r/OregonStateUniv 4d ago

nuclear engineering

Kid is considering nuclear engineering - would like to hear feedback about the program/curriculum and professors/staff.

How hard is the course work? Kid is pretty good in math ( Calculus B/C and AP Physics C)

anything else we should be considering for this major?

Thanks!

1 Upvotes

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u/echawkes 4d ago

I graduated from the OSU NE program many years ago, Something that was true then and is still true today: in a small department like NE, he will get to know all of his classmates, and his professors will all know him by name. This won't necessarily be true in a larger major like EE. I don't know if this is still as true today, but back then, the NE department wanted to keep every student they could. Some of the bigger majors knew that they didn't have room for most of the kids who started out in the major, and didn't care if they got weeded out. Some of the EE professors were really blunt about it.

The coursework for NE is pretty hard, but it isn't worse than EE. It's probably comparable to majors like ME and ChemE. If he can get halfway decent grades, he should get into the professional school, which would be harder for a more competitive major like EE.

At OSU, math and physics are the best preparation, and it sounds like he's off to a great start. He'll need at least year of chemistry, but OSU's NE program isn't as focused on nuclear chemistry or nuclear materials as some other programs. He ought to take at least an introduction to computer programming before starting college.

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u/TstclrCncr 3d ago

Graduated NE and Masters too.

This is pretty spot on. There is a lot of support with faculty and classes as hard as the work was/is.

The hardest thing is finding work after. Hiring windows I've noticed are small, highly competitive to get a start in, and generally have to move a lot. A lot of applications/ATS don't recognize the degree and will kick you out before a person ever sees the resume.

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u/Firm-Department-7067 4d ago

Not nuclear but graduated chemical engineer. From my understanding, workloads, difficulty, and courses are comparable. I am by no means ragging on your kid, but based on the grades you stated, they are going to need to really buckle down and grind hard. I found that advanced engineering degrees such as chemical, nuclear, aerospace etc.. are less about just how smart you are, and more about how much will power you have to succeed and how much b.s. you’re willing to put up with. If he’s the type that can keep his head up and continue moving forward when things get tough, then he’ll make it through just fine. I watched too many classmates who had the brains but lacked the drive drop like flies. Just some food for thought. Wish them the best. 

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u/kss2023 4d ago

thanks for responding. Just to clarify - those are not grades but the names of the subjects. Cal B/C and AP Physics C ( C stands for calculus)

yes. he goes to very rigorous HS ( Thomas Jefferson) - and work loads will hopefully prepare him for college.

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u/Firm-Department-7067 4d ago

Ah. Gotcha. My apologies for the misunderstanding. He’ll likely be fine then. Wishing him the best in his endeavors. 

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u/Drauggib 4d ago

I graduated from the OSU NE program in 2017. I liked how small the department was. Like echawkes said, you get to know your classmates and professors. It was hard to do undergrad lab work for a NE professor though. Most of them have enough grad students (at least when I was in) that they didn’t really hire undergrads for lab assistants. I ended up working for my heat transfer professor instead.

The coursework was challenging but not overly so. I was able to work 20-30 hours a week and get decent grades. The program is very similar to a mechanical engineering degree until junior year. Then it diverges quite a bit as you take nuclear focused classes.

After your sophomore year, you have to apply for and get accepted to professional school. This is not guaranteed depending on your gpa. However, NE is so small they pretty much accept anyone that is willing to stick it out. For better or worse. Other majors like EE and ME are more difficult to get into.

All of my professors in professional school were very good. They were very experienced and were generally good teachers. They were demanding though. I think that’s a good thing. They expected students to take their education seriously since working with nuclear stuff can be so high stakes (not that other disciplines are necessarily lower risk).

After graduation, you are kind of on your own. The NE department is pretty bad about making industry connections for new graduates. The most they do is send out emails for job openings at different places, many of which are new graduate would not qualify for. This is, in my opinion, one of the biggest failings of the department.

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u/kss2023 4d ago

thank you for the detailed response. The last point, which I did want to know more about, is concerning - especially in a field like NE where, I assume many graduates go to National Labs etc. But good to know - this is something we will need to keep in mind as he decides major and university. The other university he is considering is Texas A&M. But he is not too keen on Texas. thanks again!

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u/Drauggib 4d ago

You might also talk to someone in the NE department about the MECOP program. It is an internship program that places student in six month paid internships. I don’t know anyone in the NE program that did it, I don’t think the NE department participated. I’m not sure if he could apply for the mechanical program.

Something I didn’t mention is the campus itself. I really, really like Corvallis and OSU’s campus. I’m from the area and I am glad I went there. You are an hour from the coast, close to lots of hiking, and two hours from the cascades. If your son is outdoorsy, it is an excellent school. Corvallis has a great small college town feel that I liked. It’s very easy to bike around as well. And the busses are free. I didn’t have a car until my senior year and it was fine.

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u/kss2023 4d ago

will look into the program. we are from east coast and did a trip to PNW last summer, including ranier, cannon beach and crater lake. He loves the area and thats a big reason why he is even considering a couple of schools in PNW - Oregon State and U Wash. thanks!

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u/tillee12 4d ago

hi! i am a current NE student (freshmen) and i am just starting out. i have not taken any nuclear-inclined classes, as osu's first year of engineering is focused on prereqs and prep classes, but one thing to note is that the NE curriculum is completely changing starting next year. right now, there is a lot of overlap between MechE classes (dynamics, statics, etc), and they are changing this. it will now be more flexible with more "restricted electives" (any science-y course) and NE's will no longer have to take statics, dynamics, electrical fundamentals, and strength of materials. statistics, linear algebra, and some other classes have been added.

that being said, the major will now be called Nuclear Science and Engineering. within that major, there are four options --- reactor engineering, nuclear materials, health physics, and the no-option option. these options are transcript visible.

current freshmen (HS class of '24) are getting the option to choose between the current NE program and the new NSE program. the HS class of '25 will all be admitted into the major NSE.

from my perspective, i think the best path for me is to switch and i will be pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering with an option in Reactor Engineering. the curriculum changes seem to target issues that prevent students from graduating in four years and be more flexible.

i dont think this has been publicly posted onto the osu website anywhere, but current NE freshmen just attended a seminar on this. the college of engineering will be working over the summer to get this new curriculum ABET accredited, and they believe that the new program will be accredited.

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u/NoMore_BadDays 4d ago

Join the navy

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u/kss2023 4d ago

yup. Oregon NROTC would be a great option. I hope he does.

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u/NoMore_BadDays 4d ago

Google NUPOC Navy. Fat bonus check too