Where Do We Go from Here?

Nuclear engineering, being a new area, produces only one-third as many bachelor’s degrees per PhD as does electrical engineering. As the field matures, the bachelor’s degree production will increase. In adding a bachelor’s program at a school already having a master’s program, it may be necessary to revamp the master’s degree requirement. It will be necessary to cope with a variety of bachelor’s background preparation in stabilizing the master’s-level professional engineering degree. Suggestions for the bachelor’s and master’s curricula include:

1. inclusion of courses for freshmen and sophomores to stimulate student interest
2. developing a variable content course to permit trial courses and temporary course needs without formal course submission
3. increasing the synthesis content
4. removal of certain curricula distortion
5. supporting of only undergraduate accreditation
6. the development of certain student attitudes to make them more acceptable as employees
7. developing a curricula blend of master’s and PhD courses that can support both efforts.

Suggestions for PhD programs include:

1. making research topics more relevant
2. allowing project-oriented theses
3. discouraging off-campus research
4. developing attitudes in the students so that they will be more responsive to the needs of their employers and the field.

The need and responsibility for explaining and convincing the public of the importance and usefulness of nuclear power is emphasized.