GENERAL PROCEDURES

FOR

GRADUATE STUDY
IN

NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
Department of Nuclear Engineering North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina

1 INTRODUCTION

Dear Student,
This manual is prepared as a guide to help graduate students in the MNE, MS and PhD degree programs in nuclear engineering meet their educational goals. It contains specific requirements of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and procedures that supplement those in the NCSU graduate catalog. Further questions or clarification should be directed to: Dr. Korukonda Linga (KL) Murty Director of Graduate Programs Room 3143 Burlington Engineering Laboratories Tel: 919 515 3657 murty@ncsu.edu

Disclaimer
This document is subject to change based on amendments to policies and procedures. If contradictions are noticed, consult with Dr. K.L. Murty.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................... 3 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 4 4.1 4.2 4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.2.6 4.2.7 4.2.8 5 6 SUMMARY OF STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................................... 4 Master's Degrees (MNE and MS) .............................................................................................................. 4 Doctor of Ph ilosophy (PhD)......................................................................................................................... 5 Teaching and Research Assistantships ....................................................................................................... 6 Student Code of Conduct ..............................................................................................................................7 Graduate Office Suite Rules..........................................................................................................................7 GENERA L REGULATIONS (GRA DUATE SCHOOL AND DEPARTM ENT)................................... 8 Grades .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Provisional Ad mission to the Graduate School ........................................................................................ 9 Advisory Committees .................................................................................................................................... 9 Cred it Hours for Degrees and Research Credits ....................................................................................... 9 Required Attendance at Departmental Research Seminars................................................................... 10 Research Publicat ions.................................................................................................................................. 10 Graduate Student Travel Support for Professional Society Meetings................................................. 10 Responsibility of the Advisor..................................................................................................................... 11 Thesis Research with Graduate Faculty of Another Department......................................................... 11 Direct Study to the PhD Degree ................................................................................................................ 11 Transfer to Other Depart ments for Non-Thesis Masters ....................................................................... 11 Depart mental Records of Progress Towards Degree ............................................................................. 12 Maintaining Full-t ime Graduate Status .................................................................................................... 12 PROGRAMS OF STUDY GENERA L ..................................................................................................... 14 Plan of Work for Graduate Study .............................................................................................................. 14 Curricula / Instruction ................................................................................................................................. 14 Master's Degree ................................................................................................................................... 14 Co mbined BS/MNE Curriculu m & Procedure .............................................................................. 15 Co mbined BS / MNE Cu rriculu m - Senior Year ........................................................................... 16 BS / MNE Co mbined Program - Fifth Year (1st year of Graduate School) .............................. 17 Master of Nuclear Eng ineering (M NE) Curriculu m ..................................................................... 17 Master of Science (MS) Curricu lu m................................................................................................ 17 Options & NE Courses ....................................................................................................................... 17 Doctoral Degree Curriculu m ............................................................................................................. 18

PhD QUA LIFYING EXAMINATION.......................................................................................................... 18 APPENDIX Weblink to Graduate NE Courses ........................................................................................ 19

2 SUMMARY OF STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

At the start of each semester students are required to complete a preregistration checklist, http://www.ne.ncsu.edu/academics/documents/NE_Grad_pre-registration_checklist.pdf. Each student must take primary responsibility for meeting each requirement in the following sequence of steps towards the completion of their degree.

2.1 Schedule of Required Documents and Actions (MS and MNE)

REQUIRED FORMS/ACTIONS* Complete, official transcripts from universities and colleges attended, including degrees and dates awarded Signed Patent Agreement WHEN REQUIRED WHO INITIATES

Before the beginning of the first semester of Student is responsible for providing enrollment official transcripts to the Graduate School. Before the end of the first semester of enrollment Initiated by student and submitted to the Graduate School by the Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) Initiated by student with Advisor and Committee. Approved and submitted to the Graduate School by the DGP Appointed by the Graduate School

Appointment of Advisory During second semester or earlier Committee and submission of Plan of Work (doctoral students only) Assignment of Graduate School After Plan of Graduate Work has been Representative, if required approved by Graduate School (doctoral students only) Request to Schedule the Preliminary Oral Examination (doctoral students only)

After student passes written qualifying Initiated by student and submitted to exam, but no later than one semester prior to the Graduate School by the DGP final oral exam. Request must be received by Graduate School at least 5-10 working days prior to proposed exam date. Immediately after preliminary oral exam is completed Thesis Students - when Final Oral Exam is Scheduled but no later than the Apply to Graduate Deadline Non-Thesis Students - due by the OptionB Apply to Graduate Deadline Submitted to the Graduate School by the DGP within 5 working days of exam Initiated by student online via MyPack Portal , by navigating to Student Self Services > Degree Progress/Graduation > Apply for Graduation Initiated by student and submitted to the Graduate School by the DGP. Student must also apply to graduate at the same time via MyPack Portal . Initiated by student and submitted to the Graduate School by DGP. Student must also apply to graduate at the same time via MyPack Portal .

Report on Outcome of Preliminary Oral Examination (doctoral students only) Application to Graduate (replaces old Diploma Order Request card)

Request to Schedule the Final Oral Examination (doctoral students only)

Must be received by the Graduate School at least 2 weeks prior to proposed final oral exam date (see right), and no earlier than 4 calendar months after successful completion of preliminary oral exam

Request for a Permit to Schedule Must be received by the Graduate School at the Master's Oral Examination least 10 working days before the Masters (master's students only) oral examination is scheduled

Report on Outcome of Final Oral Examination (master's or doctoral)

Immediately after final oral exam is completed

Submitted to the Graduate School by the DGP within 5 working days of exam

Draft submission of thesis or dissertation to Graduate School for thesis review

Immediately after final examination is successfully completed and all required signatures on title page (within 24 hours of completing both acts). Both acts must be completed by the graduation deadline for the semester as noted in the Graduate School Calendar.

