The field will become even more important and diverse in the future. Nuclear engineers will contribute to such advanced technologies as advanced fission and fusion power generators, nuclear medicine, more powerful computational methods, deep-space probes and propulsion systems, semiconductor device processes, improved food safety, advanced materials processing and characterization, advanced imaging, the safe treatment and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and new forms of industrial gauges.  Nuclear engineers will continue to be at the vanguard of tomorrow's technologies and the establishment of entirely new industries for economic growth.

Careers in Nuclear Engineering

Graduates work in electric utilities, supervising reactor systems operations, refueling schedules, and the design and licensing of plant modifications. Others work for the regulatory agencies, providing the knowledge base and oversight for safe and proper reactor operation. Still others work for vendors – the companies that design reactor systems, manufacture subsystems and components, and provide inspection and engineering services for the global market. Those who choose a research path find positions in the national laboratories of the Department of Energy, where they engage in advanced energy studies, new uses of nuclear energy and radiation science, and the computer modeling, simulation, and visualization of complex phenomena.