M.S. NE Plan II (Health Physics Concentration)

Concentration Description

The department offers a masters-level concentration in Health Physics (HP). This concentration is intended to train people to work in the area of occupational and environmental health physics. The admissions requirements for this concentration differ from those of the traditional program. The prerequisites are: a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program OR a Bachelor’s degree including a minimum of one year of general college chemistry with laboratory, one year of general college physics with laboratory, one year of differential and integral calculus, a semester of differential equations, and 32 total credit hours of mathematics (calculus level or above) and science.

Students concentrating in the HP program are required to take five core courses in health physics. Another 12 credit hours of electives are required to complete the HP coursework. These electives are chosen from areas of interest such as, waste management, nuclear power or calculational methods. In addition to the 30 credit hours of courses, students must take 6 credit hours of NE 591 Practicum. The practicum involves a semester-long project in the area of health physics usually under the supervision of a certified health physicist. The HP concentration is a Plan II program and does not have a thesis option. After completing the coursework and practicum, the student is awarded a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering with a Health Physics concentration.

Concentration Requirements

Complete all of the following:

Earn at least 3 credits from the following:

  • NE523L - Environmental Measurements Laboratory (1 - 4)

Complete the following:

  • NE524 - Interaction of Radiation with Matter (3)
  • NE528 - External Radiation Dosimetry (3)
  • NE529 - Internal Radiation Dosimetry (3)

Complete at least 1 of the following:

  • NE527 - Radiation Biology for Engineers and Scientists (3)
  • MPHY527 - Radiation Biology for Engineers and Scientists (3)

Earn at least 12 credits from the following types of courses:
Electives. These electives are chosen from areas of interest such as waste management, nuclear power or calculational methods.

Earn at least 6 credits from the following:

  • NE591 - Practicum (3 - 6)

Grand Total Credits: 33