Five-Year Program in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Foreword

The five-year program is the equivalent of a four-year program of undergraduate degree work (with the usual omission of a senior thesis research project) plus one year of graduate-level work to satisfy Master of Science degree requirements.  In addition to requiring a single thesis, the program has the following advantages:

1. It is an attractive alternative to dual SB degree programs, and requires fewer subject credit hours; also, many employers appear to place a higher value on the SM than on an additional SB degree.
2. The student is given earlier assurance of admission to graduate school (typically in the junior rather than the senior year), and is consequently better equipped to plan for the senior and graduate years.
3. Contacts can be established to cultivate a better selection of financial aid opportunities during the graduate year.
4. An earlier and more informed start on the SM thesis project can be arranged, leading to a less hectic pace during the graduate year.
5. The five-year student can often, by an informed choice of electives and advance planning, proceed further in his or her area of specialization than the normal SM candidate, and thus be better prepared for either immediate employment or accelerated pursuit of the ScD/PhD.

The paragraphs which follow provide additional information on this option as it applies to students who choose to pursue the fifth (SM) year in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Introduction

The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering offers, jointly with a number of other MIT departments, a five-year program leading to a simultaneous Bachelor of Science in the appropriate undergraduate department and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering.   Departments currently participating are Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Physics.

Although the Nuclear Science and Engineering Department at MIT also offers a bachelor’s degree program, it is recognized that any students will prefer to pursue an SB program in some other discipline.  In fact, only about half of the graduate students in Course 22 have majored in nuclear science and engineering as undergraduates.  Thus, the five-year program, which predates the SB program, continues to be an important part of our educational effort.

General Requirements

The degree requirements remain unchanged:  the student must satisfy the SB curriculum in an undergraduate department plus the SM requirements in Nuclear Science and Engineering.  (A separate flyer on the Course 22 SM degree is available.)

However, in most instances, a single SM thesis may be submitted to satisfy the requirements for both degrees, and Course 22 subjects can often be counted toward the SB requirements, thereby freeing the student to pursue more advanced subjects at the SM level in Course 22.

The five-year combined bachelor and masters program is designed for students who decide relatively early in their undergraduate career that they wish to pursue a graduate degree in nuclear engineering.  Students must submit their application for this program during the second term of their junior year and be judged to satisfy the graduate admission requirements of the Department.  The normal expectations of MIT undergraduates for admission to the five-year program are an overall MIT grade point average of at least 4.3, and strong mathematics, science, and engineering background with a GPA of at least 4.0.

Students must apply for the five-year program during second term of their junior year.   Merely apply for graduate school admission as if you were a senior, but print FIVE YEAR PROGRAM at the top of the admission form.   In addition, you must submit a form letter outlining your proposed program (pdf) with your application.   The proposed program  should be approved by both your undergraduate advisor and the Course 22 Five-Year Program Director (Professor Dennis Whyte, Room NW17-119).  Students who submit applications by the end of their junior year will be notified concerning admission prior to the beginning of their senior year, usually within two months of the submission of a completed application.  

Diagnostic Tests in Physics and Math

All incoming students in the graduate programs of NS&E (including the five-year program) are required to take diagnostic exams in both math and physics.  These exams are purely diagnostic and the results will not become part of the student’s permanent record.  The purpose of the diagnostics is to assist students with adequate preparation to fully participate in the core courses of NS&E.  The diagnostic exams will normally be offered during Fall Term orientation week.  Following the exam the student will meet with their registration officer to discuss the outcome and plan a suitable program of study.

Answers To Common Questions

You are welcome to discuss the Five-Year Program with its Course 22 director, Professor Whyte, Room NW17-119, 617-253-1748, but experience has shown that many of the most common questions can be resolved by referring to the following list of items.

Timetable

It is the satisfactory completion of degree requirements that is expected, not the specific time of five years.

Accelerated or Transfer Students

If you are a transfer student or will complete the SB program in less than four years, merely apply when you have completed sufficient units of credit to be equivalent to a second semester junior at MIT. 

Financial Aid

Under normal circumstances, students in the SB/SM program are self-funded.

Course 22 Undergraduates

Undergraduates in Nuclear Science and Engineering are also eligible for the Five-Year Program; in this case, the program is equivalent in all respects to those described under “Simultaneous Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees” in the MIT Bulletin and the Graduate School Policy and Procedures Manual.

Program Changes

You may change the program proposed in your letter subject to the approval of your undergraduate advisor and your graduate registration officer.  You may withdraw from the program at any time and obtain the SB by completing the appropriate requirements, including a SB thesis; if the SM is pursued subsequently, a separate SM thesis will be required. 

Advanced Degrees

You may, as may any other student, apply to the NS&E Department Admissions Committee to continue work towards the Nuclear Engineer, PhD, or ScD degrees after completion of the SM program.  At that time, your request will be considered on the same basis as all other applicants.

Revised:   September 2009

Download and print your Five-Year Program curriculum proposal form.