Student must electronically submit both the draft PDF file and signed title page to the Thesis Editor via the ETD submission system for the thesis review. Student incorporates edits recommended by advisory committee and Thesis Editor. Student must electronically submit the final error free file to the Thesis Editor via the ETD submission system for acceptance by the Graduate School. Student will be electronically notified when the final error free file is accepted.

Final submission of thesis or dissertation to Graduate School for Graduate School acceptance

Final error free file must be submitted before the graduation deadline for the semester as noted in the Graduate School Calendar.

* Submission of materials to the Graduate School can be by campus mail, hand delivery, fax, or e-mail, as appropriate. Above table adapted from http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/3.25-required-documents.html Associated forms are available through the Graduate School, http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/faculty-andstaff/forms-list.html, or the Nuclear Engineering Main Office.

2.2 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The procedure outlined for the graduate degree (section 2.1) generally applies to the PhD degree except for the following changes: 1. A student is considered a PhD candidate by the Department only upon passing the PhD Qualifying examination. A student who enrolls in the Graduate Program with the degree objective of PhD must attempt this examination, no later than the beginning of the second year of study (or the earliest time it is offered during the second year of study). The rules and regulations pertinent to the examination are given in Section 5. Identification of the dissertation topic, dissertation advisor, student's Graduate Committee th (consisting of 2 from NE, 1 from minor and 4 a person knowledgeable of the thesis topic usually from NE) and submission of the Plan of Work to the Graduate School must be completed immediately following the passing of the Qualifying examination. Following a year of research on the dissertation topic, the student, in consultation with the advisor, will write a dissertation proposal and submit it to the Graduate Committee at least two weeks prior to the Preliminary Oral (PO) examination. Simultaneously, the Graduate School is notified of the intention to schedule the PO exam by submitting a form obtained from the Graduate Administrative Assistant in the NE department office. The examination will consist of a presentation of the research proposal followed by questions on the students research and relevant science and engineering knowledge. The PO exam is to be taken within one year after passing the Qualifying examination. Upon passing the PO examination, the Graduate School will grant the student "Admission to Candidacy" for the PhD degree. Completion of the PhD requires passing a Final Oral (FO) examination Committee and acceptance of dissertation by the Graduate School. dissertation draft, approved by the student's advisor, are submitted to Graduate Committee at least two weeks in advance of the FO examination. 5 before the Graduate Copies of the final all members of the As in the case of the

2.

3.

4.

5.

PO examination, the Graduate School must be notified of the date and time of the examination at least two weeks prior to the intended date using a form obtained from the NE Graduate Administrative Assistant.

2.3

Teaching and Research Assistantships (known collectively as graduate assistantships)

Most all of the teaching assistantships (TA) and research assistantships (RA) offered in the NE Department are for half-time (20 hours/week) assistantship assignments. A half-time TA or RA is required to carry 9 credit hours of course load per semester for the number of semesters specified by the Graduate School. For details of the Graduate School policy, please refer to http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/grad_financialService/pocket_chart.htm. Adherence to the Graduate School requirements of course loads provides tuition and health insurance benefits as indicated in the web site. TAs and RAs must not assume that reappointment is guaranteed and automatic. It is contingent upon strong academic and TA/RA performance as well as on availability of funds. An assistantship appointment is not a scholarship and students are expected to fulfill specified work assignments to the satisfaction of his/her supervisor in return for the stipend and other benefits received. This may include additional effort to improve language and/or teaching skills. A student not meeting the work obligations for an assistantship may be dropped from the appointment prior to the stated expiration date for the assistantship. Departmental graduate appointments are for the academic year (i.e. August 16 or January 1 for Fall or Spring semester start, respectively, through the following May 15) except for the first year, if and when the offer is made for 12 months. Additional support beyond this limit may be granted to those supported by faculty on their research contracts. It is the graduate students responsibility to seek out and secure support from a faculty member. In addition, the graduate school requires students who are not in good standing (GPA < 3.00) after having completed 18 credit hours or more at the 400-level or above to be dropped from the program. Those who have completed between 9 and 18 hours and are not in good standing are given academic probationary status for one semester to overcome the GPA deficiency. If the GPA deficiency occurs with 0-9 credit hours of courses attempted, the student is placed on academic warning. Students on academic probation are ineligible for assistantship or fellowship support and hence ineligible for tuition and health insurance benefits. An out-of-state US graduate assistant (GA) is assured of tuition support and other benefits only during the first twelve months of study because they may obtain NC residency after one year by completing a few simple tasks such as registering to vote in NC, registering their car in NC, getting a NC driver's license, etc. Within the first week of arrival on campus out-of-state GAs are strongly urged to complete the necessary tasks to qualify for in-state status in the following year. NC residency status is granted only 12 months from the time of completion of the last task. Any such student who fails to obtain NC residency because of failing to complete the tasks within the first week on campus stand to lose tuition support and insurance privileges past the first year of study. An application to Graduate School for NC residency must be filed online{state when}. Further information and forms are available at http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/future-students/resident.html. APPLICATION WINDOW OPENS October 1 March 1 May 1 June 1 APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSES 10th day of classes, Spring semester 3rd day of classes, Summer Session I 3rd day of classes, Summer Session II 10th day of classes, Fall semester

