Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering

The master's degree in Nuclear Engineering trains engineers specialised in nuclear technologies and their applications. The first year is devoted to the foundations of nuclear engineering, while the second year offers three specialisation tracks: Nuclear Plants, Nuclear Technologies and Physics of Nuclear Systems. Topics covered include plant design and management, safety systems, innovative materials, radiochemistry, medical and industrial applications and radiation detection instrumentation. The Polytechnic University of Milan has a long tradition in the nuclear sector, and the programme benefits from labs and links with research that allow students to engage with topics such as plant safety, the fuel cycle, materials for radiation environments and measurement techniques, in a context where scientific rigour and responsibility are essential.

The programme lasts two years and is held in person at the Polytechnic University of Milan, in Italian; the page does not indicate an English version. Teaching includes theory lessons, lab activities, practical projects and links with research. Access requires a first-level degree or an equivalent university qualification, with a solid foundation in engineering, and the assessment varies according to the candidates' origin: for graduates of the Polytechnic University of Milan predefined criteria apply, for other Italian candidates a committee examines the academic record, and for foreign candidates the international admissions office carries out the assessment. Credits, hours, cost, number of places, dates and scholarships are not stated. The three tracks of the second year make it possible to steer preparation towards plants, with attention to design and operation, towards technologies, with in-depth study of materials, radiochemistry and instrumentation, or towards the physics of nuclear systems, useful for those who wish to move towards basic and applied research.

The aim is to prepare engineers for nuclear energy production, plant decommissioning, the development of medical technologies, the construction of radiation detectors, fusion research centres, consulting and regulatory bodies. Graduates can also continue with a doctorate. The programme combines skills in physics, engineering and safety, and responds to the needs of a sector in which rigorous and interdisciplinary skills are required, both for managing existing plants and for developing new technologies. Applications are not limited to energy production: nuclear technologies are also used in medicine, for example in diagnostics and therapy, and in industry, and the programme therefore provides versatile preparation, which opens up different sectors and careers in companies, research centres, control bodies and consulting firms, in Italy and abroad.