Nuclear engineering was born in 1938, with the discovery of nuclear fission. The first artificial nuclear reactor, CP-1, was designed by a team of physicists who were concerned that Nazi Germany might also be seeking to build a bomb based on nuclear fission. (The earliest known nuclear reaction on Earth occurred naturally, 1.7 billion years ago, in Oklo, Gabon, Africa.) The second artificial nuclear reactor, the X-10 Graphite Reactor, was also a part of the Manhattan Project, as were the plutonium-producing reactors of the Hanford Engineer Works.
The first commercial nuclear power plant, built to be connected to an electrical grid, is the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, which began operation in 1954. The second is the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, which produced electricity in 1957.
Job prospects for nuclear engineers worldwide are not available, but the IAEA estimates that nuclear energy capacity will grow by 40% (an additional 514 GW(e) ) to 2.5 times current capacity (an additional 950 GW(e)) by 2050. Countries with existing nuclear energy capacity and those actively exploring nuclear energy are listed in the following.
Organizations that provide study and training in nuclear engineering include the following:
"Nuclear engineering, going forward". NuclearNewswire. American Nuclear Society. Retrieved 21 April 2023. https://www.ans.org/news/article-582/nuclear-engineering-going-forward/
"Nuclear Engineering". Britannica. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-engineering
"Nuclear Power in the World Today". World Nuclear Association. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx
Thompson, Jess. "When Can We Expect Nuclear Fusion?". Newsweek. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.newsweek.com/nuclear-fusion-when-ready-electricity-technology-1773349
"Nuclear Fission Energy". Lawrence Livermore. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www2.lbl.gov/abc/wallchart/chapters/14/1.html
"Nuclear power and the environment". EIA. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 7 April 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/nuclear-power-and-the-environment.php
"The Discovery of Fission". The Manhattan Project: an interactive history. US Department of Energy. Retrieved 7 April 2023. https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1890s-1939/discovery_fission.htm
"The World's First Nuclear Power Plant". Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. US Department of Energy. Retrieved 7 April 2023. https://inl.gov/experimental-breeder-reactor-i/
Martin and Bornstein. "Nuclear Engineering". Britannica. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-engineering
"Nuclear engineer job profile | Prospects.ac.uk". www.prospects.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-13. https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/nuclear-engineer
"What Nuclear Engineers Do". Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 16 April 2023. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/nuclear-engineers.htm#tab-2
Goldberg and Rosner. "The History of Reactor Generations". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 9 April 2023. https://www.amacad.org/publication/nuclear-reactors-generation-generation/section/5
"Operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants". IAEA. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2023. https://www.iaea.org/topics/operation-and-maintenance
"Environmental Detection of Clandestine Nuclear Weapon Programs" (PDF). MIT. Retrieved 21 April 2023. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/105171/Environmental%20Detection%20of%20Clandestine%20Nuclear%20Weapon%20Programs%20-%20Final%20Manuscript%20%282%29.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
"Nuclear Techniques Help to Solve Crimes". EIA. 23 December 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2023. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/nuclear-techniques-help-solve-crimes
"5 Incredible Ways Nuclear Powers Our Lives". Energy.gov. US Department of Energy. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/5-incredible-ways-nuclear-powers-our-lives
"Jobs". NEI. Retrieved 9 April 2023. https://www.nei.org/advantages/jobs
Townsend, L. W.; Brady, L.; Lindegard, J.; Hall, H. L.; McAndrew-Benavides, E.; Poston, J. W. (2022). "Nuclear engineering workforce in the United States". Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics. 23 (Suppl 1): e13808. doi:10.1002/acm2.13808. PMC 9880971. PMID 36305037. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9880971
"Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2050". IAEA. IAEA. Retrieved 2 July 2025. https://www.iaea.org/publications/15756/energy-electricity-and-nuclear-power-estimates-for-the-period-up-to-2050
"Austria JRC Report" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 10 April 2023. https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/austria-national-report.pdf
"Experience Creates Safety". Nuclear Engineering Siebersdorf. Retrieved 10 April 2023. https://www.nes.at/en/
"IAEA Technical Cooperation in Africa" (PDF). Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/20/01/tc-africa-2018.pdf
"IAEA Technical Communication Program" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/documents/tc/ARM0006.pdf
"IAEA Banner Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT)". IAEA. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.iaea.org/services/networks/anent
"Nuclear Engineering Help create the technologies of the future". UNSW Sydney. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering/study-with-us/study-areas/nuclear-engineering
"Austria". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/austria_en
"Department of Nuclear Engineering". University of Dhaka. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://du.ac.bd/undergrad/NED
"Department of Nuclear Physics". Belarusian University. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://bsu.by/en/structure/faculties/kafedry/kafedra-yadernoy-fiziki-d
"Belgium". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/belgium_en
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"Denmark". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/denmark_en
"Estonia". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/estonia_en
"Finland". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/finland_en
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"Germany". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/germany_en
"Greece". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/greece_en
"Hungary". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/hungary_en
"۱۳ مدرسه اتمی در کشور داریم/ برنامه ریزی برای احداث مدارس جدید". خبرگزاری ایلنا (in Persian). 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-02. https://www.ilna.ir/بخش-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C-5/1382906-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF
"طرح محققان دانشگاه صنعتی اصفهان در بزرگترین پروژه علمی دنیا پذیرفته شد". ایمنا (in Persian). 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-02. https://www.imna.ir/news/456879/طرح-محققان-دانشگاه-صنعتی-اصفهان-در-بزرگترین-پروژه-علمی-دنیا-پذیرفته
"Ireland". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/ireland_en
"Italy". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/italy_en
"Latvia". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/latvia_en
"Lithuania". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/lithuania_en
"Luxembourg". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/luxembourg_en
"BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (NUCLEAR)". UTM Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2023. https://fkt.utm.my/bachelor-of-nuclear-engineering-2/
"Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)". Malaysian Qualifications Register. Retrieved 19 May 2023. https://www2.mqa.gov.my/mqr/english/eiptaKPList.cfm?IDAkrIPTS=261
"Malta". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/malta_en
"Netherlands". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/netherlands_en
"Poland". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/poland_en
"Portugal". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/portugal_en
"Romania". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/romania_en
"Slovakia". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/slovakia_en
"Slovenia". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/slovenia_en
"Spain". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/spain_en
"Sweden". EU. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/member-states-info/sweden_en
"Universities". The Nuclear Institute. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.nuclearinst.com/Universities
"Nuclear Engineering Department Heads". NEDHO. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://nedho.org/members