ENROLLMENT SEMESTER Spring Summer Session I Summer Session II Fall

2.4

Student Code of Conduct

Academic Integrity: The free exchange of ideas depends on the participants' trust that they will be given credit for their work. Everyone in an academic community must be responsible for acknowledging, using the methods accepted by the various academic disciplines, their use of others' words and ideas. Since intellectual workers' words and ideas constitute a kind of property, plagiarism is like theft. Furthermore, as a reader you may want to follow other writers' paths of research in order to make your own judgments about their evidence and arguments. You will depend on those writers' accuracy and honesty in reporting their sources. In turn, your readers will depend on yours. The free exchange of ideas also depends on the participants' trust that others' work is their own and that it was done and is being reported honestly. Intellectual progress in all the disciplines demands the truthfulness of all participants. Plagiarism and cheating are attacks on the very foundation of academic life, and cannot be tolerated within universities. Section eight (8) of the Code defines academic dishonesty and provides information on potential sanctions for violators of academic integrity." (NCSU Code of Student Conduct, http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_affairs/osc/AIpage/ acaintegrity.html) Academic Dishonesty: "Academic dishonesty is the giving, taking, or presenting of information or material by a student that unethically or fraudulently aids oneself or another on any work which is to be considered in the determination of a grade or the completion of academic requirements or the enhancement of that student's record or academic career The act of submitting work for evaluation or to meet a requirement is regarded as assurance that the work is the result of your own thought and study, produced without assistance, and stated in your own words, except as quotation marks, references, or footnotes acknowledging the use of other sources. The submission of work used previously must first be approved prior to submission." (NCSU Code of Student Conduct, http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_affairs/osc/AIpage/ acaintegrity.html) If a violation occurs: If you are aware of another student in the class violating the academic integrity policies, please notify the instructor or department immediately. Once a violation has occurred, the case will be pursued through procedures outlined by the University. For more information about the procedures, see the Student Conduct site http://www.ncsu.edu/student_conduct/.

2.5 Graduate Student Office Suite Rules

For everyones comfort, please adhere to the following guidelines: Please keep the aisles clear Do not share door lock combination code with anyone Place nothing on the walls of the cubicle, except on the provided bulletin board area No appliances, except radios in cubicle (electrical code issue) This includes personal coffee pots and refrigerators No extension cords (electrical code issue) Place all food trash in either the kitchen or breakout area trash cans Only use covered dishes in the microwave and limit selections so that everyone else does not know what you are having for lunch If it looks a little green and it isnt supposed to be, and it lives in the fridge, please throw it out! Last one out turns off lights and closes windows (normally should be closed if HVAC working) Promptly report any problems to the Graduate Administrative Assistant Broken items need to be thrown away in the dumpster off the loading dock and not left in hallways

3 GENERAL REGULATIONS (GRADUATE SCHOOL & DEPARTMENT)

3.1 Grades (http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/3.18-grades.html)
A cumulative grade point average of B or better must be maintained at all times. See the paragraph describing the status of students unable to maintain GPA 3.0 under Section 2.3. If there are extenuating circumstances, the Director of Graduate Programs may be petitioned by the student to request the Graduate School to reinstate for one semester those whose graduate programs were terminated due to GPA deficiency or to permit a student on academic probation to continue receiving assistantship support. The grading system described in the Graduate catalog states the following: (Grade Points/Credit-Hour) A+ A AB+ B BC+ 4.33 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 C CD+ D DF 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0.67 0.00

In addition, S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory) grades may be given for certain courses. There are no grade points associated with S/U graded courses. A cumulative GPA exceeding 4.0 is truncated down to a 4.0 value. Grading of Graduate Courses: Graduate courses numbered at the 500- and 700-levels are graded A+, A, A-, ..., F, while 600- and 800-level courses are S/U graded. Typically, lecture courses are at the 500 or 700 level, while research, seminar and individual study types of courses are 600- or 800-level courses. Courses regularly graded A+, ..., F may not be taken for S/U grading by graduate students. In order to receive graduate degree credit for a course, a grade of C- or higher is required. To graduate, a student must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 average on all graduate course work as well as all courses on the Plan of Graduate Work. This policy is strictly enforced. While S/U graded courses do not affect the grade point average, a student who receives a U on any course will not receive credit for that course and may be required to repeat it. All grades on courses taken for graduate credit as an undergraduate at NC State and all grades on courses taken in a graduate classification at NC State in courses numbered 400 and above are included in the graduate grade point average. Courses at the 300 level and below are not eligible for graduate credit and subsequently do not affect the graduate GPA. Incompletes: At the discretion of the instructor, students may be given an "IN" (Incomplete) grade for work not completed because of a serious interruption in their work not caused by their own negligence. An "IN" is not used, however, as a substitute for an "F" when the student's performance in the course is not passing. An "IN" is only appropriate when the student's record in the course is such that the successful completion of particular assignments, projects, or tests missed as a result of a documented serious event would enable that student to pass the course. Only work missed may be averaged into the grades already recorded for that student. A student who receives an "IN" must complete the unfinished work to have the Incomplete converted to a final grade by the end of the next semester in which the student is enrolled provided that this period is not longer than 12 months from the end of the semester or summer session in which the Incomplete was received{next semester and 12 months are inconsistent?}. Otherwise, the "IN" will be automatically converted to "F" or 8

"U," in cleared grades; second

accordance with the grading approved for the particular course. All grades of "IN" must be prior to graduation. Students must not register again for any courses in which they have "IN" such registration does not remove "IN" grades, and the completion of the course on the occasion will automatically result in an "F" for the incomplete course.

Except in the case of Inter-institutional Registration (such as courses taken at UNC Chapel Hill, Duke), grades on courses transferred from another institution will not be included in computing the grade point average.

3.2

Provisional Admission to the Graduate School

Students who do not completely satisfy the minimum qualifications for full admission may sometimes be admitted on a provisional status. A student on provisional admission must establish a "B" or better average in his/her first semester of study. At the end of the first semester, a recommendation may be made by the Director of Graduate Programs to the Graduate School to grant the student full status, to keep the student on provisional status, or to dismiss the student. Assistantship support is not typically available for a provisional student, nor can the student be a candidate for a graduate degree until full graduate status is attained.

