Nuclear Engineering Careers
As designers and innovators, nuclear engineers apply mathematics, physics and chemistry to design, develop, analyze, and test nuclear and radiological technologies for the benefit of humanity.
Nuclear engineers impact the world by —
- developing of new uses for technological discoveries.
- creating components, systems or processes to meet societal needs.
- designing new radiation detectors.
- devising new or improved production processes.
- protecting humans and the environment from harmful radiation exposures.
- designing the next generation of nuclear reactors.
- harnessing the power of radioactivity for imaging and radiological therapies.
Career opportunities
Nuclear engineering graduates pursue careers as —
- reactor engineers
- radiological engineers
- criticality safety engineers
- nuclear reactor designers
- nuclear reactor operators
- nuclear process engineers
- radiation safety officers
- health physicists
- radiation dosimetrists
- physical scientists
Nuclear engineering provides an excellent background for careers in fields such as medicine and national security in addition to traditional engineering professions.
Internships
Internships allow nuclear engineering students to gain national laboratory and industry experience in the summers during their collegiate careers. Internships provide a competitive edge when graduates look for permanent positions.
Undergraduate research experiences
Undergraduate research experiences allow nuclear engineering students to develop independent research skills throughout the academic year in the summers during their collegiate careers. These experiences give students an opportunity to try specific areas of research before pursuing graduate study and demonstrate self-driven, applied learning, which is valuable when pursuing full-time employment.
Career placement and salary data provided by the K-State Career Center. Career placement includes 2023-2024 K-State graduates from the MNE department who are employed or enrolled in graduate or professional schools within six months of graduation.