2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/nuclear-plasma-radiological-engineering-bs/power-safety-environment/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering with a concentration in Power, Safety & Environment

Nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering encompasses a broad and diverse but complimentary set of engineering disciplines with a wide variety of applications.  The first two years of the NPRE curriculum provides a strong foundation in sciences (physics, mathematics, and chemistry), in engineering (mechanics and thermodynamics), in computer use, and in nuclear energy systems. Most of the technical core and concentration coursework takes place in the third and fourth years of the curriculum. Students choose from among three concentrations:  power, safety and the environment; plasma and fusion science and engineering; and radiological, medical and instrumentation applications. Each concentration requires students acquire a depth of understanding of the area but with flexibility to develop advanced technical expertise depending upon the student’s specific educational and professional interests. Students demonstrate proficiency in the engineering design process in a senior design capstone course.

The power, safety and the environment concentration focuses on continued safe and reliable nuclear energy production.  This relies on multifaceted engineering disciplines for design and analysis of large complex systems.  Areas of scholarship and research in which students are involved include but are not limited to:  advanced reactor design and safety, reactor physics and thermal-hydraulics, nuclear materials, instrumentation and controls, training and education, fuel design and performance, waste management, reactor accident analysis, risk and reliability, probabilistic risk assessment, human factors, validation and verification, uncertainty analysis,  energy and security, and nonproliferation.  Cross-cutting areas of study and research include modeling and simulation and numerical analysis and computational methods. Students confer with their academic advisor on a chosen course set to ensure that a strong program is achieved. Technical electives are chosen from among NPRE courses and courses outside the department in the subfields of: thermal sciences; power and control systems; solid, fluid and continuum mechanics; computational sciences and engineering, and environmental engineering and science. The program prepares graduates for positions in industry, research laboratories, federal and regulatory agencies, as well for further graduate study.

Current Program Educational Objectives

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering with a concentration in Power, Safety & Environment

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 128 hours.

Minimum Overall GPA: 2.0

Minimum Technical GPA: 2.0

TGPA is required for NPRE 200 and NPRE 247. See Technical GPA to clarify requirements.

University Requirements

Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level.  These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree.  Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Composition I | | 4-6 | | Advanced Composition | | 3 | | Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | | 6 | | Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by CHEM 102, PHYS 211, PHYS 212 | | | | Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by ECON 102 or ECON 103 and any other courses approved as Social & Behavioral Sciences | | | | Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | | 6-10 | | fulfilled by MATH 220 or MATH 221; and MATH 231, MATH 241, MATH 285, PHYS 211, PHYS 212; and CS 101 or CS 124 | | | | Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | | 0-15 |

Orientation and Professional Development

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | ENG 100 | Grainger Engineering Orientation Seminar (External transfer students take ENG 300.) | 1 | | NPRE 100 | Orientation to NPRE | 1 | | Total Hours | | 2 |

Introductory Economics Elective

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | ECON 102 | Microeconomic Principles | 3 | | or ECON 103 | Macroeconomic Principles | | | Total Hours | | 3 |

Foundational Mathematics and Science

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | CHEM 102 | General Chemistry I | 3 | | CHEM 103 | General Chemistry Lab I | 1 | | MATH 221 | Calculus I (MATH 220 may be substituted. MATH 220 is appropriate for students with no background in calculus. 4 of 5 credit hours count towards degree.) | 4 | | MATH 231 | Calculus II | 3 | | MATH 241 | Calculus III | 4 | | MATH 257 | Linear Algebra with Computational Applications | 3 | | MATH 285 | Intro Differential Equations | 3 | | PHYS 211 | University Physics: Mechanics | 4 | | PHYS 212 | University Physics: Elec & Mag | 4 | | Total Hours | | 29 |

Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering Technical Core

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | CS 101 | Intro Computing: Engrg & Sci (CS 124 may be taken instead of CS 101.) | 3 | | ECE 205 | Electrical and Electronic Circuits | 3 | | ME 200 | Thermodynamics | 3 | | ME 310 | Fundamentals of Fluid Dynamics | 4 | | or TAM 335 | Introductory Fluid Mechanics | | | NPRE 200 | Mathematics for Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering | 2 | | NPRE 247 | Modeling Nuclear Energy System | 3 | | NPRE 321 | Introduction to Plasmas and Applications | 3 | | NPRE 330 | Materials in Nuclear Engineering | 3 | | NPRE 349 | Introduction to NPRE Heat Transfer | 2 | | NPRE 441 | Radiation Protection | 4 | | NPRE 445 | Interaction of Radiation with Matter | 4 | | NPRE 449 | Nuclear Systems Engineering and Design | 3 | | NPRE 451 | NPRE Laboratory | 3 | | NPRE 455 | Neutron Diffusion & Transport | 4 | | NPRE 458 | Design in NPRE | 4 | | TAM 210 | Introduction to Statics (TAM 211 may be taken instead of TAM 210. The extra hour may be applied towards the Professional Concentration Area electives.) | 2 | | TAM 212 | Introductory Dynamics (PHYS 325 may be taken instead of TAM 212 for students pursuing the PHYS minor.) | 3 | | Total Hours | | 53 |

