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Nuclear Engineers

Conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal.

What you’d do

  • Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
  • Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
  • Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
  • Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
  • Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
  • Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
  • Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
  • Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.

Skills that matter

  • Critical Thinking
  • Science
  • Active Listening
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Mathematics

How to get there

Considerable preparation: most need a four-year bachelor's degree

Also called

  • Engineer
  • Nuclear Engineer
  • Nuclear Licensing Engineer
  • Nuclear Reactor Engineer
  • Nuclear Design Engineer
  • Nuclear Process Engineer
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