Nuclear Physics deals with study of the structure of matter at the atomic level. It also deals with the study of interactions of the atom molecules and the building blocks. The subject is mainly applied in nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology. A few other applications of the subject are nuclear medicine, ion implantation in material engineering, magnetic resonance imaging, and radiocarbon dating in geology and archaeology. The ultimate technical achievement of nuclear physics is the development of nuclear energy. This is the energy released after fission and fusion. This energy can be used for both destructive and constructive purposes.

Course Details

Nuclear Physics courses revolve around all areas of development, research and application of nuclear energy. In India, courses on nuclear physics are provided on different levels like bachelor, master, and doctoral. Some of the known courses are Doctoral degree in Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Research programs in particle collision and high energy collisions, Master of Science in Nuclear Physics, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

For pursing a bachelor degree in nuclear physics, the candidates have to complete their 12th (Science) from a recognised institution. The qualification criteria for doing masters degree in the nuclear physics is a pass in graduation from a recognised university. The aspirants must have done their bachelors degree in any of the science subjects. To pursue any doctoral program, the candidates have to complete their master’s degree in nuclear physics from any recognised university. Some colleges may conduct entrance exams for Ph.D admission. So, the aspirants should score very well in their post graduation.

Institutes that provide Nuclear Physics courses

There are a good number of leading institutes in India offering a course in Nuclear Physics. Some of them are listed below.

• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
• Berhampur University
• Karnataka University
• Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
• Institute of Physics (IOP)
• Government of India’s National Centre for Nuclear Science and Mathematics
• IIT Kanpur
• Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
• Andhra University

Career Opportunities

The candidates can search for job in a nuclear power plant after completing the nuclear physics courses. They can also join as a scientist in any recognized institute. Those who want to go for higher studies can opt for research works. Some of the organizations that offer nuclear physicists are mentioned below.

• Material engineering firms
• Power generation
• Archaeology bodies
• Medicine manufacturing companies
• MRI machinery manufacturers
• Research institutes
• Defense research organizations

There are many Indian and foreign organizations that offer good jobs for the nuclear physics scholars, for example: Space and Astronomy Research Lab.

Salary Package

A typical nuclear physicist can earn an annual income of Rs. 25 lakhs. The average annual income of a nuclear engineer is Rs. 30 lakhs. The salary of a nuclear engineer varies greatly depending upon whether they are working in the private or public sector.