Professional Concentration Area

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Required Course | | 2 | | NPRE 432 | Nuclear Engrg Materials Lab | 2 | | Technical Electives | | 15 | | From Departmentally Approved List of Technical Electives - students are to take at least 6 hours from the NPRE Power Concentration Electives list. The remaining hours may be taken from any course on the Technical Electives list. The student is to confer with their academic adviser on a chosen course set to ensure that a strong program is achieved. | | | | NPRE Power Concentration Electives List | | | | NPRE 412 | Nuclear Power Econ & Fuel Mgmt | 3 or 4 | | NPRE 413 | Nuclear Separations and Fuel Reprocessing | 2 or 3 | | NPRE 430 | Advanced Materials in Nuclear Engineering | 3 | | NPRE 442 | Radioactive Waste Management | 3 | | NPRE 457 | Safety Anlys Nucl Reactor Syst | 3 or 4 | | NPRE 461 | Probabilistic Risk Assessment | 3 or 4 | | NPRE 480 | Energy and Security | 0 to 4 | | NPRE 498 | Special Topics | 1 to 4 | | Other Technical Electives | | | | Technical Electives from NPRE or from other departments in the subfields: Thermal Sciences; Power and Control Systems; Solid, Fluid and Continuum Mechanics; Computational Sciences and Engineering; Environmental Engineering and Science. | | | | ES 470 | Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Sources | 3 | | ES 475 | Wind Power Systems | 3 or 4 | | NPRE 199 | Undergraduate Open Seminar (May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 2 times.) | 1 | | NPRE 201 | Energy Systems | 2 or 3 | | NPRE 398 | Special Topics | 1 to 4 | | NPRE 481 | Writing on Technol & Security | 3 or 4 | | NPRE 483 | Seminar on Security | 1 | | Thermal Sciences | | | | ME 320 | Heat Transfer | 4 | | ME 400 | Energy Conversion Systems | 3 or 4 | | ME 402 | Design of Thermal Systems | 3 or 4 | | ME 404 | Intermediate Thermodynamics | 4 | | ME 410 | Intermediate Gas Dynamics | 3 or 4 | | ME 411 | Viscous Flow & Heat Transfer | 4 | | ME 420 | Intermediate Heat Transfer | 4 | | Power and Control Systems | | | | ECE 329 | Fields and Waves I | 3 | | ECE 310 | Digital Signal Processing | 3 | | ECE 330 | Power Ckts & Electromechanics | 3 | | ECE 476 | Power System Analysis | 3 | | ECE 486 | Control Systems | 4 | | Solid, Fluid and Continuum Mechanics | | | | TAM 251 | Introductory Solid Mechanics | 3 | | TAM 252 | Solid Mechanics Design | 1 | | TAM 424 | Mechanics of Structural Metals | 3 or 4 | | TAM 435 | Intermediate Fluid Mechanics | 4 | | TAM 445 | Continuum Mechanics | 4 | | TAM 451 | Intermediate Solid Mechanics | 4 | | TAM 456 | Experimental Stress Analysis | 3 | | Computational Sciences and Engineering | | | | CS 357 | Numerical Methods I | 3 | | CS 450 | Numerical Analysis | 3 or 4 | | ME 471 | Finite Element Analysis | 3 or 4 | | STAT 400 | Statistics and Probability I | 4 | | Environmental Engineering and Science | | | | CEE 201 | Systems Engrg & Economics | 3 | | CEE 330 | Environmental Engineering | 3 | | CEE 437 | Water Quality Engineering | 3 | | CEE 443 | Env Eng Principles, Chemical | 4 | | CEE 444 | Env Eng Principles, Biological | 4 | | CEE 447 | Atmospheric Chemistry | 4 | | Total Hours | | 17 |

Free Electives

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Additional course work, subject to the Grainger College of Engineering restrictions to Free Electives, so that there are at least 128 credit hours earned toward the degree. | | 11 | | Total Hours of Curriculum to Graduate | | 128 |

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering with a concentration in Power, Safety & Environment

Sample Sequence\ This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence. The curriculum sequence can also be viewed via dynamic and static curricular maps, which include prerequisite sequencing.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements. One of the SBS courses must be an introductory economics course (ECON 102 or ECON 103).  NPRE 481 will satisfy a technical elective requirement in the Professional Concentration Area and the Campus General Education Advanced Composition requirement.  If NPRE 481 is not selected, a separate Advanced Composition course must be taken.

Free Electives: Additional course work, subject to the Grainger College of Engineering restrictions to Free Electives, so that there are at least 128 credit hours earned toward the degree.

Total Hours: 128

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering with a concentration in Power, Safety & Environment

Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Website

Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering Faculty

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