Welcome to the Nuclear Engineering Program at Penn State. We hope your experience with us will be a very valuable and rewarding one, and will contribute to your personal and professional development. Nuclear Engineering is a challenging and rewarding major, and in your graduate research and course work you will likely have to combine knowledge from many different disciplines to achieve your goals. The faculty are well prepared to assist you, and you will take advantage of the experimental and computational facilities in the program, especially the Radiation Science and Engineering Center and the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor. Finally, as a high-quality research university, Penn State has many resources outside the program and the department that you will also be able to take advantage of. We encourage you to seek out these opportunities to take full advantage of your time at Penn State.

Most of you will be faced with new situations involving changes in housing, lifestyle, community, faculty, student body and academic policies. In some cases it will represent a complete change in culture and language. We will try to help you get through this time of transition. The staff has experience in helping with many academic issues such as registration, locating a desk, computer policies and financial aid. Also, the continuing graduate students are a very useful source of information on how the community and the University really work. We have prepared this handbook to help deal with a few of these issues. It includes detailed information aSeptember 23, 2005licies, and about the Radiation Science and Engineering Center. It also contains a brief discussion of our faculty and their interests. We urge you to review this document carefully and keep it available for reference.

Nuclear Engineering may be taken as a major field of study for the Master of Science (thesis or paper), the Master of Engineering, or the Doctor of Philosophy degree. New students should go to the Nuclear Engineering Graduate Records Secretary, LaTrisha Hough in 127 Reber Building, for the assignment of an academic advisor. Your advisor will assist you in the development of your program of study. Each student's program of study will be tailored with regard to their particular interest. Initially, your academic advisor may or may not be your research advisor depending on your research area of interest. Generally your research advisor takes over as the academic advisor when your research activity is determined. It is now a requirement that you complete a plan of study with your academic advisor during your first month of enrollment, covering your whole course of study. This program of study will be kept on file and can be changed with the approval of your advisor. To assure that you can meet with your advisor and discuss your academic program, please make an appointment prior to the desired meeting time.

The course registration process is relatively simple. There is a touch-tone Telephone/Voice Response System available to all students. However, if you experience  difficulty, contact the Graduate Records Secretary, LaTrisha Hough. Any questions concerning registration procedures, dates and schedules should also be directed to LaTrisha. This registration should always be in consultation with your advisor. For issues dealing with office keys, contact Dianne Crust in 132 Reber Building. For parking permits, please see Holly Seidel, also in 132 Reber Building. An office area and desk can be assigned for your use if you wish and if one is available. See Holly in 132 Reber Building during the third week of the semester for their location.

Completion of a graduate degree program inevitably involves far more work near the end of the program than is anticipated. As a consequence, many students are unduly rushed just prior to their graduation to complete their scholarly paper, thesis, or M.Eng. paper. A student may have to delay graduation if there is not sufficient time for review and defense of the thesis, paper, or M.Eng. paper. Your advisor and the Program Chair must receive a copy of your paper or thesis at least one week (two weeks is better) before it is due in the Graduate School (Kern Building).

We would like to call your attention to the bulletin boards that are maintained in Reber Building and in the main hallway at the Reactor. Please scan the bulletin boards occasionally for announcements of importance to you, such as seminars, course offerings, and social events. You are assigned a mailbox located on the second floor of Reber which will serve as your contact point for mail, notices and other information periodically distributed. This is one of our main communication routes to you; check it when you passthrough. Our other main way to contact you is via e-mail. You are assigned an e-mail address when you join Penn State. Please check it often at one of the computer labs. You can also access it at home if you have a computer by using software furnished by the Center for Academic Computing (CAC), located in 2 Willard Building.

All graduate students in the Nuclear Engineering Program are required to participate in the seminar program, NucE 590, Colloquium, which includes seminars by graduate students, faculty and outside speakers. These seminars form an important part of your program and will provide you with instruction not only by your fellow students and our faculty, but also by prominent people in the nuclear engineering field.

Perhaps a word about our ANS chapter is appropriate here. Our student chapter of The American Nuclear Society is a focal point of professional and social activity for students and faculty in Nuclear Engineering. It participates in seminars, conducts field trips under Nuclear Engineering Program auspices, conducts public information programs, and provides services to the Program and undergraduate students. We recommend that you consider joining the chapter and actively support it. For applications see the chapter advisor, Dr. Robert Edwards. Likewise, we draw your attention to the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and recommend your consideration and support for it.

If you have any questions or problems, see your academic advisor. In addition, Dr. Jack Brenizer, Chair of Nuclear Engineering, and the MNE Graduate Program Office will be glad to assist you on any matter. Dr. Brenizer likes to meet all entering students, preferably prior to registration, to discuss their goals and qualifications. Please make an appointment with his assistant. Again, welcome to Penn State.

Dr. Jack Brenizer

Professor and Chair of Nuclear Engineering