Program Overview

Introduction to the Radiation Health Physics Graduate Major

The School of Nuclear Science and Engineering offers graduate work leading toward the Master of Health Physics, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Radiation Health Physics. This program is designed to prepare students for careers involved with the many beneficial applications of nuclear energy, radiation, and radioactive materials.

Program Overview

The Radiation Health Physics profession is essential to society's well-being, enabling significant public benefits through energy security, national defense, medical health, and industrial competitiveness. The graduate curricula and research programs are designed for students with professional interests in the field of radiation protection. This specialized field involves an integrated study of the physical aspects of ionizing and nonionizing radiation, their biological effects, and the methods used to protect people and their environment from radiation hazards while still enabling the beneficial uses of radiation and radioactive materials.

Available Locations

The program is available at the following locations:

• Corvallis (MHP, MS, PhD)
• Ecampus (MHP, MS)

Financial Support

Competitive fellowships and research and teaching assistantships are available to incoming graduate students. The U.S. Department of Energy and National Academy for Nuclear Training support a number of fellowship programs each year. Oregon State University is one of eight participating universities in the U.S. where students may attend graduate school on the Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, and Applied Health Physics fellowships sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Facilities

World-class facilities are available for the instructional and research programs of the school, housed in the OSU Radiation Center. These facilities include:

• A TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor
• The Advanced Thermal Hydraulic Research Laboratory
• The APEX nuclear safety scaled testing facility
• Laboratories specially designed to accommodate radiation and the use of radioactive materials

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:

MHP

• Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material
• Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner

MS

• Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material
• Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner

PhD

• Produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge
• Demonstrate mastery of subject material
• Conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner

Program Requirements

MS Course List

• Core Coursework:
  • NSE 515: NUCLEAR RULES AND REGULATIONS (2 credits)
  • NSE 516: RADIOCHEMISTRY (4 credits) or NSE 519: RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
  • NSE 531: RADIOPHYSICS (3 credits)
  • NSE 535: RADIATION SHIELDING AND EXTERNAL DOSIMETRY (4 credits)
  • NSE 536: ADVANCED RADIATION DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT (4 credits)
  • NSE 582: APPLIED RADIATION SAFETY (4 credits)
  • NSE 583: RADIATION BIOLOGY (3 credits)
  • NSE 588: RADIOECOLOGY (3 credits)
  • NSE 590: INTERNAL DOSIMETRY (3 credits)
• Seminar: NSE 507: SEMINAR (maximum 3 credits)
• Thesis: NSE 503: THESIS (maximum 6 credits)
• Electives: Chosen by student, as approved by major professor (minimum 6 credits)
• Total Hours: 45

MHP

The MHP degree option provides students the opportunity to pursue advanced-level study without the requirement of completing thesis research. These degrees are intended as terminal degrees, not as preparation for a doctorate, and will emphasize job-related knowledge and skills.

• Core Coursework:
  • NSE 515: NUCLEAR RULES AND REGULATIONS (2 credits)
  • NSE 516: RADIOCHEMISTRY (4 credits) or NSE 519: RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
  • NSE 531: RADIOPHYSICS (3 credits)
  • NSE 535: RADIATION SHIELDING AND EXTERNAL DOSIMETRY (4 credits)
  • NSE 536: ADVANCED RADIATION DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT (4 credits)
  • NSE 582: APPLIED RADIATION SAFETY (4 credits)
  • NSE 583: RADIATION BIOLOGY (3 credits)
  • NSE 588: RADIOECOLOGY (3 credits)
  • NSE 590: INTERNAL DOSIMETRY (3 credits)
  • ENGR 520: MENG INTRODUCTION TO PORTFOLIO (1 credit)
  • ENGR 521: MENG PORTFOLIO COMPLETION (1 credit)
• Seminar: NSE 507: SEMINAR (take three times, 3 credits)
• Electives: Chosen by student, as approved by major professor (10 credits)
• Total Hours: 45

PhD

The student's principal direction in the course of study comes from the doctoral committee, in which the major professor has final approval.

• Requirements include:
  • Passing a written qualifying examination for candidacy
  • Taking and passing (B average or higher) such courses as judged desirable by the doctoral committee for satisfactory progress in doctoral research
  • Calling regular (every 6 months recommended, but at least annual) meetings of the Doctoral Committee so that the student's progress can be evaluated and guidance offered
  • Preparing, presenting, and defending a written dissertation proposal, i.e., the Preliminary Exam
• Course List:
  • Core Coursework: Chosen by student, as approved by major professor (63 credits)
  • Thesis: NSE 603: THESIS (minimum 45 credits)
  • Total Hours: 108