Average GRE Scores for Nuclear Engineering Masters Program

Plasma phenomena are also relevant to energy generation by controlled thermonuclear fusion. The challenge of plasma physics comes from the fact that many plasma properties result from the long-range Coulomb interaction, and therefore are collective properties that involve many particles simultaneously. Topics to be covered during class include motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields, dynamics of fully ionized plasma from both microscopic and macroscopic points of view, magneto-hydrodynamics, equilibria, waves, instabilities, applications to fusion devices, ionospheric, and space physics.

Public Policy (M.P.P.) Nuclear Engineering (M.S.) Concurrent Degree Program.

Complete required units in nuclear engineering, plus six electives agreeable to both schools.

Complete a paper that satisfies the MS Plan I or Plan II requirement, and the MPP APA (Advanced Policy Analysis) requirement.

The Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering (NPRE) Qualifying Examination is offered twice a year in August and January on the Friday prior to the first day of instruction for the fall and spring semesters. A letter is delivered outlining steps to register for the NPRE qualifying examination 2-3 weeks prior to the end of the semester for the corresponding NPRE Qual Exam.

Scheduling Timeframe: It is important for both the Department and the student that an early decision is made on admission to the doctoral program.

Students entering with a BS in Nuclear Engineering will take the exam no later than just after three (3) semesters or no later than the beginning of the fourth semester in residence, i.e. a student entering in Fall 2014 with a BS in Nuclear Engineering will sit for the exam no later than January 2016.

Students entering with a BS in a non-nuclear field of study will take the exam no later than just after four (4) semesters or no later than the beginning of the fifth semester in residence, i.e. a student entering in Fall 2014 with a BS in a non-nuclear field of study will sit for the exam no later than .

Students entering with an MS degree in Nuclear Engineering will take the exam no later than just after two (2) semesters or no later than the beginning of the third semester in residence, i.e. a student entering in Fall 2014 with an MS in Nuclear Engineering will sit for the exam no later than August 2015.

Students entering with an MS degree in a non-nuclear field of study will take the exam no later than just after three (3) semesters or no later than the beginning of the fourth semester in residence, i.e. a student entering in Fall 2014 with an MS in a non-nuclear field of study will sit for the exam no later than January 2016.

Early attempts: Students may elect to take the exam earlier than normally scheduled in cases where they are sufficiently prepared.

Question 1: Heat and mass transfer (NPRE 501 material)Question 2: Radiation interactions with matter (NPRE 521 material)Question 3: Research technical area (see Table 1).

Re-testing of only components not passed during first attempt will be performed at the next QE. over, only those written exam questions not passed during first attempt will be performed at the next QE. Likewise, students failing the Research Oral portion of the QE will be re-tested at the next QE offering. All components of the NPRE Qual Exam must be passed for PhD qualification and candidacy after taking the QE for the second time. A third opportunity to retake the QE will require a formal petition to the NPRE Qualifying Exam Committee.

NPRE 451, 435, 441, 498-DC (new course in detector physics).

Murray and K. Holbert, 7th edition Nuclear Energy, J.J. Duderstadt and L.J. Hamilton, Nuclear Reactor Analysis, J.Lamarsh, Intro to Nuclear Engineering.

Olander, Fundamental Aspects of Nuclear FuelG. Was, Fundamentals of Radiation Materials Science.

Bevington, Cember, Introduction to Health Physics, Knoll Radiation Detection and Measurement, ZH Cho, Foundation of Medical Imaging.

Freidberg, Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy, M. Lieberman and A.J. Lichtenberg, Principles of Plasma Discharges and Materials Processing.

Modarres, M.P. Kaminskiy, and V. Krivtsov, Reliability Engineering and Risk Analysis: A Practical Guide, Third Edition, CRC Press Taylor Francis Group, 2016.

Modarres, Risk Analysis in Engineering: Techniques, Tools, and Trends, CRC Press Taylor Francis Group, 2006.

Fundamental aspects of radiation damage, kinetic processes, diffusion and transport phenomena, defect creation and mobility.

Detector physics, counting statistics and data analysis medical imaging, health physics, Interaction of ionizing radiation with matter.

Fusion and plasma physics, plasma engineering, plasma particles and waves, fusion energy, plasma sources, plasma-material interactions.

Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) with a concentration in chemical and life science engineering.

Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) with a concentration in computer science.

Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) with a concentration in electrical and computer engineering.

Engineering, Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in chemical and life science engineering.

Engineering, Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in electrical and computer engineering.

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Master of Science (M.S.).

