Staff Reports
NS&D Monitor
3/07/2014
The number of nuclear engineers emerging from U.S. colleges and universities continues to rise, according to a new report by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. According to the report, there’s a significant increase at all levels, bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. Overall, 655 students received bachelor’s degrees in nuclear engineering in 2013 at U.S. institutions. That was a 7 percent increase over the previous year, and 25 percent higher than 2011. “This is the highest number of bachelor’s degrees reported in 30 years, but still 20 percent below the peak years in the 1970s,” ORISE said.
The number of master’s degrees for nuclear engineering awarded in 2013 was up by 13 percent and 31 percent over 2011. The number of doctorate degrees also was on the rise, by 23.5 percent over 2012 and 30 percent higher than 2011. The top three degree-granting institutions for nuclear engineers were Penn State, University of Michigan and the University of Tennessee. While the trend of more and more nuclear engineers has emerged, the future isn’t necessarily more of the same, the report said.
Enrollment on Decline
While the graduates are on the increase, the enrollment in nuclear engineering programs has started to decline. “In 2013, nuclear engineering enrollments for undergraduate and graduate students were down 9 percent and 5 percent, respectively, when compared to 2012,” ORISE stated. “The number of students enrolled in nuclear engineering undergraduate programs in 2013 decreased twice as much below any gains made in 2012 enrollment numbers. This change indicates that while the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded is likely to remain in the 630 to 650 range in 2014, the number of students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in nuclear engineering 2015 will likely decrease to less than 600. The number of graduate degrees is likely to remain within the same range in both 2014 and 2015.”
The report said employment opportunities are mostly in the nuclear utilities for those earning bachelor’s degrees, while those with advanced degrees may also pursue careers in the military or with Department of Energy contractors. Eric Abelquist, vice president of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, which manages the institute for DOE, said in a statement, “The nuclear renaissance is alive and well, but the challenge is making sure we have an adequate supply of nuclear engineering jobs for these graduates. Slow economic recovery following the Great Recession in 2009 has dampened electricity demand and low natural gas prices make it a safer bet for utilities to build gas-powered units. Nuclear engineering graduates must be patient and persistent. The jobs will come, albeit more slowly than the nuclear industry had hoped.”
