Nuclear Engineering Courses: Admission 2025, Fees, Subjects/Syllabus, Top Colleges, Entrance Exams, Career Scope & Salary

Nuclear Engineering is a branch of engineering which focuses on the use of nuclear energy through application of physics concepts for production and utilization of energy. This includes the design of nuclear power plants such as nuclear reactors, management of fuels, protection from radioactivity, and controlling the disposal of nuclear wastes.

Nuclear engineers are helping to use nuclear energy for sustainability and to address climate changes as a carbon-free energy source. The nuclear energy sector currently provides a significant portion of power that is clean, carbon-free, and with a relatively low waste footprint, and in the future, as we hope to get rid of fossil fuels and bridge the gap to technologies, nuclear energy will play a huge role in that.

Further, Nuclear Engineering field is growing rapidly with a lot of ties in medicine, materials, labs, and other places like propulsion systems in the space industry. What if you get to know that the arc reactor of the Iron Man that powers his suit was basically a nuclear reactor? This sounds quite intriguing. Rest, the choice depends on your interests and passions. You should give it a thought yourself and then take the final call.

The Nuclear Engineering course duration is different depending on the course level. If you are studying a UG course in Nuclear Engineering, it will span 8 semesters that will take 4 years to complete. On the other hand, if you plan to go for a PG Nuclear Engineering course, you need to give 2 years for the same, where the focus will be on research in the nuclear sector and will give you a deep understanding of the field. You should think carefully about your interests and passions before heading for a master's degree in Nuclear Engineering.

The key differences between Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Science are given in the table below:

It may differ from university to university, however, a strong mathematical background in calculus, linear algebra, strong physics background in mechanics, electromagnetism, nuclear physics and chemistry are a must.

Given below are the general steps you can follow for getting admission to Nuclear Engineering courses:
1. Eligibility Criteria
You should check the basic eligibility for courses in Nuclear Engineering at various levels.
2. Appear for the entrance exams
You have to appear for national/state/university level entrance exams.
3. Application form
Please make sure to fill out the application form of your desired college and attach all the necessary documents before the last date.
4. Counselling Session
Next, you need to visit the counselling session once the results are declared and you've got a good rank.
5. Take admission
The final step is to complete the admission formalities by paying the course fees & then you can start attending your course classes.

Most of the colleges and universities admit students to Nuclear Engineering courses taking into account their entrance exam marks. There are only 5 colleges that have courses in this field available and are known for their faculty expertise.

Having said that, exceptions are always there. For example, Amity University (Noida) gives admission to BTech Nuclear Science and Technology on the basis of Class 12 marks in board exams. You may also have to give the PI or GD round in this case.

You can go through the list of some important documents that you must keep handy during the admission process for Nuclear Engineering courses:

·       Graduation Mark sheet (In the case of PG courses)

·       Class 12th mark sheet with at least 50 to 60% marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics subjects.

·       Class 10th mark sheet (if required).

·       A valid ID proof like Adhaar Card, Passport, PAN Card, etc.

·       Migration and character certificates, if required.

·       Recent passport-size photographs

Some educational institutes also need other documents for which you must go through their admission guidelines available on the college website and then keep your documents ready at one place.

There are some universities that provide the option of lateral entry to BTech Nuclear Engineering after you complete a 3-year Diploma in the field. Out of them, Sanskriti University comes across as one of the popular choices among students.
When we talk about lateral-entry, it means you can directly enter the second year of the BTech specialisation and finish the course in 3 years instead of 4 years. This special provision saves your time and allows you to engage in other things for skill enhancement.

You can always check the website of the college you want to take admission to and see if they offer lateral entry admissions.

Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate Nuclear Engineering programs typically involves entrance exams, such as:

• Undergraduate:

  • JEE Main: This national-level entrance exam is mandatory for admission to many prestigious engineering colleges in India.
  • State-level engineering entrance exams: Some states conduct their own engineering entrance exams for admission to state universities and colleges.

• Postgraduate:

  • GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering): This national-level exam is crucial for admission to Master's programs in engineering, including Nuclear Engineering, at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other premier institutions.

Apart from the above mentioned some university conduct their own tests along with the interview rounds as well.

There isn't one single cut-off mark for Nuclear Engineering courses in India. Here's why:

• Entrance Exams: Admission to these programs relies on entrance exams like JEE Main (undergraduate) and GATE (postgraduate). These exams have a qualifying percentile or rank depending on the institute and category (general, reserved etc.). The cut-off percentiles/ranks vary year-to-year based on the difficulty of the exam and the number of applicants.
• University-Specific Criteria: Universities might have their own minimum eligibility marks in Class 12 (typically 60-70% with PCM) and might conduct additional entrance exams besides national exams.

GATE exam is conducted only once a year to offer admissions to master's and PhD programs at top institutions, such as IITs and NITs. Qualifying GATE exam also paves the way for technical jobs in in PSUs. This year, IIT Roorkee is conducting the GATE 2025 exam on Feb 1, 2, 15, and 16, 2025 in two sessions - morning and afternoon. 

The numbers for choosing CUET sujects is five.  

Section 1A- (13 languages) Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, English, Hindi, and Urdu.

