Established in 1958, the Department of Nuclear Engineering is one of
the first nuclear engineering programs in the United States.
The
Department's programs are at the forefront of nuclear science and
technology leading to improved performance of fission-powered reactors,
the technological applications of nuclear and radiation phenomena in
biomedical, industrial, and environmental fields, and the development
of nuclear fusion as an energy source. Both within MIT and in the
surrounding Boston metropolitan area, there is a unique concentration
of a dynamic learning environment in many fields of science,
engineering, economics, and business management.
The Department defines its education and research mission broadly as
the study of nuclear, molecular, and radiation interactions and their
applications to problems of beneficial interest to society. The
development of such applications is a relatively recent activity in the
history of mankind, taking place mostly in the second half of the 20th
century. Yet, today nuclear technology is a major contributor to the
vitality and health of society with its widespread use for electricity
generation and industrial and medical diagnostics, and as an
indispensable tool for scientific research in fields ranging from
pharmaceuticals to environmental studies. Compared to more traditional
engineering disciplines, the field of nuclear engineering is a new
addition to university educational programs. Because we have only
recently begun to understand basic nuclear processes, nuclear
engineering is still in its "pioneering" phase with regard to its
impact on our lives.
Department of Nuclear Engineering links
Visit the MIT Department of Nuclear Engineering home page at:
http://web.mit.edu/ned/www/
Review the MIT Department of Nuclear Engineering curriculum at:
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/resources/curriculum/index.htm#22