Dwight Look College of Engineering

Curriculum in Radiological Health Engineering

The large number of operating nuclear power plants has created a strong demand for specialists in radiological health engineering. Well-educated individuals are, and will be, required in all aspects of the nuclear power industry from mining all the way to disposal of wastes from spent fuel. There are needs for radiological health specialists in government, hospitals, educational institutions and in private industry. This program at Texas A&M is designed to give students a broad background so they will be able to assume positions in any area of the nuclear industry. The Texas A&M Radiological Health Engineering degree is the only one that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering (ABET) in the United States.

The missions of the Nuclear Engineering Department are:

  • to produce high quality graduates from the undergraduate through the doctoral levels to help meet the technical manpower needs of our state, region, nation and the international community;

  • to conduct research, including collaboration with research in related fields, to advance the state of knowledge in these disciplines in support of the needs of society; and

  • to perform service in these disciplines for many constituencies including our College and University, industry, government and national laboratories, professional organizations, and the public.

In fulfilling these missions, the objective of the undergraduate program is to prepare students for success in their professional endeavors following the baccalaureate degree. These endeavors may include direct employment in the private or public sectors, graduate studies in engineering or science, professional studies in medicine, business, law or public administration, service in the military, or entrepreneurial activities. To achieve this purpose, four principal educational objectives are identified. Graduates of our Bachelor of Science program in Radiological Health Engineering

  1. will work on the challenges of maintenance, improvement, innovation, education, and research in the safe and environmentally responsible utilization of nuclear resources including, but not limited to, their occurrence in power production, industrial, and medical applications. In this work, they will fulfill independent assignments, engage in collaborations, and manage the work of others with effective communications characterizing all phases of their responsibilities.
  2. will conduct their professional activities with full recognition of the choices and challenges implicit to their work, to its ethical dimensions, and to their implications for matters beyond their immediate tasks.
  3. will take the local, global, historical, social, economic and political settings into account in both their domestic and international endeavors.
  4. will recognize and utilize both the accumulated body of results from prior work and the continuing evolution of science and technology as essential resources for the effective conduct of their work.

The radiological engineering baccalaureate degree programs stress engineering science fundamentals and mathematics. However, considerable numbers of elective hours are available in the curriculum to permit students to broaden their educations as desired.

The radiological health engineering program is administered by the Department of Nuclear Engineering and has the same objectives and facilities that are stated under the curriculum in Nuclear Engineering.

(See Freshman Year 1 )

SOPHOMORE YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
ENGR 211 Conserv. Prin. of Engr. Mech. (2-2) 3   CPSC 206 Structured Programming in C (3-2) 4
MATH 251 Engineering Mathematics III (3-0) 3   ENGR 212 Conserv. Prin. in Thermal Sci. (2-2) 3
NUEN 201 Intro. Nuclear Engineering I (3-0) 3   MATH 308 Differential Equations (3-0) 3
VTPP 334 Physiol. for Bioengineers I (3-3) 4   NUEN 202 Intro. Nuclear Engineering II (3-0) 3
University Core Curriculum elective 3   3   VTPP 335 Physiol. for Bioengineers II (3-3) 4
    16       17

JUNIOR YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
ENGR 215 Prin. of Electrical Engr. (2-2) 3   CVEN 301 Environmental Engineering (3-0) 3
MATH 311 Topics in Applied Math. I (3-0) 3   ENGL 301 Technical Writing 4
or
COMM 203 Public Speaking 		(3-0) 3
NUEN 401 Nuclear Reactor Theory (3-0) 3   ENGR 214 Conserv. Principles in Continuum Mechanics (2-2) 3
NUEN 409 Radiological Safety (3-0) 3   NUEN 402 Nucl. Detection and Isotopes (2-3) 3
University Core Curriculum elective 3   3   SENG 310 Industrial Hygiene Engr. (3-0) 3
    15   University Core Curriculum elective 3   3
            18

SENIOR YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
CHEM 227 Organic Chemistry I (3-0) 3   ENGR 482 Ethics and Engineering (2-2) 3
CHEM 237 Organic Chemistry Lab. (0-3) 1   INEN 302 Econ. Anly. of Engr. Proj. (2-0) 2
NUEN 405 Nuclear Engr. Experiments (2-3) 3   NUEN 479 Rad. Protection Engineering (2-3) 3
NUEN 475 Envir. Nuclear Engineering (3-0) 3   NUEN 481 Nuclear Engr. Seminar (1-0) 1
Technical elective 5   3   Technical elective 5   3
University Core Curriculum elective 3   3   Technical elective 5   2
    16       14
NOTES:
  1. NUEN 101 is also required during the first semester of the freshman year.
  2. Entering students will be given a placement test in mathematics. Test results will be used to select the appropriate starting course.
  3. To be selected from the University Core Curriculum. Of the 18 hours shown as University Core Curriculum electives, 3 must be from visual and performing arts, 3 from social and behavioral sciences, 6 from U.S. history (typically HIST 105 and 106), 6 from political science (POLS 206 and 207), and 6 from international and cultural diversity courses. The international and cultural diversity hours may be met by courses satisfying the visual and performing arts, social and behavioral sciences, and the political science and history requirements if they are also on the approved list for international and cultural diversity courses. In addition, ENGR 482 or PHIL 482 must be taken.
  4. ENGL 210 is an acceptable substitute.
  5. As approved by the departmental advisor.