UNENE Joint M.Eng. program in Nuclear Engineering

A course-based Master's degree for the working professional.

Summary

The UNENE M.Eng. is a joint-university programme, course-based, consisting of 10 courses, or 8 courses plus a project. The courses span most of the specific science and engineering used in nuclear power, and are listed below. Three of the ten courses can be Business Courses from Advanced Design and Manufacturing Institute (ADMI). The project is normally co-sponsored by the student's employer and one of the universities.

The M.Eng. is accredited by the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies (OCGS) - i.e. it is a "real" university degree. The courses are graduate level in content and expectations. The courses are offered by McMaster, Waterloo, Western and Queens. UOIT has also just been accredited by OCGS.

The whole programme is geared to the working professional. Each course is given on four alternate weekends, and consists of about 40 hours contact time plus 100 hours homework. Students are formally evaluated via assignments, tests and exams and their marks become part of their university academic record. The M.Eng. is not like industry training — it is university education at the graduate level, with commensurate effort and accomplishments.

Benefits to Students

1. Almost all graduates have told us how much their horizons have been broadened, and that they now better understand the context of the job they are doing.
2. Many students view a UNENE M.Eng. as preparation for their next job with their company i.e., it makes them better candidates for internal postings.
3. At least one employer explicitly recognizes the benefit of the UNENE M.Eng. in its job postings.

Benefits to Employers

1. The UNENE graduates become natural mentors for more junior employees.
2. Their work will be higher quality because they know disciplines outside their own area, and can understand how their work is used.
3. The employer has greater flexibility in placing UNENE graduates because of their broader knowledge. In the longer term they become good candidates for promotion.
4. The graduates have already demonstrated capability for hard work, self-discipline, learning and self-motivation.

In order to take any of the UNENE courses the student must be registered as a graduate student at one of the UNENE universities. Apply Now . Note that students who enrol in the UNENE programme via the University of Waterloo will need to go through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student process for each UNENE course that is not directly delivered by Waterloo (i.e. all courses other than UN07xx series). This is also the case for any ADMI course.

This is a complement to the more traditional university courses and programs. Find out more about what nuclear courses and programs are offered in Canada, about existing document repositories, and more at Nuclear Education Initiatives and Resources.

Course Selection

• Required core courses
  • Nuclear Plant Systems and Operations
  • Nuclear Reactor Analysis
  • Nuclear Reactor Safety Design
  • Nuclear Reactor Heat Transport System Design
• Chose six from the following
  • Control, Instrumentation and Electrical Systems
  • Nuclear Fuel Waste Management
  • Project Management for Nuclear Engineers
  • Engineering Risk and Reliability
  • Power Plant Thermodynamic
  • Operational Health Physics
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Fuel Management
  • Reactor Chemistry and Corrosion
  • Nuclear Fuel Engineering*
  • Up to three business courses from the ADMI program.
  • Industrial Research Project (counts as two courses)

* See course description for more details on current approval status.

Delivery

The format of the UNENE courses recognizes that the majority of students in UNENE hold full-time jobs in the nuclear industry. Live courses are typically presented in three to four alternate weekend sessions iin an educational centre or appropriate facility near to where the majority of the students work (typically just east of Toronto, Ontario). To cater for students working at sites remote from the Greater Toronto area, courses can also be given using distance education tools, which in addition allows more flexibility in class scheduling. The course content and requirements are the same in both cases.

• Schedule of courses
• Course descriptions

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold an honours baccalaureate degree in the fields of engineering, science or mathematics with an acceptable grade point average, set by the university where admission is sought, for entry into a Master's degree programme in Engineering (typically B or 75% minimum). Apply Now.

Course Order

In what order should you take the UNENE courses? See the ideal sequence (doc 45kb).

Tuition Fee Structure

The Universities have collectively decided to raise UNENE course fees to $2700 per course as of the beginning of the fall 2011 term.

In addition an "incidentals" fee is charged. This is a flat fee, not per course, and may vary from University to University. Fees are payable to the university at which the student is registered. Cheques must be included with course registration forms and receipts will be issued.

Admission to the Program

• Students may registration at any of the UNENE universities listed below. Actual course delivery is not linked to where the student is registered.
• Administration and contact information:
  • McMaster University
  • University of Western Ontario
  • University of Waterloo
  • Queen's University

Employer Sponsorship Information

• UNENE Industry employers have policies and procedures for approval and funding of education and training, and some have specific procedures for UNENE. Please consult your employer's internal web site, or ask your employer, for further details.

Additional Information

• Visit the Education FAQ for answers.
• This (and more) information on UNENE and the M. Eng program is available as a power point presentation (Rev. 6 pdf 344kb).
• Be sure to read about the Academic Integrity Policy.
• Need to know more about the M.Eng. than you can find here? Feel free to contact:
  Dr. Victor G. Snell, UNENE Programme Director, at vgssolutions@rogers.com for questions on the academic aspects;
  or
  Ms. Lori Cole, UNENE Administrator, at unene@mcmaster.ca for questions on enrolment and other administrative matters.
  If you would like to discuss matters with Dr. Snell or Ms. Cole in person, we'd welcome that - but please let us know in advance, to ensure we are available.

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