2012-2013 Nuclear Engineering and Health Physics

Faculty Information
Degree Program, Nuclear Engineering
Degree Program, Health Physics
Nuclear Engineering Courses
Health Physics Courses

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science (BS) program in Nuclear Engineering (NE) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org

Educational Objectives for Degree Program in Nuclear Engineering

The following Program Educational Objectives have been established:

Application of Core Knowledge and Technical Competency -- Our graduates will make significant contributions in the nuclear enterprise, either in industry, research, or educational careers as measured by peer recognition, visible leadership roles, and other evidence of professional accomplishments. Graduates working in a non-nuclear field, or doing non-nuclear work in the nuclear industry, will make contributions judged no less significant because of the technical field. Our graduates will broaden and deepen their knowledge and technical competency as they advance in their careers. In addition to on-the-job learning and training, our graduates will take initiative in acquiring further knowledge on their own and continue to pursue lifelong learning, including formal academic or continuing education courses as well as informal means such as reading journals in the field, participating in technical organization, and attending technical conferences to keep current with developments in their chosen field.

Professional Collaboration and Communication -- As their careers develop, our graduates will become increasingly involved in collaborative work with teams composed of colleagues from other science and technology fields. To that end, they will communicate effectively with others to perform tasks, to make decisions, and to assume leadership roles.

Professionalism -- Our graduates will develop and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in their careers. They will recognize ethical issues when they arise and respond in an ethical manner. Our graduates will take into consideration the economic, environmental, and societal consequences of their actions as they engage in their work. Our graduates will increase their awareness and involvement with issues in the nuclear enterprise, including the nuclear power industry and the many non-power applications of nuclear science and technology, particularly as these fields evolve years after their leaving Idaho State University.

Within two to three years of graduateion , the majority of our B.S. graduates in Nuclear Engineering will be working in industry, government agencies, or national laboratories and in many cases will be pursuing advanced degrees. After five to ten years many of our graduates will have established strong records of achievement at various technical and managerial levels in academia, industry and government, and will become leaders in the field.

Declaring a Major in Nuclear Engineering

1. Prior to formally declaring Nuclear Engineering as their major, students are classified as "pre-engineering" students. To become eligible to declare the major, the student must complete at least 10 of the 12 "key courses" listed below with a minimum grade of "C-" in each course, and must have at least a 2.0 GPA, both in the key courses and overall. (Note: ENGR/ME 1165/1167 and ENGR 2223/2224 are considered single key courses that are taken concurrently.)

Key Courses

CHEM 1111,1111L General Chemistry I, and Lab 		5 cr
MATH 1170 	Calculus I 				4 cr
MATH 1175 	Calculus II 				4 cr
PHYS 2211, 2212 Engineering Physics 			8 cr
ENGR 1120 	Introduction to Engineering 		2 cr
ENGR/ME 1165 	Structured Programming 			2 cr
ENGR 1167 	Scientific Programming 			1 cr
ENGR 2210 	Engineering Statics 			3 cr
ENGR 22213,2234 Materials and Measurements, and Lab 	4 cr
EE 2240 	Introduction to Electrical Circuits 	3 cr
ME 1105 	Solid Modeling 				3 cr
ENGR/ME 2220 	Engineering Dynamics 			3 cr

2. No key course may be repeated more than twice, and any remaining key courses must be completed by the end of the first semester following the declaration.

3. Upon making the declaration and submitting the proper form, if approved, students become eligible to enroll in upper division engineering courses (i.e., those numbered 3000 or above). The student will not be allowed to register for any College of Engineering upper-division course until the declaration has been approved.

Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering

Including the University's General Education Requirements (38 or 43 credits), the program of study for the Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering totals 126 credits (minimum) as follows:

First Year
Fall Semester

CE 1105 	Engineering Graphics 			2 cr
CHEM 1111,1111L General Chemistry I, and Lab 		5 cr
ENGL 1102 	Critical Reading and Writing 		3 cr
MATH 1170 	Calculus I 				4 cr
NE 1120 	Introduction to Nuclear Engineering 	1 cr
Goal 6, 7, or 8 Humanities Goal Course 			3 cr
							18 cr

Spring Semester

CS/NE 1181 	Structured Programming 			2 cr
COMM 1101 	Principles of Speech 			3 cr
MATH 1175 	Calculus II 				4 cr
MATH 2240 	Linear Algebra 				3 cr
NE 1181L 	Math Problem Solving 			1 cr
PHYS 2211 	Engineering Physics I 			4 cr
							17 cr

Second Year
Fall Semester

CE 2210 	Engineering Statics 			3 cr
MATH 2276 	Calculus III 				4 cr
ENGR/ME 2223, 2224 
		Materials and Measurements, and Lab 	4 cr
PHYS 2212 	Engineering Physics II 			4 cr
Free Elective 						3 cr
							18 cr

Spring Semester

EE 2240 	Introduction to Electrical Circuits 	3 cr
MATH 3360 	Differential Equations 			3 cr
ENGR/ME 2220 	Engineering Dynamics 			3 cr
ME 3350 	Mechanics of Materials 			3 cr
NE 3301 	Nuclear Engineering I 			3 cr
							15 cr

Third Year
Fall Semester

CE 3361 	Engineering Economics and Management 	3 cr
ENGR/ME 3307 	Thermodynamics 				3 cr
MATH 4421 	Advanced Engineering Mathematics I 	3 cr
NE 3302 	Nuclear Engineering II 			3 cr
Goals 9-12 	Social Science Goal (minimum) 		3 cr
					     (minimum) 15 cr

Spring Semester

EE 4416 Applied Engineering Methods 3 cr
CE/ME 3341 Fluid Mechanics 3 cr
HPHY 4416 Introduction to Nuclear Measurements 3 cr
NE 4446 Analysis and Design
of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Systems 3 cr
ENGR Elective 3 cr
15 cr
Fourth Year
Fall Semester

ME 4476 	Heat Transfer 				3 cr
NE 4445 	Reactor Physics 			3 cr
NE 4496A 	Project Design I 			1 cr
NE or other Engineering Elective 			3 cr
Goals 9-12 	Social Science Goal Course 		3 cr
							13 cr

Spring Semester

ME 4443 	Thermal Fluids Lab 			1 cr
NE 4419 	Energy Systems and Nuclear Power 	3 cr
NE 4447 	Nuclear Systems Laboratory 		1 cr
NE 4451 	Nuclear Seminar 			1 cr
NE 4496B 	Project Design II 			3 cr
Goal 6 or 7 	Humanities Goal Course 			3 cr
Goals 9-12 	Social Science Goal Course 		3 cr
							15 cr

Nuclear Engineering Courses

Health Physics at Idaho State University

Associate of Science in Physics (Health Physics Emphasis)
Bachelor of Sciences in Physics (Health Physics Emphasis)

The Department of Nuclear Engineering and Health Physics offers the A.S., B.S., and M.S. options in Health Physics. Health Physics, an applied science, is concerned with the protection of humans and their environment from the possible harmful effects of radiation while providing for its beneficial uses. Health Physics is a multi-disciplined profession that incorporates aspects of both the physical and biological sciences. The B.S. option in Health Physics will prepare the student for work in government, university, medical or industrial settings dealing with such areas as operational radiation safety, regulatory issues and environmental quality. Successful B.S. students receive a Bachelor of Science in Physics and the student's official transcript indicates an emphasis in Health Physics.

Accreditation

The Idaho State University Health Physics program is evaluated by periodically monitoring a series of programmatic outcomes which are used to indicate the extent to which our objectives are being accomplished and to provide information by which the program may be modified to optimize accomplishing these objectives.

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Master of Science (M.S.) programs in Health Physics are accredited by the Applied Sciences Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Students may enter the M.S. program in Health Physics from several undergraduate majors including health physics, physics, chemistry, biology, and other science or engineering majors. Additional course work to correct deficiencies may be necessary.

To declare a major in the Health Physics program, a student must have completed at least 24 semester hours and not be on probation. Declaration of major should be done as soon as possible in the student's program. For further details, please consult staff of the Department of Nucclear Engineering and Health Physics.

