A broad program of instruction and research is offered in the principles of the interaction of radiation with matter and their applications, and in several areas of engineering physics. The program has strong engineering and applied science components. It emphasizes several areas of activity, including the research, design, development, and deployment of fission reactors; fusion engineering; plasma physics; radiation damage to materials; and large-scale computing in engineering science.
The master's degree may be pursued as a terminal degree in the fission area and in various engineering physics areas, but it is not generally recommended as a final degree in fusion research; students interested in fusion should plan to pursue the PhD degree. About 40 percent of the current graduate students hold undergraduate degrees in nuclear engineering, about 40 percent in physics, and about 20 percent in other disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, chemistry, and materials science.
The department is considered to have one of the top five nuclear engineering programs in the nation over the last 40 years. It incorporates several research organizations including the Wisconsin Institute of Nuclear Systems, the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment Program, the Fusion Technology Institute, the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor, the University of Wisconsin Ion Beam Laboratory, and the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation.
Research may be performed in areas including next generation fission reactor engineering; fluid and heat transfer modeling for transient analysis; reactor monitoring and diagnostics; fuel cycle analysis; magnetic confinement fusion reactor engineering, including the physics of burning plasmas, plasma-wall interactions, neutron transport, tritium breeding, radiation damage, and liquid-metal heat transfer; experimental and theoretical studies of plasmas including radio frequency heating, magnetic confinement, plasma instabilities, and plasma diagnostics; superconducting magnets and cryogenics; and theoretical and experimental studies of the degradation (corrosion, stresses, irradiation) to materials in fission and fusion reactors.
The department places considerable emphasis on establishing research teams or group research, as well as traditional research activity by individual faculty members and their students. The groups frequently involve faculty, scientific staff, and graduate students from several departments, adding a strong interdisciplinary flavor to the research.
Students sometimes perform thesis work at national laboratories such as Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory and at international research facilities such as the Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 15 |
| Spring Deadline | September 1 |
| Summer Deadline | December 15 |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required but may be considered if available.* |
| English Proficiency Test | Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
- *
GRE scores are optional. Applicants may submit GRE scores, but are not required to do so. Applications without scores are not placed at a disadvantage. However, received scores will be considered as part of our holistic evaluation of applications.
Applicant Considerations
Applicants to our program should have the following:
- Degree
- Bachelor of Science in engineering, mathematics, or physical science and an undergraduate record that indicates an ability to successfully pursue graduate study.
- International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited US bachelor's degree. Review the Graduate School webpage to learn more about comparable degrees by country.
- GPA
- The minimum required GPA is 3.0/4.0 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor's degree or a completed master's degree with a minimum of 3.0/4.0.
- Faculty Advisor
- Applicants are encouraged to seek out a faculty advisor as part of the application process. This may be done prior to, during, and/or after submission of the online application. (This is not a requirement.)
- To seek out a faculty advisor, review the department Research and People websites. Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors are eligible to be graduate advisors. Please do not contact Emeritus faculty, lecturers, Research Scientists, or Faculty Associates.
- You are encouraged to inquire about possible funding opportunities. (See Funding tab in the right-side column on this page for funding information.)
- Recommended Preparatory Courses
- It is highly recommended applicants take courses that cover the same material as these UW-Madison courses before entering the program.
- Applicants may be admitted without having taken these courses, however, in such cases the applicant must inform their faculty advisor who will then help them select the correct courses to include the required background for the program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Differential Equations | ||
| MATH 319 | Techniques in Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| or MATH 320 | Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | |
| Advanced Mathematics | ||
| MATH 321 | Applied Mathematical Analysis 1: Vector and Complex Calculus | 3 |
| Nuclear Physics | ||
| N E 305 | Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering | 3 |
| Materials Science, Metallurgy, or Solid-State Physics | ||
| M S & E 350 | Introduction to Materials Science | 3 |
| or M S & E 351 | Materials Science-Structure and Property Relations in Solids | |
| Heat Transfer or Fluid Mechanics | ||
| CBE 320 | Introductory Transport Phenomena | 4 |
| Mechanics | ||
| PHYSICS 311 | Mechanics | 3 |
| or E M A 202 | Dynamics | |
Application Materials
In addition to the items listed in the table above, a complete application includes the following uploaded to the online application. The submitted application and all application items are due by the deadline above.
- Unofficial Transcripts (PDF)
- Most up-to-date unofficial transcript(s) from all previous higher education institutions, regardless of whether a degree was earned. Official transcripts are only requested of recommended applicants.
