Health Physics

The objective of the Graduate Certificate in Health Physics program is to educate our graduate students about health physics. This discipline is effectively that of radiation safety or radiological protection from ionizing radiation. In obtaining the certificate, students will learn the technical basis for implementing federal regulations throughout the nuclear fuel cycle for protection of workers, the public and the environment from the effects of radioactive materials and other ionizing radiation sources. This certificate program will include courses which will teach many relevant topics to this field. Courses will include the engineering design for radiological air monitoring, sample assay, radiation detection as well as shielding physics. Students will learn how to calculate dose from both internal and external sources along with those from background radiation.

This certificate helps prepare students for the board exam, and to qualify graduates to obtain the professional experience required for certification.

Eligibility

Students are required to meet at least ONE of the following requirements for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Health Physics program:

• Have an undergraduate STEM degree
• Be a degree seeking student in good academic standing in any NC State graduate program in engineering

An application for acceptance into the Graduate Certificate in Health Physics is required for all new students. Students must complete the Graduate School Application (opens in new tab).

Those applicants who are enrolled in an NCSU graduate degree program must submit the graduate student certificate plan data entry form to the faculty certificate coordinator for review and approval.

Plan of Study

The Graduate Certificate in Health Physics will require four courses totaling 12 credit hours. Students are required to take NE504 and NE590 but may select any additional two courses from the list. Due to the lab requirement of some courses offered (e.g., NE521), some courses will not be available to distance education students.

Courses will be taken both by MNE (online and on campus) and PhD students, Graduate Certificate in Health Physics students, and undergraduate students enrolled in the Health Physics minor, and ABM students.

Career Prospects

The Graduate Certificate in Health Physics provides education about radiation safety and radiological protection from ionizing radiation, topics that enhance careers in nuclear energy. Graduates are proficient in the implementation of federal regulations throughout the nuclear fuel cycle for protection of workers, the public and the environment from the effects of radioactive materials and other ionizing radiation sources.

Because the certificate coursework includes the engineering design for radiological air monitoring, sample assay, radiation detection, and shielding physics, graduates know how to calculate doses from both internal and external sources along with those from background radiation. Research projects are available to fully equip students to advance their careers in this capacity.