)	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Nuc Eng 100, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering	X			X			X
Nuc Eng 101, Nuclear Reactions and Radiation	X			X	X	X	X
Nuc Eng 150, Nuclear Reactor Theory	X	X				X
Nuc Eng 104, Radiation Detection Lab	X				X	X
Nuc Eng 170A, Nuclear Design	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Ethics course requirement				X			X
Humanities and Social Science Electives				X			X