Doctor of Philosophy in Nuclear Engineering Sciences

To earn the Ph.D., students must:

• Complete 90 total credit hours
• Complete required graduate coursework
• Form a Supervisory Committee
• Pass the Written and Oral Qualifying Examination
• Complete the Professional Development Requirement (6 credits)
• Submit and defend a doctoral dissertation

All doctoral work must be completed within five calendar years after passing the Qualifying Examination. If not completed within this period, the qualifying examination must be repeated.

Credit Distribution

• 90 total credit hours
• 21 credits of graded (A–E) 5000+ lecture or laboratory courses
• Of those 21 credits, 15 credits must have the ENU prefix
• ENU 6936 (Special Projects in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Sciences) does not count toward the 21 graded credit requirement
• ENU 6935 (Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Seminar) – 1 credit
  • Must be completed prior to the semester of dissertation defense
• ENU 7979 (Advanced Research) – taken before achieving candidacy
• ENU 7980 (Doctoral Research) – taken after achieving candidacy

Candidacy begins after successfully passing the Oral Qualifying Examination (dissertation proposal).

Students must also satisfy the Professional Development Requirement described below.

Each Ph.D. student is guided by a Supervisory Committee responsible for:

• Establishing specific degree requirements
• Conducting oral examinations
• Approving the doctoral dissertation
• Evaluating student progress

Committee Composition

• Chair: Research advisor (must be Nuclear Engineering Graduate Faculty)
• At least three additional members
• At least one member must be outside the Nuclear Engineering Graduate Faculty

Students must affiliate with a research advisor during their first semester.

The Supervisory Committee must be formed no later than:

• The end of the second semester, or
• After completion of 12 credit hours

Students must submit the Appointment of Supervisory Committee form to register for the third semester.

Changes to committee membership require submission of a Committee Change Request form to the ASO office.

Meetings

Students are expected to meet with their Supervisory Committee at least annually to review progress. Annual meetings must be documented in GIMS.

Remote Participation

Qualifying exams and dissertation defenses may be conducted using approved telecommunication methods. The candidate and committee chair (or co-chair) must be physically present in the same location. Other members may participate remotely with full committee approval.

The Qualifying Examination includes both a Written and Oral component. Students must pass both components to advance to candidacy.

Written Qualifying Requirement

Students must:

• Select four approved ENU 5000+ graduate lecture or lab courses (3 credits or more)
• Declare selected core courses before completing the third course and before registering for the fourth
• Complete the four courses by the end of the second year
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher across the four courses
• Earn no grade below B
• Each course may be attempted only once

ENU 6937 (Introduction to Nuclear Engineering) does not count toward this requirement.

If a student earns:

• GPA below 3.3 and/or
• Exactly one grade below B

The student may select a fifth approved course. The fifth course grade will replace one of the original four.

The written requirement must be completed before the Oral Qualifying Examination.

Transfer students must consult their advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator during their first semester to review prior coursework.

Oral Qualifying Examination (Dissertation Proposal)

The first attempt must occur no later than the last semester of the second year (fall, spring, or summer).

During the exam, the student will:

• Present proposed dissertation research
• Provide literature review
• Discuss progress and future research plans

Students must:

• Submit the dissertation proposal document to the committee at least five days prior to the exam
• Submit the Admission to Candidacy Form at least five business days before the exam
• Obtain advisor approval before attempting the exam

The Supervisory Committee administers the exam and assigns a Pass or Fail.

The committee may recommend:

• Changes to research scope
• Additional coursework
• Techniques or collaborations

Retake Policy

• One retake allowed
• Second attempt must occur the following semester
• Failure after the second attempt results in dismissal from the Ph.D. program

In rare circumstances, students may petition for delay or a third attempt through the Graduate Petition Committee.

The IDP is required for all Ph.D. students and is available on the Ph.D. Canvas site.

Students must:

• Complete an annual Self-Assessment Survey
• Develop an Action Plan with their advisor
• Develop a Mentoring Plan
• Meet regularly with their advisor
• Ensure annual meetings are recorded in GIMS

The IDP is intended to support professional growth, goal setting, and timely degree completion. Students are expected to update their plans as circumstances evolve.

Students entering Fall 2017 or later must complete professional development activities equivalent to six credits (approximately 300 hours).

Required Course (1 Credit)

• ENU 694y – Presentations and Pedagogy for Nuclear Engineering Sciences
  • Offered each Spring
  • Must be taken during the first or second Spring semester (typically the first)

Remaining 5 Credits

Students may complete the remaining credits through one of the following pathways.

Option 1: Supervised Teaching (ENU 6940)

• 2 credits: Lecture Teaching Assistant
• 3 credits: Laboratory Teaching Assistant

Assignments depend on student qualifications, program needs, and availability.

Some students may serve multiple semesters to meet the requirement.

Option 2: Advanced Pedagogy (ENU 694x)

Students pursuing careers in engineering education may:

• Serve as co-instructor
• Hold majority of lectures
• Develop coursework in collaboration with faculty

Requirements:

• Must complete written qualifying requirement prior
• Must typically complete oral qualifying requirement prior
• Cannot enroll in other lecture or lab courses during that semester (with rare exceptions)
• Advisor approval required
• Application required

Credits earned count toward degree requirements.

Option 3: Student-Arranged Activities (by Petition)

Students unable or not interested in teaching may request waiver of up to five credits based on approved professional development activities.

Examples include:

• Internships (national laboratories or industry)
• Leadership roles in professional societies (e.g., ANS Student Director)
• Professional development coursework
• Prior industry, military, or research experience

Waivers are not automatic and are granted at the discretion of the NE Program Director in consultation with relevant faculty.

Instead of procedural overload, separate into:

Before the Defense

• Dissertation must be complete
• Submit Oral Examination Announcement
• Announce defense at least 1 business day prior

During the Defense

• Public presentation
• Closed session with committee

After the Defense

• Submit ETD signature page
• Final Examination Report due within 5 business days
• Defense must occur within 6 months of degree award

Retake policy: One repeat allowed.

NE Graduate Coordinator

Yong Yang, Ph.D.
NE Graduate Coordinator, Associate Professor
(352) 846-3791

Email: NE Graduate Coordinator

Advising Office