Nuclear Engineering BEng Hons (H820)

Program Overview

Lancaster University's Nuclear Engineering program emphasizes creativity and engineering skills, preparing students for careers in healthcare, power generation, and decommissioning activities. The flexible curriculum features core engineering modules in the first year, followed by specialized nuclear engineering courses, a potential industry placement year, and a research-based final project. Graduates are well-paid and have diverse career opportunities, including nuclear safety engineering, automotive, and medical technology development.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Lancaster University's Nuclear Engineering program focuses on creativity and ingenuity to develop design and implementation skills, preparing students for their chosen careers. Nuclear applications cover a broad range of sectors from healthcare and cancer treatment through to power generation, national security, and decommissioning activity. The industry is set to expand over the next ten years.

Outline:

The program begins with a common first year, where students are taught a series of modules that are taken by all first-year engineering students. This introduces students to many of the key features of engineering, equipping them with a well-rounded understanding and skill set. Following the first year, students have the opportunity to consider and plan their academic progression. Specialist modules in nuclear engineering begin in the second year, where students will also continue to develop their core skills as an engineer. This year they will study modules covering topics such as nuclear chemistry, nuclear engineering systems, and nuclear safety. As our flexible program begins to focus in on core aspects of nuclear engineering, students will develop practical skills, and test and analyze their design ideas in the laboratory or through computer simulation, using engineering IT tools. On this program, students may decide to spend a year in industry, gaining valuable experience and enhancing their employability. We have extensive links built through our leadership in research and have students undergoing placements with multinational corporate companies through to smaller specialist SMEs. We would recommend the most appropriate time to do this would be at the end of year two, once students have gained a reasonable amount of engineering knowledge. Your third year enables students to apply their skills in an individual project, during which they will learn to use professional software and develop their research and design skills further. Students will also gain specialist knowledge, develop an interdisciplinary approach, and apply engineering principles to analyze key processes.

Teaching:

All teaching is delivered by world-class academics and shaped by their outstanding research output.

Careers:

Nuclear engineering is a truly multi-disciplinary subject, going beyond just the provision of nuclear power for our electrical needs and expanding into sectors as diverse as medicine and space travel. From working in a nuclear power plant as a Nuclear Safety Engineer, to going into the automotive industry or medical and healthcare technology development, there are a wide range of career opportunities open to graduates from nuclear engineering courses – and some of our graduates even go on to further study and lead in their specialist field as academics. The ability to think creatively to solve problems, alongside your experience managing projects and applying practical and technical knowledge to novel scenarios will make you a desirable employee for careers that even sit outside of traditional engineering destinations. The degree is also professionally accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

As a guide, our fees in 2024/25 were: Home International £9,250 £28,675 Additional costs Additional costs for this courseIt will be necessary for students to purchase clothing for use in laboratories which is approximately £30. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers. Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below. College fees Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small college membership fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee. For students starting in 2023 and 2024, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses. Fees for students starting in 2025 have not yet been set. Computer equipment and internet access To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems. The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place. Study abroad courses In addition to travel and accommodation costs, while you are studying abroad, you will need to have a passport and, depending on the country, there may be other costs such as travel documents (e.g. VISA or work permit) and any tests and vaccines that are required at the time of travel. Some countries may require proof of funds. Placement and industry year courses Depending on the employer and your job, you may have other costs such as copies of personal documents required by your employer for example. What is my fee status? The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status. Fees in subsequent years Home fees are subject to annual review, and may be liable to rise each year in line with UK government policy. Read more about fees in subsequent years. Fees for study abroad and work placements We will charge tuition fees to Home undergraduate students on full-year study abroad/work placements in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are: Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard tuition fee Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard tuition fee International students on full-year study abroad/work placements will be charged the same percentages as the standard International fee.Please note that the maximum levels chargeable in future years may be subject to changes in Government policy.