More than a dozen students are already enrolled in specialized courses leading to new qualifications in nuclear engineering
Since September 2025, graduate students from across U of T Engineering and beyond have been engaging with the potential of atomic energy in a whole new way.
The new MEng emphasis in Nuclear Engineering prepares graduates to meet the growing demand for highly trained professionals in this area, which is playing an expanded role in energy, human health and sustainability.
“There really is something of a nuclear renaissance happening, not only in Canada, which has a long and proud history in this area, but around the world,” says Professor Nazir Kherani (MSE, ECE), who helped lead the creation of the new emphasis.
“For decades, nuclear has provided abundant low-carbon electricity, which is now more important than ever, and has been used to enhance human health through radioisotopes and nuclear medicine. But today, there is a lot of excitement about new potential approaches, including small modular reactors, nuclear fusion and even the possibility of nuclear-powered hydrogen production.”
The Master of Engineering (MEng) program is a course-based, professional master’s program that can be completed in one year of full-time study. The new nuclear emphasis is one of more than a dozen different specializations that MEng students can choose to pursue; other emphases range from Data Analytics and Machine Learning to Semiconductor Fabrication and Inspection.
At present, the MEng emphasis in Nuclear Engineering is open to students from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) and the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (CivMin). However, opportunities to study nuclear engineering will continue to grow across the faculty given demand within the field.
New programming builds on existing U of T Engineering offerings in the area of nuclear technology, such as the nuclear engineering certificate which can be taken by undergraduate students, as well as various graduate-level courses in nuclear studies which are available to students from across the Faculty.
Central to the new emphasis are two newly created graduate-level courses, MSE 1074: Atomic Energy Materials Systems & Sustainability – Fundamentals I and MSE 1075: Fundamentals of Atomic Energy Materials Systems and Sustainability II.
Not only do these courses count toward the new MEng emphasis, they are also available as micro-credentials to students in disciplines and even other U of T faculties. More than a dozen MEng students from across U of T Engineering and several from other U of T faculties and departments have successfully completed the first (Fall term) course, and over twenty have already enrolled for the second (Winter term) course.
Sherry Esfahani (MSE MASc 1T0, PhD 1T6) External Relations Liaison & Communications Officer in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, played a key role in developing the new courses.
“After I finished my PhD here at U of T Engineering, I spent a few years working in the nuclear field,” she says.
“I met a lot of new hires and interns, but not as many of them were from my alma mater as I would have expected. I wanted to make sure that our students have a pathway into this rapidly growing industry.”
Students taking the emphasis will receive a solid foundation in the fundamentals of atomic-nuclear physics, nuclear materials, nuclear reactor physics and radiation. They’ll also learn about radiation detection and safety, regulatory codes, nuclear thermal hydraulics, nuclear operations and AI, as well as nuclear medicine and next-generation reactors.
“Depending on their previous background, this emphasis could prepare students for all kinds of different careers,” says Kherani.
“Some might develop next-generation detector systems to monitor incipient failure mechanisms or advanced probes for non-destructive testing. Others might focus on maintenance or refurbishments of older plants, which has been carried out very successfully here in Canada.”
“And still others might be the ones to develop technologies that are not yet widely deployed, such as small modular reactors, or using AI to harvest useful information from the enormous amount of data that is generated by nuclear plants. They may be involved in researching fusion plasma physics, magnetic confinement and advanced superconductors. There are many interesting possibilities here.”
Esfahani agrees.
“The new emphasis opens strong career trajectories across the industry, healthcare and policy sectors,” she says.
“It will equip students with the skills needed to contribute to today’s nuclear energy generation, as well as the research, innovation and regulatory and safety leadership we will need for the future.”
By Tyler Irving