3.3

Advisory Committees
The Graduate School, at the students request, will appoint an advisory committee shortly after the program of study is initiated (see Section 2 for the procedure). The advisory committee is responsible for advising the student on all academic matters pertaining to that student's degree program, including pass/fail decisions at oral examinations. The committee is chaired (or co-chaired) by the student's research advisor(s). MNE Degree : No graduate committee is needed for MNE the degree. The Director of Graduate Programs serves as the students advisor until the student chooses one of the NE faculty members as the advisor for the project work (NE693-MNE Project) at which time that faculty member becomes the students advisor. While there is no formal final examination, a successful completion of the project along with other courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. MS Degree : A minimum of three members are required for the MS graduate committee. The chairperson will be a nuclear engineering graduate faculty member. The second member (or cochairperson) may be from nuclear engineering or from another department's graduate faculty with expertise and strength in the student's chosen area of research. The third member comes from an topic within the student's interdisciplinary breadth areas. Some traineeship students may wish to include their mentor at the traineeship site as a fourth member (see the last item under this subsection 3.3 on Additional Members). PhD Degree : A PhD committee will consist of a minimum of four members, usually two from nuclear engineering including the chairperson or co-chairs, one from another department's graduate faculty with expertise in the area of the student's dissertation research (could also be from nuclear engineering), and the fourth member from the student's interdisciplinary breadth areas. At the request of the student, and/or the chairperson, the Graduate School may be asked to appoint a representative to the committee to observe the general procedures. Normally, Graduate School representatives are not requested by students in nuclear engineering, but the option to do so is available. Additional Members: Additional members to advisory committees, including faculty members from other universities, or representatives from industry or national laboratories, can serve as non-voting committee members. If a student wishes to have the outside representative serve as a voting member (this request must be noted on the plan-of-work) the individual must have Graduate Faculty Status. If a person is seeking Graduate Faculty Status, a nomination along with vitae indicating appropriate academic background or equivalent experience is to be submitted to the Graduate School. Please see the Director of Graduate Programs and the administrative assistant for appointment of non-NCSU members to a graduate committee. It usually takes a minimum of two weeks to process the paperwork for an external committee member. 9

3.4

Credit Hours for Degrees and Research Credits

It is the policy of the nuclear engineering department and of the Graduate School to require a minimum of 30 credit hours for the Master's degree. In particular cases, the total number required may exceed 30 depending on the background and preparation of the student. Of the 30 hours, typically, 3 6 hours are reserved for research (typically 3 for project in the case of MNE), 9 hours in the interdisciplinary breadth and 15 18 hours in the major (nuclear engineering). The purpose of the interdisciplinary breadth is to provide concentration areas different from nuclear engineering, but closely related to the student's research interest. Upon selection of an advisor, and thesis or project topic, the student is expected to start taking research credits (typically the MNE students register for the project during the last semester after completing majority of the course work). If transfer of graduate credits is desired, up to 12 hours of graduate credits earned can be allowed, subject to departmental approval. These 12 credit hours may be from 1) other universities, 2) a previous graduate degree program at NCSU, or 3) NCSU as Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS). The minimum number of credit hours, as required by the graduate school, is 72 for the PhD. Among the 72 hours, a minimum of 24 hours in the major and a minimum of 12 hours in the interdisciplinary breadth are required as course work. The remaining hours are for research. (See Section 4.2.8 for more details.) Those entering the program with a Master's degree in nuclear engineering or a closely related major from NC State or an equivalent program at another university may petition the graduate committee to accept some of the Master's degree courses as transferable to the PhD program (up to 18 hours). It is the student's responsibility to demonstrate that such courses are indeed equivalent to graduate courses at NC State. If the student has a Masters degree in nuclear engineering from NC State and is continuing for the Ph.D. without a break in residence, up to a maximum of 30 hours of course work , with the Advisory committees approval, can be transferred toward the Ph.D. requirements.

3.5

Required Attendance at Departmental Research Seminars

Research seminars by experts in nuclear science and technology, or related fields, are held frequently (on almost a weekly schedule on Thursdays from 4:00 5:00 pm) during the academic year in the Progress Energy Lecture Hall, room 1202 Burlington Engineering Labs. These seminars are valuable for strengthening and broadening the students knowledge base in nuclear engineering. Regardless of the seminar topic, all graduate students must attend these NE Colloquium Series in order to further their education. One hour of graduate credit must be taken for attending the seminars regularly (NE 601 for masters students and NE 801 for doctoral students). In addition, there may be less formal seminars by faculty and their graduate students working in a particular research area. The faculty who organizes the research groups announces such seminars.

3.6

Research Publications
Publication of research results in peer-reviewed journals and paper presentations at national conferences based on the students research are highly encouraged by the department. Peerreviewed journal publications are expected of PhD graduates as added evidence of scholarly achievement. The student's advisor, in many cases, is able to defray the cost of the publication and/or assist with the expenses of attending meetings. In deserving cases, upon the recommendation of the advisor, the department may be able to assist with the cost of attending a meeting (see below for the corresponding departmental policy). The NE Chapter of the Graduate Student Association may also be able to suggest ways of obtaining partial funding for paper presentations at meetings.

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3.7
1. 2.

Graduate Student Travel Support for Professional Society Meetings

Departmental support for professional society meeting attendance is on the basis of a maximum of 1 meeting per NE degree. The departmental coverage will include expenses originating from the meeting registration fee (at the early registration rate), per diem for meals, hotel, personal car (based upon mileage at NC State rate), ground transportation, and parking fees. Students are expected, when driving to the meeting is possible, to have 4 occupants per car. Likewise, hotel room accommodations when possible should have 2 occupants per room. If fewer occupants are involved, reimbursement per student will still be based upon 2 occupants if this is possible. If the trip involves air travel, the departments coverage includes airfare up to $300 per student. Note that many times Saturday night stay-over airfare savings more than offset the cost of one night in a hotel. If the students advisor is paying for part of the travel expenses, the departmental coverage will be for the difference between what is covered by #3) and the principal investigators (PI) contribution. When available, the student is expected to work as a student aid assistant at the meeting. Salary received in this capacity will be used to reduce travel expenses charged under departmental coverage under #3. The departmental support is not applicable to those with employment (excluding graduate student appointments) at the time of the meeting, even if he/she is still enrolled as student. Students are expected to register for the meeting early enough to obtain the early registration fee discount if available, which will be covered under #3. Note that for students working as student aid assistants during the conference, many times the meeting registration is waived.

