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PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

The Department offers three Executive Education programs.

Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives

The Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives, offered jointly with the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, is an intensive three-week program designed for executives with a non-nuclear background to learn the fundamentals of nuclear technology and how critical safety functions work. Participation is by invitation only.

Nuclear Energy: Facts and Issues

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report suggests that the world needs to fully decarbonize its energy system in the next several decades, and its scenarios for doing so assume a substantial increase in nuclear energy. But there are many issues around nuclear energy’s future: need, cost, safety, waste disposal and the diversion of civilian nuclear material for weapons. The issues are technically complex, and challenging to non-specialists — yet of the utmost importance. To provide a roadmap through the key facts and issues, MIT hosted a fact-based short course for US and non-US government officials and staff, think-tank staff, foundation officials, and science and technology journalists. The primary objective was to provide participants with an informed basis for acting on, and writing about, nuclear energy, especially in the context of managing climate change. The program included (a) an overview of energy system basics, including how power grids function; (b) the options for clean-energy systems in the world economy; (c) nuclear’s potential value in a low-carbon energy transition (such as scalability, physical footprint, energy density, application to non-electric uses); (d) basics of nuclear technology, and description of existing and emerging technologies; (e) economics and plant deployment challenges; (f) waste, radiation risk issues and risk communication; and (g) nonproliferation. The course provided objective information and exposure to arguments and counter-arguments, not advocacy of a position.

Nuclear Plant Safety

The Nuclear Plant Safety Course (MIT's longest running summer program) is a one-week course on safety and regulatory aspects of nuclear reactors in the U.S. and other countries. more

Nuclear Operational Risk Management (NORM)

A four-day program for nuclear plant and corporate managers and other personnel who want to learn how to apply probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) results effectively. more