Nuclear engineers are on the forefront of rapidly developing areas that include better, safer ways to power our planet. They’re working on reactor system designs, nuclear non-proliferation, radiation interaction with materials, and reducing and controlling radioactive waste. The Nuclear Engineering undergraduate program at the University of New Mexico gives the student broad training in the fundamentals of mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering, followed by professional specialty course work involving radiation interaction with matter, radiation transport, radiation detection and protection, nuclear reactor theory and safety, thermalhydraulics and nuclear systems design. Students also select technical electives that allow them to explore in-depth areas of interest in nuclear engineering. Among the exciting research areas, UNM nuclear engineering professors are studying what happens to the cooling system of a nuclear reactor under severe accident conditions. Collaborations with national laboratories focus on a variety of areas, including nuclear criticality safety, radiation transport, reactor theory, space nuclear power, and probabilistic risk assessment.

Career Opportunities: With a degree in Nuclear Engineering from UNM, students are ready to: Research new energy systems Control radioactive waste and industrial radiation releases Use radioisotopes for the treatment and diagnosis of diseases Develop long-term, reliable nuclear energy sources for space and terrestrial applications