- International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Review the minimum requirements link above to learn more.
- Statement of Purpose: The University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School and the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics have the following guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:
- Be specific about your interest and knowledge particular to this program:
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- Have you read an article by one or more faculty members?
- Has your advisor specifically directed you to this program?
- Do you have other ties to this program and/or school?
- Pick out the pertinent facts about your academic and professional interests that make you a good fit with the program and institution to which you are applying. (A statement of purpose is not a place to list everything you have done.)
- Describe research experiences regardless of whether they are related to your current interests.
- Being self-motivated, curiosity-driven, and goal-oriented are important qualities for aspiring PhDs in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics. To provide evidence of these qualities, you may write about relevant experiences you have had.
- Perseverance and the ability to overcome adversity are also important. Again, discuss relevant experiences you may have to provide evidence.
- Mention extra-curricular achievements to illustrate additional dimensions of your personality.
- Explain (briefly) any incongruity in your application material, such as a low semester grade.
- Our page limit is two and a half pages, but there is no obligation to write a long statement.
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For more information from the Graduate School, please review their webpage.
- Resume
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- These letters are required from people who can accurately reflect on the applicant's academics and/or work performance. It is highly recommended these letters be from faculty familiar with the applicant.
- Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically through the online application.
- See the Graduate School FAQs regarding letters of recommendation.
- GRE Scores
- GRE scores are optional. Applicants may submit GRE scores, but are not required to do so. Applications without scores are not placed at a disadvantage. However, received scores will be considered as part of our holistic evaluation of applications.
- Application Fee
- Application submission must be accompanied by the application fee. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding fees.
- Fee grants are available through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School.
Reentry Admissions
Review the Graduate School requirements for previously enrolled students. Contact the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link) with questions.
Currently Enrolled Graduate Student Admissions
Students currently enrolled as graduate students at UW-Madison wishing to apply to this degree programs should contact the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link) to inquire about the process and deadlines.
Questions
Contact the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link).
Funding
Graduate School Resources
The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Offers of financial support from the Department, College and University are in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships and fellowships. The funding for research assistantships comes from faculty research grants. Each professor decides on their own research assistantship offers. International applicants must secure a research assistantship, teaching assistantship, project assistantship, fellowship or independent funding before admission is final. Financial support is dependent on availability of funds and students maintaining satisfactory academic progress towards their degree.
Additional Resources
International Student Services Funding and Scholarships
For information regarding International Student Funding and Scholarships, visit the International Student Services website.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 51 credits approved by the student's faculty advisor |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 26 credits must be in graduate-level coursework from nuclear engineering, math, physics, chemistry, computer science, or any other engineering department except E P D. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Grades of D received in any course will not be counted as satisfying degree requirements. These grades will, however, be counted in the graduate GPA. Pass/fail grades are not counted toward degree requirements. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required. |
| Assessments and Examinations | PhD qualifying examination is required of all students. After acceptance of the student’s doctoral plan of study, the student must take an oral preliminary examination. Final oral examination is required at the end of the thesis work. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
| Graduate School Breadth Requirement | All doctoral students are required to complete a doctoral breadth requirement. In consultation with, and approval by, the graduate faculty advisor/department, students should select one of the following options: 1. Option A (External Minor): Fulfillment of this minor requires approval of the doctoral minor program. This minor must be outside of the student’s doctoral major program. These courses may also be counted toward the Research Focus Area requirement when the courses directly support the PhD research. 2. Option B (Distributed Minor): Fulfillment of this minor requires a minimum of 9 credits, level 400 and above, from two or more departments selected for their relevance to a particular area of concentration. - If the minor coursework includes N E coursework, then the minor courses may NOT count toward the Research Focus Area requirement. Students must briefly justify how the N E coursework counted toward this breadth requirement differ from those in their Research Focus Area requirement. - If the minor coursework does not include N E coursework, then the minor courses may count toward the Research Focus Area requirement. This path is intended for multidisciplinary PhD's where breadth is essentially built into the thesis topic. 3. Option C (Graduate/Professional Certificate): Requires successful completion of a graduate/professional certificate in a program outside of the student's doctoral major program. |
Required Courses