3.

4.

5. 6.

Travel authorization is done through MyPack portal prior to the travel.

3.8

Responsibility of the Advisor

Until the student has selected the research area and the major professor to serve as the mentor, the Director of the Graduate Programs will serve as the academic advisor. After the student has chosen the advisory committee, it is the responsibility of the chairperson(s) of the committee to mentor the student and determine that the student is making adequate progress towards the degree in terms of course work and research. During pre-registration, the student must meet with their advisor to select the courses they will take in the following semester. The Director of Graduate Programs will review the progress of the student from time to time and may advise the student and/or the chairperson, but it is the committee chair along with the committee that bears primary responsibility for advising the student on matters related to the students progress towards the degree. Lack of progress towards the degree following an objective review may result in termination of support or even recommendation to the Graduate School to terminate the program of study of the student.

3.9

Thesis Research with Graduate Faculty in Another Department

In certain instances, where a student's research interests coincide with a nuclear engineering related program of a faculty member in another department, the student may elect to work with such a faculty member. In order to assure that this work is suitable for a nuclear engineering graduate degree, it is required that the student find a suitable co-chairperson from the faculty of the Department of Nuclear Engineering. This co-chairperson must be knowledgeable about the research problem and also must take active interest in guiding the student. In the event the student is unable to find such a cochairperson, the research topic will be deemed unsuitable for a nuclear engineering degree.

3.10 Direct Study to the PhD Degree

As a general policy, the department encourages all students to obtain a Masters degree along the way towards a PhD degree. However, graduate students with sufficient prior education at the Baccalaureate level in nuclear engineering may elect to proceed directly towards the PhD degree. The department will automatically classify a student as a doctoral student after he/she has successfully passed the departmental Qualifying examination. Students, however, are encouraged for 11

their own benefit to obtain a Master's degree along the way towards the PhD, except that all students entering with non-engineering degrees are required to complete an MS before proceeding to the PhD program. Exception to this policy requires the approval of the departmental faculty on a case by case basis.

3.11 Transfer to Other Departments for non-Thesis Masters

There are instances where certain students have expressed a desire to obtain a Masters degree in another department on their way to obtaining a PhD in nuclear engineering. Sometimes international students desire this Master's degree because of the perception that it may increase employment opportunities. In the majority of cases, the fields chosen to transfer to are Computer Science or Computer Engineering which are also used as the interdisciplinary breadth by some students majoring in nuclear engineering. It is the view of this Department that such a change of degree objective diverts the student from his/her main mission in nuclear engineering. Hence, such a change of degree objective is permitted only after the student has passed the Preliminary Oral examination and has made significant progress on their PhD research. The change of degree requires the approval of the Chairperson of the student's PhD advisory committee as well as the approval of the Directors of Graduate Programs in both departments. Also, it must be possible to complete the Master's degree in one semester of "leave of absence" from nuclear engineering. While the student is not in the NE degree program, financial support from the NE department will not be provided.

3.12 Departmental Records of Progress Towards the Degree

The Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) will keep records of each student's progress towards the degree. Students can assist in keeping these files current by promptly notifying the DGP and/or the Graduate Administrative Assistant of changes in their program of study. For each of the following events, the DGP should be contacted: Selection of Graduate Advisory Committee; Submission of plan of work to the Graduate School; Notification of proposed thesis research and the name of the research advisor as soon as the topic is selected; 4. Changes in plan of work; 5. Intention to take the PhD Qualifying exam, preliminary oral, and final oral examinations; 6. Change of home address; 7. Expectation to graduate; 8. Thesis title and date of submission to the Graduate School; 9. Forwarding business address; and, 10. Titles and full citation of papers published. 1. 2. 3.

3.13 Maintaining Full-Time Graduate Status

Information regarding full-time enrollment can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook at http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/subject-index.html#F. Please note that when seeking advisement for registration compliance, students should consider information provided by the site above as the most accurate source of information even if it differs from other sources (i.e. Graduate Student Support Plan, http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/support-plan/). Please see Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) with any questions in this regard. NC State uses a uniform Schedule of Full-time/Half-time Status of Graduate Students. These definitions apply to ALL graduate students and can be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/3.15-registration-and-residence.html#C. Excerpt follows: 1. Fall and Spring Semesters

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Classification Non-Thesis Master's

Full time Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or a minimum of three (3) hours per semester during the semester in which the student is completing the last course(s) required to complete the degree. Students who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree must register for three (3) hours of XXX 689 (Non-Thesis Master Continuous Registration - Full Time Registration). Students may register for this course a maximum of one semester. Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or a minimum of three (3) hours per semester during the semester in which the student is completing the last course(s) required to complete the degree. For thesis students, this could include XXX 695. Students who have completed all credit hour requirements (including research credits) for their degree except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the thesis should register for three (3) hours of XXX 699 (Master's Thesis Preparation) each semester until graduation. Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester until the student completes all credit hour requirements for the degree, including research credits, and the oral preliminary examination, or three (3) hours per semester of XXX 899 (Doctoral Dissertation Preparation) for students who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree (including research credits and the oral preliminary examination) except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the dissertation.