This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2023-2024 VCU Bulletin. This edition includes all programs and courses approved by the publication deadline however we may receive notification of additional program approvals after the launch.

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design and analyze machines of all types including automobiles, airplanes, rockets, submarines, power generation systems, biomedical instrumentation, robots, manufacturing systems, household appliances and many, many . In addition to well-known areas such as nuclear energy, nuclear propulsion and nuclear medicine, nuclear engineers are involved in many other applications of nuclear science and technology in fields as diverse as agriculture, industry, land security, forensics, environmental protection and even art.

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (general mechanical engineering curriculum).

M.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering (thesis and non-thesis options, as well as online option).

Current areas of research within the department include but are not limited to energy conversion systems, smart materials, corrosion, medical devices, aerosol science, sensors, radiation detection and measurement, nuclear reactor design, robotics, fluid mechanics, nanotechnology, and biomechanics.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Studies the fundamental systems required for mechanical, chemical and electrical manufacturing, including material procurement, logistics, quality and distribution. The principles are applied to all types of manufacturing processes from project through continuous. Advanced systems for lean, agile and global manufacturing also are covered.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Presents engineering concepts and techniques necessary to successfully develop new products and introduce them to the marketplace. Topics include development processes, converting direct customer input to marketing specifications, creating technical specifications, quantifying customer input, using rapid prototyping to reduce development time, design for manufacturability and product certification issues.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Focuses on characterization techniques of solids at the molecular, surface and bulk levels, including resonant, vibrational and electronic spectroscopies, X-ray methods and optical and electron microscopies. A connection will be developed between the theoretically-derived and experimentally-observed properties of materials and a rationale also will be developed for choosing an appropriate characterization technique for a given material.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The course will acquaint students with methods used by industrial hygienists to identify, evaluate and control human exposure to toxic contaminants and harmful physical agents in the workplace and in the environment. Students will develop an understanding of the ethical issues confronting industrial hygienists and other health professionals.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The course proposes to acquaint the student with legal concepts that affect the engineering community and enable the student to understand how technical and scientific regulations are promulgated and how interest groups attempt to ensure that regulations consider their positions. In addition, the course introduces intellectual property law: patents, copyrights and trademarks.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The objective of the class is to introduce lean thinking - defined as a systematic, logical method of identifying and eliminating waste using continuous assessment. The classes focus on managing flow, identifying and eliminating waste, problem-solving, and product and process design.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The course builds on the knowledge gained in lean manufacturing. The class allows the student to use their lean tools in a real manufacturing environment. The course reviews autonomation, load leveling, distribution, logistics, flow and added work, among many other topics. At the end of the course students will be able to take the Lean Bronze Certificate Test, given by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). An introduction to probabilistic risk assessment methods as applied to nuclear power plants. Students will receive hands-on experience in PRA methods by designing and building a PRA model for an operational nuclear power plant. Using the completed model, students will calculate and use appropriate risk metrics in typical applications.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Provides students with vibrations theory and practical applications for machines and structures necessary (a) to perform analysis and evaluation of vibrations problems and (b) to recognize suspicious results from canned computer software. Emphasis placed on the formulation of governing differential equations, solution methods, evaluation of results and interpretation of response characteristics of discrete mass systems and continuous mass systems. Work and energy methods, variational methods, and Lagrange Equations will be used to formulate problems. Solution methods will use exact and approximate methods, including eigensolution methods. Applications to the vibrations of various mechanical systems will use computational techniques, computer simulation and analysis.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The course intends to reinforce the fundamentals of HVAC systems and apply them to research topics. Student will review the basics of HVAC systems the use of psychrometric charts to deal with various moist-air processes indoor environment health, thermal comfort and indoor air quality control heat transmission in building structures solar irradiation basic space heating and cooling load calculations and space air distribution and related equipment.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. In-depth study of the fundamentals of feedback control systems theory and design. Topics covered include transfer function modeling, system stability and time response, root locus, Bode and Nyquist diagrams, lead, lag, and PID compensators.

System Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Prerequisite: EGMN 359 or EGMN 455. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students in the College of Engineering if prerequisites have not been met. Provides an in-depth technical and policy analysis of various options for the nuclear fuel cycle. Topics include uranium enrichment fuel fabrication, in-core physics and fuel management of uranium, thorium and other fuel types, reprocessing, and waste disposal. Also covered are the principles of fuel-cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and proposed thermal and fast reactors. Nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapons plutonium and transmutation of actinides and selected fission products in spent fuel are examined. Several state-of-the-art computer programs are provided for student use in problem sets and term papers.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Quantitative and qualitative study of traditional and alternative systems used to generate electricity. Topics include combustion, coal-fired boilers, nuclear reactors, steam turbine blading, gas turbine combustors, turbo-generator design, internal combustion engines, solar thermal systems, photovoltaic devices, wind energy, geothermal energy and fuel cells. Additional topics of interest to the students may be discussed.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. This course will explore the various available energy resource options and technologies with a focus toward achieving sustainability on a local, national and global scale. The course will examine the broader aspects of energy use, including resource estimation, environmental effects, interactions among energy, water and land use, social impacts, and economic evaluations. Students will review the main energy sources of today and tomorrow, from fossil fuels and nuclear power to biomass, hydropower and solar energy, including discussions on energy carriers and energy storage, transmission, and distribution.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. An introduction to design of experiments theory, DoE and methods such as six-sigma and factorial experimental design to engineering projects. Provides students with the necessary background to plan, budget and analyze an experiment or project.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Covers various smart materials, such as shape memory alloys and piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials, current research in material development and diverse applications in areas such as medicine, automobiles and aerospace. The aim of the course is to bridge the gap between different areas of material development, characterization, modeling and practical applications of smart materials.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). The course covers key aspects of computer modeling and simulation with the emphasis on statistical resampling and Monte Carlo techniques. Students will complete a number of modeling projects utilizing programming languages commonly used in the nuclear industry. As such the course includes gaining a basic proficiency in the appropriate programming language, including the development of good programming practices.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Focuses on providing students with a methodology and set of skills to apply in improving engineering components, systems and processes. The design of better products and processes is a fundamental goal of all engineering.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Provides students with an understanding of how modern computer techniques can enhance the generation, analysis, synthesis, manufacturing and quality of engineering products. The design and manufacture of better products and processes is a fundamental goal of all engineering disciplines.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Provides students with a basic knowledge in the dynamic analysis and control of robot manipulators. Topics include Jacobian analysis, manipulator dynamics, linear and nonlinear control of manipulators, force control of manipulators, robot manipulator applications and an introduction to telemanipulation.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The course will involve intensive study of different aspects of technical communications. Critical reading and writing skills will be developed particularly for technical essays, targeted for both educated and specialized audience. Nontechnical writing will be used as an inspiration for technical writing. Other aspects of technical communications will also be covered.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Students will become familiar with basic aspects of CFD, including characteristics of the governing equations, finite-difference and finite-volume solution methods, implicit versus explicit solution algorithms, grid generation, and numerical analysis. Emphasis placed on mechanical, chemical and bioengineering systems. The final course project will emphasize issues of current research such as biofluid mechanics, medical devices and MEMS.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Designed to equip students to perform design work, testing and research in structural acoustics and vibrations. Applications from the fields of automotive, aerospace, marine, architectural, medical equipment and consumer appliance industries will be investigated.

Nuclear Safeguards, Security and Nonproliferation.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). This course will explore the political and technological issues involved with nuclear safeguards, security and nonproliferation. Topics studied will include the history of nuclear weapons development, description and effects of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear material safeguards, protection of nuclear materials, proliferation resistance and pathways in the nuclear fuel cycle, international and domestic safeguards, nuclear terrorism, and safeguards measurement techniques for material accountancy programs and physical protection mechanisms.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. This course will examine the physical, technical and economic features of fast breeder reactors. In particular, the course will study the need for fast reactors and their design objectives, typical core design principles, and important plant systems. The course will also discuss the major nuclear safety topics and their design approaches.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Passive, active and reactive flow management strategies to achieve transition delay advance, separation control, mixing augmentation, drag reduction, lift enhancement and noise suppression. Unified framework for flow control. Futuristic reactive control methods using MEMS devices, soft computing and dynamical systems theory.

Special Topics in Engineering.

Semester course 1-4 variable hours. 1-4 credits. Lectures, tutorial studies, library assignments in selected areas of advanced study or specialized laboratory procedures not available in other courses or as part of research training.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. In-depth quantitative study of convective heat transfer.

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Dynamic Systems.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). Enrollment is restricted to students with graduate standing in mechanical and nuclear engineering. This course presents the technical foundation for application and use of dynamic systems and presents methods to formulate the governing differential equations of such systems and to obtain realistic analytical and numerical solutions. The organization of the course presents theory and methods and specific applications for typical dynamic systems.