Unless specified, all courses must be numbered 400 or above in appropriate technical areas. Appropriate technical areas are: Engineering departments (except Engineering and Professional Development), Physics, Math, Statistics, Computer Science, Medical Physics, and Chemistry. Other courses may be deemed appropriate by a student's faculty advisor. (This policy does not apply to courses satisfied by the research focus coursework).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar Requirement (two semesters) | ||
| PhD students must enroll in, and successfully pass, E P 920 and/or N E/E C E/PHYSICS 922 for a minimum of two semesters prior to passing the PhD Preliminary Exam. | 0 | |
| Engineering Physics Graduate Seminar | ||
| Seminar in Plasma Physics | ||
| Lecture Coursework 1 | ||
| Complete all requirements (courses used to meet these requirements may overlap): | 36 | |
Nuclear Engineering Courses 2 | ||
Core Area Course Requirement (4 courses): Students must complete one course in each area; courses must be numbered 400 and above and selected in consultation with faculty advisor. Refer to Core Areas Course List for options. 3 | ||
Complete minimum 18 credits of appropriate technical coursework numbered 500 and above from any department and approved by faculty advisor 4 | ||
Complete minimum 9 credits of appropriate technical coursework numbered 700 and above from any department and approved by faculty advisor 4 | ||
Complete minimum 24 credits of Research Focus coursework directly related to the student's research (explanation on how courses contribute to research and faculty advisor approval required) 5 | ||
| Remaining Credits | ||
| Complete any combination of the following: | 15 | |
| Pre-Dissertator's Research | ||
| Research and Thesis | ||
Additional courses from the Lecture and Seminar Coursework above | ||
| Total Credits | 51 | |
- 1
Graduate School Breadth Requirement courses may be eligible to count toward the 36 credit Lecture and Seminar Coursework requirement (see Graduate School Breadth Requirement above).
- 2
The following courses, or courses with similar material content, must be taken prior to or during the course of study:
- N E 427 Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory; AND
- N E 428 Nuclear Reactor Laboratory OR N E 526 Laboratory Course in Plasmas; AND
- N E 408 Ionizing Radiation OR N E/MED PHYS 569 Health Physics and Biological Effects.
Students who have taken courses with a similar material content, must contact the NEEP Associate Chair of Graduate Studies for approval of the specific course(s).
These Nuclear Engineering Courses will count toward the Research Focus Area.
- 3
The four core areas are Fission Reactors, Plasma Physics and Fusion, Materials, and Engineering Mathematics and Computation.
- 4
Research courses such as N E 790 Master's Research and Thesis, N E 890 Pre-Dissertator's Research, N E 990 Research and Thesis, and Independent Study Courses such as N E 699 Advanced Independent Study and N E 999 Advanced Independent Study may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
- 5
Non-technical coursework is not required within the degree. However, with faculty advisor approval, students may choose a maximum of 6 credits of non-technical coursework to satisfy credits within the 24 credits of Research Focus Requirement and/or the Graduate School Breadth Requirement.
Core Areas Course List
These courses are examples that would meet the requirement and are not meant to be a restricted list of possible courses. The candidate is required to complete one course in each of the following areas:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fission Reactors | ||
| N E 405 | Nuclear Reactor Theory | 3 |
| N E 408 | Ionizing Radiation | 3 |
| N E 411 | Nuclear Reactor Engineering | 3 |
| N E/MED PHYS 506 | Monte Carlo Radiation Transport | 3 |
| N E/M E 520 | Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer | 3 |
| N E 550 | Advanced Nuclear Power Engineering | 3 |
| N E 555 | Nuclear Reactor Dynamics | 3 |
| N E/M E 565 | Power Plant Technology | 3 |
| N E/I SY E 574 | Methods for Probabilistic Risk Analysis of Nuclear Power Plants | 3 |
| Plasma Physics & Fusion | ||
| N E/E C E/PHYSICS 525 | Introduction to Plasmas | 3 |
| N E/E C E/PHYSICS 527 | Plasma Confinement and Heating | 3 |
| N E/E C E 528 | Plasma Processing and Technology | 3 |
| N E 536 | Feasibility of Fusion Power Plants based on Controlled Nuclear Fusion | 3 |
| Materials | ||
| N E/M S & E 423 | Nuclear Engineering Materials | 3 |
| N E 541 | Radiation Damage in Metals | 3 |
| PHYSICS 551 | Solid State Physics | 3 |
| Engineering Mathematics & Computation | ||
| E P/E M A 547 | Engineering Analysis I | 3 |
| E P/E M A 548 | Engineering Analysis II | 3 |
| COMP SCI/MATH 513 | Numerical Linear Algebra | 3 |
| COMP SCI/MATH 514 | Numerical Analysis | 3 |
| MATH 703 | Methods of Applied Mathematics 1 | 3 |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
With faculty advisor and Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee Chair approval, students may transfer up to 15 credits of prior graduate coursework that led to a relevant MS degree. Alternatively, with faculty advisor and Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee Chair approval, students may transfer up to 6 credits of relevant coursework from a prior graduate program. Review the Graduate Program Handbook (see contact box) for information about use and restrictions to this policy. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
- Undergraduate credits from UW-Madison: With faculty approval, students who have received their undergraduate degree from UW–Madison may transfer up to 7 credits of coursework numbered 400 or above toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. This work would not be allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken in courses numbered 700 or above. No credits can be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
- Undergraduate credits from other institutions: With faculty advisor and Graduate Studies Committee Chair approval, students who have received an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree (not including UW–Madison) may be eligible to transfer up to 7 credits of their undergraduate coursework toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. No credits can be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement, nor the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
The Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics PhD program does not accept prior credits from the UW-Madison Professional programs.