Half Time Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) hour of XXX 688 (NonThesis Master's Continuous Registration-Half Time Registration) for students who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree. Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) hour of XXX 699 (Master's Thesis Preparation) for students who have completed all credit hour requirements (including research credits) for their degree and are completing their research and/or writing and defending the thesis. Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) credit of XXX 899 for students who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree (including research credits and the oral preliminary examination) except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the dissertation.

Thesis Master's

Doctoral

2. Summer Sessions Graduate students are not required by the University to be registered during the summer. However, students who receive a stipend but who are not enrolled in the University during a period of five weeks or more are subject to Social Security tax withholding. In particular, this means that Social Security taxes will be withheld from the paychecks of Graduate Research Assistants (RAs) who do not register in the summer. Specifically, Social Security taxes will be withheld in June for RAs who are not registered in Summer Session I and in July for RAs who are not registered in Summer Session II. The source of funds that pays the stipend must pay the same amount of Social Security tax as is withheld from the student's paycheck during these months. Two special registration categories have been created for Research Assistants who would not otherwise take courses in the summer: XYZ 696 (Summer Thesis Research) and XYZ 896 (Summer Dissertation Research), where XYZ represents the course prefix of a specific department or program, i.e. NE for the Department of Nuclear Engineering. Each of these courses is for 1 hour of credit, with registration for 10 weeks, beginning the first day of Summer Session I. Social Security taxes will not be withheld from the June or July paychecks of RAs who register for either 696 or 896. Please note if they are not registered during the summer, students do not have access to financial aid during that period, nor do they have access to the Student Health Service unless they pay the student health fee for each of the two summer sessions.

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4 PROGRAMS OF STUDY GENERAL

The department of Nuclear Engineering has three tracks of graduate study and the student is free to elect the track of interest provided that he/she has secured an advisory commitment from a faculty member in that area. These three tracks are: Reactor Engineering - fission reactor physics and technology including thermalhydraulics, instrumentation and control, and nuclear materials; Plasma Engineering - applications of plasmas including fusion reactor technology, other plasma applications such as plasma propulsion, plasma guns, plasma processing of materials, and surface modification using plasmas; Radiation and Radiological Engineering - industrial and medical applications of radiation, radiation transport computational methods, shielding calculations, radioactive waste management, and criticality safety assessment. Two additional informal cross-cutting tracks with applications in the above formal tracks are: Nuclear Computational Science development and analysis of numerical methods and algorithms for nuclear systems, Sensitivity Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification, Data Assimilation; Nuclear Materials Science atomistic modeling and simulation of radiation effects on materials, experimental studies on deformation, creep and fracture of materials for current and advanced nuclear reactors While the three formal and two informal tracks are related to one another in terms of some of the basic courses, specialization requires learning one of these tracks in depth while maintaining breadth in other areas. Students are advised not to concentrate entirely in the track of their choice for course work in order to broaden their knowledge base.

4.1

Plan of Work for Graduate Study

The Plan of Work (POW) is prepared by the student in consultation with his/her committee chairperson and entered online through MyPack Portal, of the NC State University homepage, www.ncsu.edu. Log-in to MyPack Portal then navigate to Student Self Service > Academic Records > Graduate Plan of Work POW describes the set of courses that the student has taken and commits to take, the names of the members of the graduate committee, and a thesis/dissertation title that describes the general research problem (need not be the exact final title of the thesis/dissertation). The student obtains approval of his committee on the POW. The Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) is responsible for the departmental approval of the POW. Students may begin working on the plan of work (POW) and advisory committee as soon as they are activated in the graduate career. Students may save in-progress work and submit it at a later date. Once a student submits the Plan of Work/Advisory Committee for approval, an email invitation will be sent to each committee member asking them to access the plan of work through their Worklist in order to accept the students invitation to serve and indicate their approval of the plan. Once all committee members have accepted membership and approved the plan it will go into a Worklist for the Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) to process for departmental approval.

4.2
4.2.1

Curricula / Instruction
Master's Degree

The total credit hour requirement is 30 semester credit hours of which 9 credits must be interdisciplinary breadth that is closely alligned with nuclear engineering and with the student's research interest areas. All credits must be at the graduate level (course numbers 500 and above) with the exception of a maximum of one course in the interdisciplinary breadth area(s), which may be at the 400-level. All of the nuclear engineering graduate courses that are currently 14

approved as regular courses can be accesses Registration and Records: http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/reg_records/crs_cat/dir_NE.html . Explanations of general nomenclature is available at http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/3.19-graduate-courses.html. Refer to section 3.4 above on the policy related to transferring graduate credits from other universities, previous graduate degree program at NCSU and PBS at NCSU.

4.2.2

Combined BS/MNE-MS Curriculum Accelerated Baccalaureate/Masters (ABM) Degree Program

The combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Nuclear Engineering is tailored for those students who, by the end of their Junior year at NC State, have decided to attempt a Master's degree and have demonstrated strong academic abilities. The program is designed such that the student may receive an ABET accredited BS degree at the end of the fourth year of study and the Master's degree within a th summer from the completion of the 5 academic year. The shortened time is a result of up to 12 th graduate credits taken by the student during the 4 year which may be counted towards both degrees (double counted). To be admitted to the program, the student must have applied formally (using standard application procedures) to the Graduate School by the end of the Junior year of study after having completed a minimum of 75 credit hours in their undergraduate programs, including credits earned from advanced placement, and must have a GPA of at least 3.5 overall and 3.25 or better in engineering, science, and mathematics courses. Transfer students must have completed a minimum of two semesters as a full-time student at NC State, corresponding to a minimum of 24 hours. In addition, a Plan of Graduate Work , signed by the prospective student and the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs must be submitted. Official admission to the Graduate School is not granted until there is assured completion of the BS degree on schedule. Students must receive a grade of B (3.0/4.0) or better in the double counted graduate level courses. Courses with a grade of B- or below cannot be double counted between the two degrees . Students must complete the Masters degree within 12 months from the completion of the baccalaureate degree for a nonthesis Masters degree and within 18 months for Masters programs requiring a thesis. If the Masters program is not completed within these time limits, none of the courses can be double counted. Permission to pursue an ABM degree program does not guarantee an admission to the Graduate School. Admission is contingent on meeting eligibility requirements at the time of entering the graduate program. All three graduate program tracks are available for the MNE degree: Nuclear Fission Reactor Engineering, Plasma/Fusion Engineering, and Radiological Engineering, plus the two crosscutting tracks: Nuclear Computational Science and Nuclear Material Science. Please speak with the Director of Outreach with initial ABM eligibility questions. Application to the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Program 1. A prospective student who meets the eligibility requirements above should schedule a meeting with the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs to develop Plans of Work for the bachelor's and master's degree programs. Before admission to an ABM program can be finalized, students must submit the standard application for admission to the Graduate School including an application, application fee, and transcripts. In addition, a Plan of Graduate Work (as described below), signed by the prospective student and the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs must be submitted. The Department of Nuclear Engineering requires GRE scores and potentially other information. The Plan of Graduate Work for the Master's degree should clearly indicate: a) the courses (a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours) that will be double counted for both bachelor's and master's degrees, b) the graduate courses (a maximum of 6 additional graduate credit hours) that are taken as an undergraduate student at NC State and that will not be counted towards the bachelor's degree, c) the courses that will be taken after matriculating into the graduate program,

2.

3.

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d) the graduation date for the master's degree that meets the time limit for the ABM program (i.e. obtaining a non-thesis master's degree within 12 months of completing the bachelor's degree or obtaining a thesis based master's degree within 24 months of completing the bachelor's degree). 4. Upon review of the materials submitted by the Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate programs to the Graduate School, a letter of acceptance (or denial) to the Master's program, contingent on meeting the ABM requirements, will be sent to the student with a copy to the Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate programs. Any changes to the courses (a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours) that will be double counted for both bachelor's and master's degrees or the graduate courses (a maximum of 6 additional graduate credit hours) that are taken as an undergraduate student at NC State and that will not be counted towards the bachelor's degree must be approved by the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs and submitted in writing to, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Combined BS / MNE-MS Curriculum - Senior Year

5.

4.2.3

Fission Reactor Engineering Curriculum

Faculty: Y. Azmy, H. Abdel Khalik, D. Y. Anistratov, , I.A. Bolotnov, J.M. Doster, J. Eapen, A. Hawari, J. Mattingly, K.L. Murty, P.J. Turinsky Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits NE402 Reactor Engineering 4 NE408 Nuclear Engr. Design Project 3 NE504 Rad. Safety & Shielding 3 NE505 Reactor Systems 3 NE512 Nuclear Fuel Cycles 3 NE409 Nuclear Materials 3 NE Elective 3 Engr. Technical Elective [MNE Minor] 3 Tech Elective 3 GEP Requirement 3 NE406 Nuclear Engr. Design Prep 1 GEP Requirement 1 17 16 Courses in italics are counted in both BS and MNE/MS Typical interdisciplinary breadth areas: Mechanical Engineering, Computational Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Civil Engineering

Plasma/Fusion Engineering Curriculum

Faculty: M. Bourham, J. Gilligan, S. Shannon Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits NE402 Reactor Engineering 4 NE408 Nuclear Engr. Design Project 3 NE528 Prin. of Fusion Reactors 3 NE7XX From list of 700 level Plasma Courses 3 NE 504 Rad. Safety & Shielding 3 NE 7XX (another one) 3 NE Elective 3 Engr Tech Elective 3 Tech Elective 3 GEP Requirement 3 NE406 Nuclear Engr Design Prep 1 15 17 Typical interdisciplinary breadth areas: Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Radiological Engineering Curriculum

Faculty: R. Gardner, A. Hawari, J. Mattingly Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits NE402 Reactor Engineering 4 NE408 Nuclear Engr. Design Project 3 NE504 Rad. Safety & Shielding 3 Tech Elective 3 Tech Elective [MNE Minor] 3 NE7XX From list of 700 level Radiological Courses 3 NE Elective 3 Engr Tech Elective 3 NE770 Nuclear Radiation Attenuation 3 GEP Requirement 3 NE406 Nuclear Engr Design Prep 1 15 17 Typical interdisciplinary breadth areas: Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering ABM students specializing in one of the cross-cutting tracks (Nuclear Computational Science or Nuclear Material Science) will typically select their courses from the above list that best matches the application of their cross-cutting research. 16

4.2.4

BS / MNE-MS Combined Program - Fifth Year (1 year of Graduate School)

st

Required courses of all students: NE695 (3-6) for MS and NE693 (3-6) for MNE The interdisciplinary breadth area requirement of 9 CHs would be satisfied by a combination of the technical elective in the senior year and two (6 CHs) additional courses taken during the fifth year. Among the required remaining graduate NE courses at least one of them must be at the NE7XX level. 4.2.5 Master of Nuclear Engineering (MNE) Curriculum

The Master of Nuclear Engineering curriculum requires a prior degree in an engineering or science discipline that need not be nuclear engineering (NE). All our past students in the MNE program have come with nuclear engineering BS degree or with a non-nuclear BS but after having taken a few nuclear engineering courses. MNE Requirements: 30 credit hours (CH) are required with the following breakdown: 15-18 CH in NE graduate level courses (5XX level and above); 3-6 CH of NE 693 to complete a project, usually taken during the final semester with the report to be approved and graded by the faculty adviser along with one other NE faculty member; 9 CH in graduate level courses other than NE (interdisciplinary breadth) with at most 3 CH at the 4XX level; No graduate student committee is required; No final oral examination is required; and, The total GPA (TGPA) of 3.0 must be attained. To receive graduate degree credit, a grade of "C-" or higher is required in the courses taken after admission. Grades on courses taken for graduate credit as an undergraduate at NC State, in PBS classification, or transferred from other universities must have a grade of "B" or better to be transferred. Refer to http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/3.18grades.html#E. At least one NE course must be at the 7XX level.

