<p>Currently I am a math major about to finish soph year..deciding that I want to pursue engineering instead I currently fulfill most of requirements to change into these majors....at first it seemed that Mech E was the obvious choice but only because I don't really know what a nuclear engineer does, or w/e (actually I don't even know what NUCLEAR really means at this point, because I haven't been exposed to it much)</p>
<p>do nuclear engineers mainly work at plants, homer simpson? (turkey point, etc....)
Is employment in high demand? (I came across in reading around that nuclear engineering is a somewhat uncommon degreee)
Does nuclear engineering BOTTLENECK you into working in a certain field? (I know that mech E is actually the broadest discipline)</p>
<p>bump and also do you think nuclear has a good shot at becoming a majority player when it comes to world energy in the future, I hear its only about 10% at the moment and flat lining, when I turn on the TV i always hear of OTHER alternative energy in the form of solar, wind, and other exotic stuff.</p>
<p>Nuclear isn’t really popular right not for a lot of reasons, some political, some of ignorance, and some legitimate. It could get picked back up in the future, but if you get a job in Nuclear you’re probably going to be dealing with a lot more plant closings than openings. One professor told us to get into Nuclear if we wanted to work in Germany because they’d banned the major from being taught there and they’d have to decommission a lot of plants there over the next 50 years, but he’s getting up there in years and I think he makes stuff up sometimes.</p>
<p>if you are going to go into nuclear, i would do something else for undergrad and then do nuclear for masters. i was serious about doing a BS in nuclear for a while, but decided to stick with electrical and do nuclear for an MS. this is good for many reasons: broad background and a backup in case you change your mind about nuclear/you cant get a nuclear job</p>
<p>and dont worry about cost, bec most masters programs cover tuition. and if your school offers nuclear, you can most likely take nuclear classes as electives in mechanical or electrical, as my school allows</p>
<p>Now that’s a hot topic. Visit France and nuclear is 75% of their energy (20% for the US and about 15% world-wide). McCain proposed a major push for nuclear, but Obama has pushed back on that. </p>
<p>One of the big issues right now is finding a place to safely dispose of nuclear waste. Until a final disposition for nuclear waste can be determined, I wouldn’t expect to see a huge boom in nuclear plant construction. Since Obama apparently took Yucca Mountain off the list as a potential storage site, and there’s no “Plan B”, it could be awhile.</p>
<p>Then there are the “political” aspects to Nuclear power. Obama’s supporters are traditionally “green” and therefore wants a 0 emission energy source (of course, none exists), and the Republicans don’t want to anger their big coal investors / states.</p>
<p>But as for being pigeonholed: yes nuclear engineering positions are primarily limited to civilian power plants, government-owned power plants, and the military. As with any type of engineering, there’s a sizable market for non-traditional jobs in a variety of fields, but historically because of it’s small size, you’re better off in a non-NukeE field if that’s your goal.</p>