Nuclear engineering programs prepare people to design and build nuclear plants that produce energy. Students learn about fissure and fusion reactors. They also learn to apply math and science to solve safety and environmental problems.

It doesn't seem likely that Homer Simpson could ever get through a nuclear engineering degree program. And Springfield is probably safer because of that!

Nuclear power plants are an important source of energy, and not just in Springfield. Engineers are needed to design, maintain, and operate nuclear reactors. And the job market for them is good, because not enough young people are studying this field.

In a nuclear engineering program, you study several different types of materials. You study radioactive substances such as uranium. You study the concrete, metal, and other materials that are used to contain and shield the nuclear fuel. And you study the fluids that are used to transfer heat from the reactor core. You get a good background in the laws of physics and chemistry, because you use math to apply those laws to those materials. You want to be able to predict how the reactor materials will behave in various conditions.

You also learn about the workings of the instruments that Homer uses to monitor the reactor. You may study problems related to disposal of nuclear waste. And you may study industrial or medical uses of radiation.

You can earn a bachelor's degree in this field in four or perhaps five years of full-time study beyond high school. This is usually good training for your first job. About 40 colleges in the U.S. offer bachelor's programs in nuclear engineering. Some of them allow you to complete the bachelor's and master's in one five-year sequence.

You may also consider another route to a master's degree in this field. You can get a bachelor's in another field of engineering. Then, you can get a master's in nuclear engineering at one of the approximately 25 graduate schools of engineering that offer such a program.