The role of graduate certificates in public perceptions of nuclear power

In the United States university educational system, a graduate certificate is recognized as a specialized credential that is awarded to demonstrate mastery of basic principles in a specific subject or field, usually one not offered as a major program of study by the university. Often targeted for the working professional within that specific field, the importance of these unique credentials are minimized when viewed from the traditional track of education progression (bachelors, masters, Ph. D.). The authors posit that the actual importance of graduate certificates lies not in tailoring them to apply to professionals in a specific subject or field, such as nuclear science and engineering, but as a vehicle to make nuclear education more broadly available to the science and engineering community. The authors examine a nuclear-related curriculum currently in use at a university in the US and propose changes that would broaden the audience, thereby increasing the number of college-educated professionals that understand basic principles of the nuclear industry. The critical piece to all such programs is suggested to be designing to ensure undergraduate access to the first course of the certificate. Lastly, suggestions for an industry-led, cost-effective unified curriculum formation are discussed as are strategies for designing such a program for ease of use by universities. (author)