Section 2- (23 subjects) Accountancy/ Book Keeping,  Biology/ Biological Studies/ Biotechnology/Biochemistry,  Business Studies,  Chemistry,  Computer Science/ Informatics Practices,  Economics/ Business Economics, Geography/Geology,  History,  Home Science,  Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India,  Environmental Science,  Mathematics,  Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga,  Physics,  Political Science,  Psychology,  Sociology,  Agriculture,  Mass Media/ Mass Communication,  Anthropology,  Fine Arts/ Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/Commercial Arts,  Performing Arts – (i) Dance (Kathak/ Bharatnatyam/ Oddisi/ Kathakali/Kuchipudi/ Manipuri (ii) Drama- Theatre (iii) Music General (Hindustani/ Carnatic/ Rabindra Sangeet/ Percussion/ Non-Percussion),  Sanskrit [For all Shastri (Shastri 3 years/ 4 years Honours), and Tourism

Section 3- General test

Nuclear engineering programs typically cover subjects like:

• Nuclear reactor physics
• Reactor engineering and design
• Nuclear fuel cycle and materials
• Heat transfer and thermodynamics in nuclear systems
• Radiation detection and shielding
• Nuclear safety and risk assessment
• Nuclear waste management

Yes, few universities offer specialisations within the Nuclear Engineering courses, Theses are mentioned below:

• Nuclear reactor physics and design
• Nuclear fuel cycle and materials science
• Radiation protection and health physics
• Nuclear non-proliferation and security

There is a pool of electives that you can opt for while studying a major degree course in Nuclear Engineering. Most of the colleges give you this option from 2^nd year onwards of your BTech course. Some of the elective options are Nuclear Reactor Physics, Nuclear Fuel Design and Materials Science, Radiation Protection, and Nuclear Security.

You can take up any of these as per your interest and inclination. Elective subjects usually give you an option to explore and experiment to see which particular subject area interests you more within such a vast field.

IIT Kanpur is known for its reputable Nuclear Engineering program. From reactor physics to nuclear materials science, it provides a challenging programme that covers every facet of Nuclear Engineering. The program has excellent faculty and research infrastructure. Candidates should have obtained 60% aggregate marks in graduation in a relevant discipline. Candidates also need to clear GATE in order to secure admission in MTech Nuclear Engineering and Technology course. 

Also, IIT Bombay offers programs in Energy Engineering that attract a lot of applications every year.

According to the JoSAA 2024 seat matrix, the total seats in IITs are 17760, while the number of seats in NITs and IIITs is 24229 and 8546, respectively. According to the official data, this year 355 seats are increased in IIT, including 20 in IIT Bhubaneswar, 12 in IIT Bombay, 30 in Kharagpur, 84 in Patna, 30 in Gandhinagar, 10 in Guwahati, 40 in Bhilai, 10 in Tirupati, and 75 in Dharwad. In 2023, the IIT seat count was 17385.

Read More: JoSAA 2024 Seat Matrix

For choosing the right Nuclear Engineering college in India, you should check for some basic points like the college's All India Ranking, course fees, course structure, research opportunities, learning space, placement records, and location.
After thinking carefully, you can go for the one that suits you the best. There are 5 Nuclear Engineering colleges in India, out of which 2 fall under the jurisdiction of the government and 3 are privately-owned.

Yes, Nuclear Engineering can be a quite fulfilling profession for those who have bent towards science, technology and knowledge solving. The nuclear energy sector is relatively stable and provides decent wages while allowing one to make a meaningful, positive impact on both the job market and technological developments in the energy field.

Careers for nuclear engineers can be diverse, and remuneration depends on the engineers’ experience, specialty, and the organisation that they work for. Here's a table outlining some prominent opportunities:

A nuclear scientist's pay at ISRO can change based on their position, experience, and talents. The average income for nuclear scientists at ISRO is relatively high, nevertheless. At ISRO, a nuclear physicist may expect to get roughly INR 70,000 per month as their starting salary. Nuclear physicists at ISRO with 5- 10 years of experience might earn salaries of more than INR 20 Lacs annually

There are many technical and soft skills that you need to have to succeed in their careers. It is not necessary that you acquire these skills in a classroom setting rather they are learned through experience.

You must always be on your toes to learn new skills and gain as much experience as possible. Some of the important skills in general include:

·       Good Academic Understanding

·       Problem-Solving Expertise

·       Research Aptitude

·       Open-mindedness and Curiosity to Learn

·       Experimental Approach

·       Excellent knowledge of Computers and Technical Equipment

·       Passion and Dedication for the Field

There is are high chances that nuclear engineers will work for the DRDO. The foremost defense research and development agency in India, DRDO, includes several nuclear-related initiatives. Nuclear engineers are also recruited by the organization. It releases notification in case of any requirement or vacancy in the field. Nuclear engineers normally need to hold a M.Tech degree in Nuclear Engineering or a closely related discipline to work at DRDO. They may also need to have some background in nuclear development or research for better chances of selection.

Some nuclear engineers in India claim to make more than INR 20 LPA. A Nuclear Engineer in India with ten or more years of experience working at a nuclear power plant may earn between INR 20-25 LPA. Further, a nuclear engineer with a PhD and background in nuclear fusion research may also make more than INR 20 LPA.

Nuclear engineers obviously have a hand in electricity generation but they also have careers related to treating diseases, safeguarding food supplies, nuclear forensics, operating nuclear energy systems, developing regulations to ensure safety, and facilitating exploration. Nuclear engineers basically help to use nuclear energy for sustainability and to address climate changes as a carbon-free energy source.