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What career path should I follow and what courses should i take to become a nuclear operator?

Power plant operators control and monitor boilers, turbines, generators, and auxiliary equipment in power-generating plants. Operators distribute power demands among generators, combine the current from several generators, and monitor instruments to maintain voltage and regulate electricity flows from the plant. When power requirements change, these workers start or stop generators and connect or disconnect them from circuits. They often use computers to keep records of switching operations and loads on generators, lines, and transformers. Operators also may use computers to prepare reports of unusual incidents, malfunctioning equipment, or maintenance performed during their shift. What courses should I be taking in high school and college/university to have a career as a Nuclear Power Plant Operator?

Public Comments

1. Anything in the engineering field - electical engineering, mechanical engineering, etc.... lots of math classes, lots of science classes, lots of computer technologu classes.
2. Power plant operators are usually not degreed engineers. However, if you want a career as a power plant operator with good career advancement prospects, you should consider taking either an Engineering Technology (BSET) degree or an (BSIT) Industrial Technology degree. TAC/ABET accredits Engineering Technology degrees. NAIT accredits Industrial Technology degrees. Excelsior College has a TAC/ABET-accredited distance degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology. University of North Texas has a well-regarded degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology, but it seems to have disappeared from the website.