General information
The graduate diplomas in Nuclear Technology are based on areas of specialization within the fields of Nuclear Power, and Radiological and Health Physics. The programs have been designed to accommodate the needs of personnel working in the nuclear industry and to promote an orientation toward lifelong learning, as students may choose to complete a number of these diplomas over the course of their careers. Students in the graduate diploma programs will upgrade their knowledge and skills and position themselves for transfer and/or advancement within their industry.
Diplomas are offered in the areas of Fuel, Materials and Chemistry; Health Physics; Operation and Maintenance; Radiological Applications; Reactor Systems; and Safety, Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Admission requirements
In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate studies , applicants must meet the following program-specific requirements:
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in the fields of engineering, science or mathematics with a grade point average of B-minus (GPA: 2.7 on a 4.3 scale). This is one grade below that for entry into a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree program.
Individuals without an undergraduate degree and who have extensive experience relevant to the chosen field of diploma studies may be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information, see the university’s policy on non-standard applicants .
Since graduate diploma program students are not required to prepare a thesis nor major project, applicants are not required to find a supervisor. Their program advisor would be the graduate program director.
Students who complete any of the graduate diplomas and wish to be considered for admission to the Master of Applied Science (MASc) or the MEng in Nuclear Engineering may have up to six of the 12 credits counted toward their master’s degree. Students who are enrolled in the graduate diploma program and wish to switch to the MASc or MEng in Nuclear Engineering may apply for admission. If an offer of admission is granted, they may be able to transfer all of their credits from the diploma program to the master’s degree. In this case, they would not receive the graduate diploma. Students who have completed the university’s MASc or MEng in Nuclear Engineering, or an equivalent program, and who wish to enrol in the graduate diploma program may transfer up to six credits toward the diploma depending on the courses they have taken in their master’s program.
Part-time studies
To facilitate access to all potential students, part-time studies are permitted. In particular, engineers in industry may wish to pursue a graduate diploma program through part-time studies.
General graduate diploma requirements
To earn a graduate diploma, students are required to complete four courses approved by the graduate program director that are relevant to one of the areas of specialization. Each diploma has a set of defined courses relevant to the area of specialization and potentially some non-specialist courses. The four courses must be completed within a three-year period with a minimum passing grade of B-minus for each course.
Transfer credit for a course that has been taken at the university, or for a similar course taken at another institution, within the last three years may be granted by the graduate program director as long as the mark received in the course for which transfer credit is requested was a B or higher. In addition, the course must not have been used to meet the degree or diploma requirements in another program either at the university or at another post‐secondary institution. See the university’s policy on transfer credits for additional information.
The student must select the specific diploma they wish to obtain at the time of registration. Any changes to this choice, and to the selection of courses which are designed to achieve the intent of the specific specialty, must be approved by the graduate program director. It should be noted that any one course can only be counted towards one diploma and that transfer credits between other graduate diploma programs are not permitted.
Graduate Diploma in Nuclear Technology requirements
As part of the requirements for the graduate diplomas in Nuclear Technology, students must complete the following:
- A minimum of two courses from the specialty, including at least one NUCL course.
- No more than one course from another specialty and/or up to two courses from the non-specialist common courses.
- A minimum of two NUCL courses at the 5000 level.
Subject to the approval of the graduate program director, one graduate course may be taken that is not listed for the graduate diplomas in Nuclear Technology (e.g., from another graduate program offered by the university).
Of the four required courses for each graduate diploma, no more than one may be selected from the specified undergraduate course options.
Non-specialist courses common to all diploma programs
Program learning outcomes
The following outcomes outline the knowledge and skills students will have achieved upon completion of the program.
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