Credits Earned as a University Special student at UW–Madison
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 15 credits of coursework numbered 400 or above taken as a UW–Madison Special student toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. UW–Madison coursework taken as a University Special student would not be allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken in courses numbered 700 or above or are taken to meet the requirements of a capstone certificate and has the "Grad 50%" designation. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
Each student is required to meet with his or her advisor prior to registration every semester.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.
Time Limits
The PhD qualifying examination should be first taken in the third or fourth semester (see graduate handbook in the contact box for more information).
Students must submit the doctoral plan of study one month before the end of the semester following the one in which the qualifying exam is passed.
Candidates are expected to pass the PhD preliminary examination no later than the end of the third year of graduate study, or by the end of the second regular semester following the one in which the PhD qualifying examination was passed, whichever is later. A candidate who fails to take the preliminary examination within four years of passing the qualifying examination must retake the qualifying examination.
An oral examination on the findings of the PhD research is required at the end of the thesis work. The candidate must apply for a warrant from the Graduate School through the student services office at least three weeks before the exam. The final oral examination must be taken within five years of passing the preliminary examination.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics Grievance Procedures
Students who feel that they have been treated unfairly have the right to a prompt hearing of their grievance. Such complaints may involve course grades, classroom treatment, advising, various forms of harassment, or other issues. Any student or potential student may use these procedures.
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The student should speak first with the person toward whom the grievance is directed. In most cases, grievances can be resolved at this level.
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Should a satisfactory resolution not be achieved, the student should contact the program’s Grievance Advisor to discuss the grievance. The Graduate Student Coordinator can provide students with the name of this faculty member, who facilitates problem resolution through informal channels. The Grievance Advisor is responsible for facilitating any complaints or issues of students. The Grievance Advisor first attempts to help students informally address the grievance prior to any formal complaint. Students are also encouraged to talk with their faculty advisors regarding concerns or difficulties if necessary. University resources for sexual harassment concerns can be found on the UW Office of Equity and Diversity website.
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If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student can submit the grievance to the Grievance Advisor in writing, within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
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On receipt of a written complaint, a faculty committee will be convened by the Grievance Advisor to manage the grievance. The program faculty committee will obtain a written response from the person toward whom the complaint is directed. The response will be shared with the person filing the grievance.
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The faculty committee will determine a decision regarding the grievance. The Grievance Advisor will report on the action taken by the committee in writing to both the student and the party toward whom the complaint was directed within 15 working days from the date the complaint was received.
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At this point, if either party (the student or the person toward whom the grievance is directed) is unsatisfied with the decision of the faculty committee, the party may file a written appeal. Either party has 10 working days to file a written appeal to the College of Engineering.
The Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs (engr-dean-graduateaffairs@engr.wisc.edu) provides overall leadership for graduate education in the College of Engineering (CoE) and is a point of contact for graduate students who have concerns about education, mentoring, research, or other difficulties.
The Graduate School has procedures for students wishing to appeal a grievance decision made at the college level. These policies are described in the Academic Policies and Procedures at https://grad.wisc.edu/academic-policies/.
Other
n/a
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an extraordinary, deep understanding of mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles in the field
- Demonstrate an ability to formulate, analyze, and independently solve advanced engineering problems
- Apply the relevant scientific and technological advancements, techniques, and engineering tools to address these problems
- Recognize and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct
- Demonstrate an ability to synthesize knowledge from a subset of the biological, physical, and/or social sciences to help frame problems critical to the future of their discipline
- Demonstrate an ability to conduct original research and communicate it to their peers