MSc Nuclear Science and Engineering
Bristol, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 34,900 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* overseas full-time tuition
Introduction
Nuclear Science and Engineering is an exciting area of research and industrial investment in the UK. Nuclear energy supplies around 20% of the UK's electricity, and significant investments are underway into the construction of new reactors at Hinkley Point C, with Sizewell C and further new reactors expected in the coming decade. The existing generation of advanced gas-cooled reactors are been decommissioned, and new, advanced fission and fusion reactors are being designed. As a result, there is huge demand for graduates with the knowledge and skills to work in the nuclear industry.
Our MSc in Nuclear Science and Engineering teaches you the science and engineering background to the operation of nuclear fission and fusion energy. The MSc prepares you for a career in industry or academia, combining the strengths of our science and engineering faculties with an established programme of nationally recognised industrial research.
The MSc has been developed and delivered in partnership with industry, including a focus on nuclear professionalism. After completing the programme, you will be familiar with the nuclear industry and its unique safety culture, which will prepare you to enter the industry or continue in academia. The programme offers a unique multidisciplinary experience and is a key part of the South West Nuclear Hub.
Our industrial partners, including EDF, Jacobs, NNL, UKAEA and many others, sponsor and provide guidance on some of our student research projects. In previous years, some students have even received a bursary from partners they have worked with during their placement.
The University of Bristol is ranked in the UK top five for Physics research (THE analysis of REF 2021), with an excellent reputation for teaching and learning.
Gallery
Admissions
Postgraduate Online Events
from 25th November 2024- 4th of December 2025
Curriculum
The programme is delivered full-time over one year. You will form a cohort attached to the South West Nuclear Hub and will benefit from working with internationally leading research teams in the School of Physics, School of Engineering and School of Earth Sciences.
There are taught and practical elements of the programme. The taught section consists of core units on Nuclear Science, Nuclear Reactor Engineering and Materials, Nuclear Reactor Physics and Research Skills. These core units provide a solid foundation in the scientific and engineering subjects essential to the nuclear industry. In addition, students can pick twenty credit points of optional units, which offer an opportunity to explore topics of particular interest beyond the core content.
Taught units take place during the traditional academic terms, and practical work takes place both during the academic year and over a three-month dedicated research placement in the summer. The individual research project is supervised by leading academics at the University and is often aligned with key industrial partners, offering an opportunity to experience the industry's technical challenges and professional culture first hand.
The practical programme also consists of a group project, which brings students together in interdisciplinary teams to tackle current problems facing the nuclear industry. These help develop key skills sought by employers such as innovation, communication and leadership.
Unit names
- Nuclear Science
- Nuclear Reactor Engineering and Materials
- Nuclear Reactor Physics
- Research Skills
- Group Project
- Individual Research Project
Students must choose 20 credit points from the optional units listed below (subject to availability):
- Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development
- Infrastructure Systems Management
- Radioactive Earth
- Themes of Modern Physics C
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Graduates will leave equipped with a familiarity with the nuclear industry and the specialised nature of its safety culture, and they will be prepared to enter the industry or continue towards further research. The nuclear industry is expanding significantly as existing reactors are decommissioned, and new reactors are built and designed. As a result, the demand for graduates with nuclear-specific skills and knowledge is very high and our MSc graduates are very popular with industry recruitment.
Recent graduates have gone on to work in the nuclear industry for employers such as EDF Energy, UKAEA, Jacobs, Frazer Nash, Dounreay, NNL, Mott McDonald, IAEA, Sellafield and Atkins, among many others. Around a third of our MSc graduates continue in academia after the MSc through PhD study, including projects within the Interface Analysis Centre and the Solid Mechanics Research Group at the University of Bristol, as well as at the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL, Coventry University, Purdue University USA and Chalmers University in Sweden.
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.