Delivery Method

The courses are delivered both live and interactively, i.e. synchronous delivery, to the student's desktop computer via the World Wide Web. Software needed for synchronous delivery via the web will be supplied by The University of Tennessee, Division of Outreach and Continuing Education. For students without a nuclear background, NE 301, NE 431, and NE 470 are available by videotape each Fall and Spring semesters.

Students must also register for at least three hours of either NE 500 (thesis) or NE 598 (engineering practice) during any semester in which research is conducted to satisfy degree requirements. Proposed research projects, either thesis or engineering practice, may (or may not) be related to the student's current job, but must be approved a priori by student's major professor and graduate committee. To obtain approval, a brief proposal written by the student must be submitted to and approved by the student's major professor and graduate committee a the beginning of a project. The student must also write brief monthly progress reports describing his/her research progress, which are submitted to and approved by the student's major professor. The student may have an on-site advisor or mentor to help direct the student's research along with the overall supervision provided by the major professor. However, acceptance of the student's research in satisfying degree requirements is solely the responsibility of the student's major professor and graduate committee. Good research projects frequently lead to external publications that are co-authored by the student, the on-site advisor, and the major professor. Students come to the UT main campus at the conclusion of their program to defend their work, including both research and coursework, in a comprehensive oral exam of their major professor and graduate committee.