Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program
This is an educational program to help working professionals enter and advance in nuclear packaging, transportation security and safeguards and related fields.
Nuclear materials are used for carbon-free electric power generation, national defense, medical diagnostics and treatment\ and other advanced applications. To protect the public and the environment, specialized packaging is required to store, transport or dispose of these hazardous materials. Security and safeguard practices must also always be followed.
Packaging University
Since 1986, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has supported . This program currently offers 21 in-person, one- and two-week courses on nuclear packaging, transportation security and safeguards and related topics. They are taught by subject matter experts from these seven DOE national laboratories.
- in Illinois
- in California
- in New Mexico
- in Tennessee
- in Washington State
- in New Mexico
- Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina
Year after year, engineers and managers from industry, national labs and government agencies from within and outside the United States take these classes. The courses are offered in-person at the national labs or other authorized locations to help professionals from a variety of organizations to network with instructors and each other. Packaging University course descriptions and national laboratory enrollment and fee payment processes are included on the . The schedule of upcoming courses is also available on the website.
Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program (NPGP)
The 推荐杏吧原创 Nuclear Packaging Laboratory (NPL) has developed and experimentally validated computational methods to predict the thermal behavior of nuclear packaging under normal and severe fire accident conditions since 1993. In 2013, DOE PCP began working with the NPL to develop the University’s Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program (NPGP). The goals of that educational program are to help early and mid-career professionals enter and advance in nuclear packaging, transportation security and safeguards and related fields and to help organizations support the professional development of their highly engaged staff members. To achieve this, the program is designed to offer curricula of courses that
- help working professionals gain the depth and breadth of skills needed to solve complex nuclear packaging and related problems;
- help participants network with the subject matter experts who teach the courses and the cohort of professionals who take them; and
- lead to recognized accredited university graduate credentials.
Currently, the NPGP offers the following two graduate certificates:
- The , which focuses on design, review and use packages for spent fuel as well as all Type B and fissile materials.
- The , which helps participants understand U.S. and international technical requirements and challenges around protecting, controlling, and accounting for nuclear/radiological materials during their transport.
A graduate certificate is an accredited university credential that is more practical-knowledge based and requires less full-time commitment than research-based masters or Ph.D. degrees. The University and DOE PCP currently are working to assemble an advisory council consisting of experienced subject matter experts and hiring managers. The council will review student, employer and industry feedback and recommend updates to assure program quality and relevance.
How to earn a graduate certificate
Both the GCNP and the GCTSS require four units (4 weeks) of Packaging University coursework. Students also choose five units of electives based on their interests and needs. The electives may be chosen from a combination of one-unit (one-week) Packaging University courses, (a three-unit mentored project performed at the student’s workplace), and/or ME 672 - Introduction to Nuclear Packaging (a three-unit semester-long online University course). The Nuclear Packaging Laboratory website includes all classes that may be used for Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program credit. The Nuclear Packaging Laboratory website also describes each course.
Course requirements
For the (GCNP), the two one-week courses and one two-week course listed below are required. For electives, students choose any five units from the remaining classes on the Nuclear Packaging Laboratory course list.
- NP 700 - ASME Pressure Vessel Code for Nuclear Transport and Storage (a one-week, one-unit course offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
- NP 701 - Quality Assurance for Transport Packaging and Storage Casks (a one-week, one-unit course offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
- NP 702 - SARP Review and Confirmatory Analysis (a two-week, two-unit course offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
For the (GCTSS) the four one-week (one-unit) courses listed below are required. For electives, students may choose any 5 units from the remaining classes on the Nuclear Packaging Laboratory course list.
NP 710 - Nuclear Security During US Domestic Transport (offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
- NP 711 - Nuclear Security During International Transport (offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
- NP 720 - Fundamentals of Nuclear Security (offered by Sandia National Laboratory)
- NP 730 - Fundamentals of Nuclear Safeguards (offered by Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
Enrollment, fees and other requirements
To earn either graduate certificate, students must complete a University graduate certificate program enrollment and fee payment process. To earn units in a course toward a graduate certificate, students must complete a separate University course enrollment and fee payment process. The Enrollment and Progression Manual provides step-by-step instructions for those processes. Individualized registration and enrollment process support is available at gradadmissions@unr.edu, (775) 784-6869. Employers commonly cover University fees, but fee assistance and academic advisement for students are available contacting by NuclearPackagingGraduateProgram@unr.edu. University course enrollment requires several steps with waiting periods and must be completed before the first day of class. Students should start the enrollment process one week before class begins.
All required courses for both certificates and many of the electives are offered by Packaging University. For those courses, students must complete an additional course enrollment and fee payment process with the national laboratory that offers the course. Instructions for those processes are available in links on the website.
To apply a course toward a graduate certificate, students must earn a C grade or better. They must complete the full nine-unit curriculum within six years of program enrollment with an average grade of B or higher. Students who do not enroll in a course during the spring or fall semester must apply for a leave of absence for that semester (see the Enrollment and Progression Manual). Students who wish to earn both graduate certificates may use four units from one to satisfy electives for the other.
Credit transferability
Credits earned through this program may be used toward either graduate certificate described on this page or any other program that accepts them. Students who are considering transferring credits to another university or program are advised to first check with that program or institution. Transferability is an option of the accepting institution. As an accredited institution, the University has a history of transferring credits to other universities.
Student complaints
This section outlines the process for any student complaints for the program.
- Student complaints or concerns must first be addressed by working with the course instructor.
- Students who are not satisfied with that step may email the program director at NuclearPackagingGraduateProgram@unr.edu.
- Students who are not satisfied by that process may seek a remedy through the University’s comprehensive complaint process at the University’s student complaints page. The students who pursue this option each will receive an email from the Provost’s Office as their complaints are processed.
- If you feel your concern/complaint was not resolved to your satisfaction you may complete the which will be directed to the SARA portal agency in Nevada.
Nevada State SARA Portal
Terina Caserto,
Senior Analyst, Academic & Student Affairs
tcaserto@nshe.nevada.edu
Phone: (775) 784-3447
Nevada System of Higher Education
2601 Enterprise Road
Reno, NV 89512
The decision of the Nevada State SARA Portal, Nevada System of Higher Education, is final.
For students residing in Tennessee:
Any person claiming damage or loss as a result of any act or practice by this institution that may be a violation of the Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 20 and Rule Chapters 1520-01-10 and 1520-01-02 may file a complaint with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), Division of Postsecondary State Authorization. THEC only investigates complaints that have exhausted an institution’s policy and that have not been resolved at the institution level. If you have any questions regarding the complaint process, you may contact Julie Woodruff at Julie.Woodruff@tn.gov or (615) 253-8857.
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
312 Rosa L Parks Ave. 9th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243