Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Nuclear and Risk Engineering (BENRE)
JUPAS code: 1021 College of Science and Engineering (Engineering)
(for HKDSE entrants only)
WHY IS THIS PROGRAMME NEEDED?
This major is a unique undergraduate programme in Hong Kong, aiming at meeting the current manpower requirements and also future economic challenges of Hong Kong. Students of this major will be trained in multi-disciplinary topics related to nuclear engineering and risk engineering. The major will concentrate on five related focus areas which are nuclear engineering, nuclear medicine and medical radiation, maintenance engineering, risk engineering, and crisis management. These five focus areas are in general aligned with three of the six new economic pillars, namely testing and certification, medical services, and environmental industry, which have been identified by Hong Kong SAR Government as the key fields for future economic growth. The following are some of the reasons why this major is needed:
- Due to the increasing energy demand and concerns over climate change caused by burning greenhouse-gas-emitting fossil fuels, there has been a revival of interest in nuclear energy. Many countries and cities, including mainland China and Hong Kong, are planning to significantly increase the use of nuclear energy. With such a rapid growth in this field, shortage of well-trained nuclear engineers is foreseen in this region.
- Due to aging population, the use of the radiation technology for medical treatments and diagnostics has been increased steadily over the years. In order to support the continuous growth in this field, it is essential for Hong Kong to train up sufficient medical radiation professionals to meet the current and future manpower demands.
- As more and more complex engineering systems or civil structures are being built in Hong Kong and mainland China, advanced maintenance engineering is becoming essential to ensure the safe and efficient use of such systems or structures and also to protect the huge investment associated with these complex systems or structures. Job prospect in this field is very good.
- Risk engineering is not only essential to the nuclear industry but also to many big corporations and engineering systems. Many companies have now recognized the importance of assessing and managing risk to ensure smooth running of their businesses. Risk professionals are highly sought-after.
- Risk engineering and management involve assessing potential threats and finding the best ways to avoid those threats. In contrast, disaster or crisis management involves dealing with threats after they have occurred. Several major recent disasters and product recalls such as Gulf of Mexico oil spill, severe flooding caused by hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, major vehicle recalls by Toyota, toys recalls by Mattel and Three-Deer milk powder event have highlighted the importance of crisis management for reducing the adverse impacts to businesses and governments. Many government departments, non-governmental organizations, petrochemical companies, public utilities companies, banks and big corporations do employ crisis management professionals to protect their businesses from potential crises.
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
The major aims to equip the students with multi-disciplinary knowledge in nuclear engineering and risk engineering. Besides teaching the discipline-related technical knowledge, we will also help the students develop their problem solving skills so that they can analyze and solve a broad spectrum of engineering problems. The students will gain a sound foundation in the relevant disciplines through practical hands-on projects and extensive exposure to real-life scenarios through industrial placements and overseas exchange arrangements with a view to attaining the dynamic levels and standards required by highly competitive markets such as Hong Kong and mainland China.
CAREER IN NUCLEAR AND RISK ENGINEERING
As this programme is multi-disciplinary in nature, job prospect is promising. After graduation, students can choose to work in many related professions or industrial sectors, such as power generation industry, maintenance engineering for large corporations, medical radiation related fields in hospitals and diagnostic centres, radiation protection and environmental protection in government departments and private consultancy firms, product research and development in nuclear radiation equipment companies, risk assessment in the financial sector, and also disaster management for Government, public utilities companies and big corporations.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for admission, you must satisfy the University's General Entrance Requirements.
Students seeking admission to the College of Science and Engineering (via Engineering Route) are advised to study one or more of the following HKDSE subjects:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Mathematics (Extended Module 1 or 2)
- Science (integrated or combined)
- Business, Accounting and Financial Studies
- Information and Communication Technology
- Design and Applied Technology
CURRICULUM
The curriculum has been categorized into eight main programme building blocks:
- General Science and Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Nuclear Medicine and Medical Radiation
- Maintenance Engineering
- Risk Engineering
- Crisis Management
- Integrative Project
- Language and Out-of-Discipline studies
Innovative teaching approaches will be adopted in the delivery of the curriculum in order to integrate theories with industrial practices. Problem-solving activities, experience-based learning, integrative workshops, industrial attachment, co-operative education, and industry-based projects are typical means to help achieve the targets.
The major requires a total of 120 credit units.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
This programme is designed to meet the accreditation requirements of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), a signatory member of the Washington Accord, under which all members agree to recognize each other's accredited engineering degree programmes.
TUITION FEES
Government Funded Programmes
- Bachelor's Degree: $42,100 per annum *
- Associate Degree: $31,575 per annum *
- Non-local students:
$60,000 per annum # (for students admitted in 2007 or earlier)
$80,000 per annum # (for students admitted in 2008 - 2010)
$100,000 per annum # (for students to be admitted in 2011)
* The tuition fee is subject to annual review. If there are changes to the tuition fee set by the HKSAR Government, the tuition fee may be adjusted.
# The tuition fee may increase if there are changes to the tuition fee set by the HKSAR Government. If there are no changes to the government-set tuition fee, the fee will apply until the end of your study in this programme.
Latest information on tuition fees is available at the website of the Academic Regulations and Records Office at http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/arro/content.asp?cid=76.
Inquiry: 3442-8419 (Ms. Kan)
MAJOR COORDINATOR
Programme Structure (Links to University Programme Page)
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Nuclear and Risk Engineering
Model Study Path (PDF)
This major is jointly run by the Departments of Biology and Chemistry (BCH), Civil and Architectural Engineering (CA), Electronic Engineering (EE), Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering (MBE), Physics and Materials Science (AP), and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management (SEEM).
Last modified on 11 October, 2011