Objective

The objective of the Idaho State University Health Physics program is to produce Health Physicists with:

Fundamental technical knowledge,

Strong written and verbal communication skills,

Well-developed professional judgment with the capability to think critically,

Capability for solving applied health physics problems,

The ability to work independently, and

A thorough understanding of professional ethics.

Bachelor of Science in Physics (Health Physics Emphasis)
The following courses are required in addition to the General Education Requirements for the B.S. degree:

BIOL 1101,1101L Biology I, and Lab 3 cr
BIOL 2202L      General Zoology Laboratory 1 cr
BIOL 3301       Anatomy and Physiology 4 cr
BIOL 3302       Anatomy and Physiology 4 cr
CHEM 1102, 1103 Introduction to
         Organic and Biochemistry, and Lab 4 cr
CHEM 1111,1111L General Chemistry I, and Lab 5 cr
CHEM 1112,1112L General Chemistry II, and Lab 4 cr
CS 1181         Computer Science and Programming I 3 cr
ENGL 3307       Professional and Technical Writing 3 cr
MATH 1147       Precalculus 5 cr
PHYS 4416       Radiation Detection and Measurement 3 cr
PHYS 4431       Radiation Physics I 3 cr
PHYS 4432       Radiation Physics II 3 cr
PHYS 4433       External Dosimetry 3 cr
PHYS 4434       Internal Dosimetry 3 cr
PHYS 4455       Topics in Health Physics I 2 cr
PHYS 4456       Topics in Health Physics II 2 cr
PHYS 4480       Health Physics Capstone 3 cr
PHYS 4488       Advanced Radiobiology 3 cr
PHYS 4492       Colloquium 2 cr

Bioscience Track

BIOL 2209       General Ecology 3 cr
BIOL 3315       Introduction to Biometry 3 cr
MATH 1160       Applied Calculus 3 cr
PHYS 1111       General Physics I 3 cr
PHYS 1112       General Physics II 3 cr
PHYS 1113,1114 General Physics Laboratory 2 cr
Applied Science Track
MATH 3350       Statistical Methods 3 cr
MATH 1170       Calculus I 4 cr
MATH 1175       Calculus II 4 cr
MATH 2275       Calculus III 4 cr
PHYS 2211,2212 Engineering Physics 8 cr
PHYS 2213,2214 Engineering Physics Laboratory 2 cr

Associate of Science in Physics (Health Physics Emphasis)
The objective of the Idaho State University program that awards an Associate of Science in Physics (Emphais in Health Physics) is to develop an individual to assume the role of a health physics technician (sometimes referred to as Radiological Control Technician or RCT) with the knowledge in radiological and biological sciences appropriate for this career option. That same knowledge serves as the basis for certification by the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologist (NRRPT). Students completing this program will develop the fundamental skills important to life-long learning and advancing within the discipline of Health Physics.
Curriculum
Summer before 1st Year
HPHY 2217 RCT Internship I (Optional) 3 cr
Fall 1st Year
BIOL 1101,1101L Biology I, and Lab 4 cr
ENGL 1101 English Composition 3 cr
MATH 1147 Precalculus 5 cr
       OR
MATH 1143 College Algebra 3 cr
       AND
MATH 1144 Trigonometry 2 cr
HPHY 2218 Fundamentals of
Radiation Protection Physics 3 cr
PSYC 1101 Introduction to General Psychology 3 cr
Spring 1st Year

COMM 1101 Principles of Speech            2 cr
ECON 1100 Economic Issues                3 cr
ENGL 1102 Critical Reading and Writing 3 cr
MATH 1153 Introduction to Statistics 3 cr
HPHY 2226 Radiation Protection I 3 cr
HPHY 3300 Medical Electronics 2 cr
Goal 9 or 10A                        3 cr

Summer following 1st Year
PHYS 2219 RCT Internship II 3 cr
Fall 2nd Year
CHEM 1111,1111L General Chemistry I, and Lab 5 cr
PHYS 1111 General Physics I             3 cr
PHYS 1113 General Physics I Laboratory 1 cr
HPHY 2225 Radiation Protection
Instrumentation 3 cr
HPHY 2227 Radiation Protection II 3 cr
Spring 2nd Year
PHYS 1112, 1114 General Physics II, and Lab 4 cr
CHEM 1112,1112L General Chemistry II, and Lab 4 cr
HPHY 2228 Health Physics Regulations 3 cr
PHIL 1101 Introduction to Philosophy 3 cr
BIOL 3307 Radiobiology 2 cr
Goal 6 or 7 3 cr

