http://www.rpi.edu/dept/ne Rensselaer launched its plan for NE research in the late 1950s when the Atomic Energy Commission funded a project to construct a linear electron accelerator in 1958. The NE Department was officially formed in 1960 and is one of the oldest such programs in the U.S. The construction of the accelerator facility was completed in 1961 and within a few years, the NE Department at Rensselaer awarded its first PhD degrees and then B.S. degrees. At Rensselaer, students have the opportunity to study fission reactor physics, reactor engineering, health physics, thermal-hydraulics, reliability and safety, and fusion engineering. Boasting unique and state-of-the-art research facilities, Rensselaer students have access to a critical reactor, a large electron accelerator, and modern computer interfacing technology. With today's need for inexpensive sources of energy, Rensselaer nuclear engineering graduates are in great demand for positions in industry or graduate study. Additionally, there are exciting possibilities in space power propulsion, fusion reactor engineering, medicine, and national defense.