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Materials.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. The course consists of advanced topics in both fundamental and applied materials science including solid state fundamentals, crystal structure, diffraction in crystals, postulates of quantum mechanics, Bloch functions and energy bands, Fermi distributions, classification and processing of materials, alloys and phase diagrams, defects, dislocation dynamics, solid state diffusion, thermal and mechanical properties, corrosion, high temperature deformation mechanisms, basics of fracture mechanics, fundamentals of ionization radiation, irradiation effects on material properties, and materials selection for extreme environment applications.

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Analysis.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). Enrollment is restricted to students with graduate standing in mechanical and nuclear engineering. The course covers advanced topics in applied mathematics most important for solving practical problems in mechanical and nuclear engineering. Topics include Fourier analysis, partial differential equations, boundary value problems, series solutions, complex analysis, conformal mapping, complex analysis and potential theory, applications in fluid mechanics, vibrations, and mechanical and nuclear engineering problems.

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Continuum Mechanics.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). Enrollment is restricted to students with graduate standing in mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Enrollment restricted to students with graduate standing in mechanical and nuclear engineering. A solid theoretical and applied understanding of heat and mass transfer is critical for training competent mechanical and nuclear engineers. This course will provide students with a theoretical understanding of the heat transport processes of conduction, convention and radiation as well as an understanding of parallels with mass transfer. Solution techniques will be both analytical and numerical, consistent with problems faced by modern engineers. Applications in the field of mechanical engineering include the design of cooling systems for automobiles, conventional power plants, heat engines and computers. Applications in the field of nuclear engineering include maintaining nuclear core temperatures and nuclear plant heat dissipation. Mass transfer applications include any process involving multiple species (e.g., two gases) as well as medically oriented transport problems (e.g., blood oxygenation), which are frequently encountered when developing materials or medical devices. Specific topics to be covered include 1D conduction, 2D and 3D conduction, transient conduction, external forced convection, internal forced convection, convection with phase change, thermal radiation, and principles of mass transfer (diffusion and advection).

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Studies of stresses and strains in two and three-dimensional elastic problems. Failure theories and yield criteria. Analysis and design of load-carrying members, energy methods and stress concentrations. Elastic and plastic behavior, fatigue and fracture, and composites will be discussed.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Study of the physical properties of a wide range of materials by advanced microscopy techniques including electron and scanning probe-based microscopy. Advanced study of deformation and failure in materials including characterization by hardness, fracture toughness and tensile testing, as well as X-ray diffraction.

Topics in Nuclear Engineering.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). A survey covering the scope of nuclear engineering. Concepts of atomic and nuclear structure, mass and energy, nuclear stability, radioactive decay, radioactivity calculations, nuclear reactions, interaction of radiation (neutrons and photons) with matter, fission chain reaction, neutron diffusion, nuclear reaction theory, reactor kinetics, health physics, reactor power plants (PWR and BWR), waste disposal. Required first course for graduate students in nuclear engineering track who enter with degrees in other disciplines suitable as a technical elective for other graduate engineering tracks.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Exposes students to the fundamentals of modern numerical techniques for a wide range of linear and nonlinear elliptic, parabolic and hyperparabolic partial differential equations. Topics include equation characteristics finite difference, finite volume and finite element discretization methods and direct and iterative solution techniques. Applications to engineering systems are presented, including fluid dynamics, heat transfer and nonlinear solid mechanics.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). The neutronics behavior of fission reactors, primarily from a theoretical, one-speed perspective. Criticality, fission product poisoning, reactivity control, reactor stability and introductory concepts in fuel management, followed by slowing-down and one-speed diffusion theory.

Semester course 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). Use of finite element method to solve applied engineering problems at an advanced level. Special focus will be largely on solid mechanics and, to a lesser degree, on thermal problems. Commercially available finite element method software ANSYS will be utilized. Students will learn use ANSYS at an advanced level through utilizing commands and basic programming features.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Advanced mechanics of the manufacturing processes, their modeling and simulation. Fundamentals of process modeling and use of computational tools. Details and governing theory behind the construction of numerical analysis tools such as FEA will not be provided. However, the intelligent use of this kind of FEA tool in the solution of industrial problems will be taught in addition to analytical methods in rapid assessment of manufacturing processes and systems.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. An of the role of technology in detecting and defeating terrorism. The course begins with a detailed review of weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological and radiological devices. This is followed by a review of the various technologies currently being developed and deployed to detect the presence of terrorist weapons and associated activities. These technologies include chemical sensors, biosensors and radiation detectors, portal monitors, satellite and infrared imaging systems, as well acoustic sensors and magnetometers.

Semester course 3 lecture hours. Physical and biological aspects of the use of ionizing radiation in industrial and academic institutions physics principles underlying shielding instrumentation, waste disposal biological effects of low levels of ionizing radiation.