Health Physics Courses

Nuclear Engineering Courses

NE 1120 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering 1credit. Introduction to the engineering profession, and to nuclear engineering in particular. F, S

NE 1181 Structured Programming 2 credits. Problem solving methods and algorithm development with an emphasis on programming style. Lecture. Equivalent to CS 1181. PREREQ: MATH 1147 or equivalent. F, S

NE 1181L Math Problem Solving 1 credit. Instruction in use of mathematical problem solving computer code, such as MATLAB. Lab. PREREQ: MATH 1147 or equivalent. F, S

NE 3301 Nuclear Engineering I 3 credits. Energy sources, distribution and use. Environmental effects. Basics of nuclear energy, understanding table of isotopes, basics of controlled chain reactions and the design of nuclear power reactors. Type of reactors, present and future. PREREQ: MATH 1170. PRE-or-COREQ: PHYS 2212. S

NE 3302 Nuclear Engineering II 3 credits. Nuclear stability and quantifying radioactive decay; types and energies of nuclear reactions; interactions of radiation with matter, including cross sections, attenuation, and scattering. Fission reactor theory, including neutron moderation, criticality, neutron life cycle and neutron diffusion. PREREQ: NE 3301. PRE-or-COREQ: MATH 3360. F

NE 4419 Energy Systems and Nuclear Power 3 credits. Fundamentals of conventional and renewable energy systems. Electrical supply, transportation, and HVAC. Nuclear power plant “balance of plant” design. PREREQ: ME 3307. PRE-or-COREQ: MATH 3360. S

NE 4444 Nuclear Fuel Cycles 3 credits. Exploration of the processes associated with nuclear fuel cycles including mining, fabrication, reprocessing, and disposal. Intended primarily as a descriptive course. PREREQ: NE 4402. D

NE 4445 Reactor Physics 3 credits. Physical principles underlying neutron interactions. Multi-region and multi-energy diffusion and transport. Beamport and filter concepts and design. PREREQ: NE 4402. PRE-or-COREQ: ENGR 3364 and MATH 4421. F

NE 4446 Analysis and Design of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Systems 3 credits. Alternative fuel cycles. Analysis and design of key fuel cycle components (e.g., uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, reactor fuel management, reprocessing, and waste management). Principles of nuclear criticality safety. Criticality and thermal analysis codes. Design principles of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and equipment. PREREQ: NE 4445. S

NE 4447 Nuclear Systems Laboratory 1 credit. Techniques of radiation detection and measurements, flux measurements, neutron activation analysis, approach to criticality, Inhour equation, subcritical experiments. PREREQ: NE 4445 and PHYS 4416. S

NE 4451 Nuclear Seminar 1 credit. Current topics in nuclear science and engineering. PREREQ: Senior standing or permission of instructor. Graded S/U. S, D

NE 4458 Monte Carlo Methods and Applications 3 credits. Basics of the application of stochastic methods to calculate the transport of neutrons, photons, and other sub-atomic particles. Includes introduction to the MCNP code, and sample application problems in both nuclear reactor design and in applications such as radiation beams used for cancer therapy. F

NE 4487 Medical Applications in Engineering and Physics 3 credits. Applications of engineering and physics principles, particularly nuclear science, to medicine. Covers radioisotopes, X-ray imaging, magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging, radiation protection, codes and standards. PREREQ: MATH 3360 and PHYS 2212. S

NE 4496A Project Design I 1 credit. Semester one of two semester senior design course sequence. Planning project for second semester. Special topics on professionalism, ethics, and licensing. PREREQ: Approval of application for admission to course. F

NE 4496B Project Design II 3 credits. Continuation of design sequence dealing with the design, analysis, implementation, and consequences of senior design project. PREREQ: NE 4496A. S

IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY
Academic Information
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Revised: March 2012