4.2.6

Master of Science (MS) Curriculum

The MS curriculum requires a graduate student committee (see section 3.3) comprised of 3 committee members, submission of a thesis, and a final oral examination. MS Requirements: A minimum of 30 credit hours (CH) is required with a GPA of 3.0 or greater with the following breakdown: 15-18 CH in NE graduate level courses (5XX level and above); 3-6 CH of NE 695-Masters Thesis Research to complete a thesis; 9 CH in graduate level courses other than NE (interdisciplinary breadth) with at most 3 CH at the 4XX level; At least one course must be at the advanced NE7XX level; Graduate advisory committee, MS thesis and final oral exam; Non-NE BS students are required to take NE520 on Radiation Fundamentals.

4.2.7 Options & NE Courses Fission Reactor Engineering Plasma/Fusion Engineering Radiation Applications Radiological Engineering

NE 505, 509, 722, 723, 724, 725, 751, 752, 753, 755, 757 NE 509, 528, 724, 732, 745, 746, 780, 781 NE 727, 726, 761, 762 NE 504, 509, 531, 532, 585, 730, 770, 771, 772, BME* 141 & 142, ENVR* 164, 263, & 264 (these courses will provide background but are not counted towards a graduate degree)

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4.2.8

Doctoral Degree Curriculum

The doctorate is a research degree, designed to have flexible course work requirements that can be structured to suit the educational needs and research interests of the student. The minimum number of credit hours for the PhD degree is 72 hours. Among the 72 hours, the minimum required course work comprises 24 hours in the major and 12 hours in the interdisciplinary breadth areas. The remaining hours are for research. A minimum of three NE courses at the advanced level (NE7XX) are required at least one of which should be with numbers greater than NE750. The interdisciplinary breadth areas commonly chosen are Physics, Applied Mathematics*, Statistics*, Computational Engineering and Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering. (*Courses commonly taken by NE graduate students for their interdisciplinary breadth requirements in math and statistics are: MA405 (Linear Algebra), MA501/502 (Advanced Math for Eng and Scientists I/II), MA 520 (Linear Algebra), MA580 (Numerical Analysis I), MA 584 (Numerical Solution of PDE FDM); ST521/522 (Statistical Theory I/II), ST 515/516 (Exp Statistics for Eng I/II), ST 511/512 (Exp Statistics for Bio Sciences I/II)) Students entering the PhD program with a Master's degree in nuclear engineering from NC State may petition the graduate committee to accept up to 24 hours of course work as transferable to the PhD program. Those entering the program with a Master's degree in a very closely related major from NC State or an equivalent program from another university may petition the graduate committee to accept up to 18 hours of the Master's degree courses as transferable to the PhD program. It is the student's responsibility to demonstrate that such courses are indeed equivalent to graduate courses here. If the student earns a Masters degree in nuclear engineering from NC State and is continuing for the PhD without a break in residence, up to a maximum of 30 hours of course work, with the Advisory committees approval, can be transferred toward the PhD course requirements.

5 PhD QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Students must seek admission to the PhD program by passing the departmental PhD Qualifying Examination (QE). 1. The QE is based on a set of three (3) courses in the NE curriculum designated as core courses. These are: NE 522 (currently offered as NE 591), NE 520, and NE 521 (currently offered as NE 591). 2. Each core course QE committee, chaired by the instructor, has at least two additional members appointed by the DH. No faculty member can serve simultaneously on multiple QE committees. The QE committee for each core course will be responsible for composing and grading the questions for that core area. 3. The number of QE questions per core course is three (3), with the expectation that the three QE committees will communicate to discuss questions amongst themselves. The QE will be administered in three parts, each 2 hours long, separated by 1 hour breaks. Specifically, the exam in NE 520 is from 8-10 am, followed by a break from 10-11 am. Exam in 521 is from 11 am to 1 pm, followed by a break from 1-2 pm. Exam in 522 is from 2-4 pm. 4. Each student will have two (2) chances to pass the QE. A student would have passed the QE if he/she scores 70% or higher. For a student whose QE score is in [65,70), they pass the QE if their average grade as a graduate student in all NE 500 (or above) courses taken at NCSU, with 4 courses minimum, is 3.3 or higher at the time they take the QE. Students taking the QE before completing four or more NE 500 (or above) courses at NCSU do not qualify for such consideration. 5. QE will be administered on the Monday of the first week of classes in the Fall semester, and will be core-course-based. [Fall classes start on a Wednesday]. A student wishing to take QE must register with the Departments Administrative Assistant at least two weeks prior to the exam date. If a registered student does not appear for the exam, this will not count as a failure. However, if a student sits for any portion of the QE, it will count towards their two chances to pass the exam. 6. A student must pass the QE during their first 3 years of graduate status in the Department. Beyond this time limit the student will not be eligible to receive Departmental financial support. 7. The QE will be reviewed for possible additions or changes during the 2011/12 Academic Year. 18

APPENDIX General nomenclature: 5XX Letter Graded Master's Courses 6XX S-U Graded Master's Courses Letter Graded Doctoral Courses 7XX (ALL 7XX courses are restricted to the following classification of students: MR, DR, SR, SP and GR) S-U Graded Doctoral Courses (ALL 8XX courses, with the exception of those specifically listed at the end of this 8XX section, are restricted to the following classification of students: MR, DR, SR, SP and GR) 9XX Professional Courses in the College of Veterinary Medicine are not graduate courses and may not be counted in Plans of Work for graduate degrees.

NE graduate course descriptions available at http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/reg_records/crs_cat/dir_NE.html

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