Program requirements, how to enroll and other important information

Certificate program admission requirements

Students must have a bachelor’s degree before being admitted into either the Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP) or the Graduate Certificate in Transportation Security and Safeguards (GCTSS). If their degree is not in engineering, they must have experience in nuclear packaging or a related field. The Application, Admission/Enrollment and Progression Manual provides step-by-step instructions students must follow to apply for admission.

Course requirements and enrollment

Program courses

To earn either the GCNP or the GCTSS, students must complete nine units of course and/or project work. The Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program courses webpage lists all classes that count toward the GCNP and GCTSS. Twenty-one of these classes are one- and two-unit (one- and two-week) Packaging University courses taught by subject matter experts from seven U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories. 

Eight other classes are taught by faculty members at the University of Nevada, Reno. All the University courses are three-unit, semester-long classes. However, only two of them are currently available to off-campus students. 

Required courses

Both certificates require four units of Packaging University coursework. The Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program courses webpage indicates which classes are required for each certificate. The GCNP requires the following three courses: 

  • NP 700: ASME Pressure Vessel Code for Nuclear Transport and Storage (a one-week, one-unit course offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
  • NP 701: Quality Assurance for Transport Packaging and Storage Casks (a one-week, one-unit course offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
  • NP 702: SARP Review and Confirmatory Analysis (a two-week, two-unit course offered by Argonne National Laboratory)

The GCTSS requires the following four courses:

  • NP 710: Nuclear Security During US Domestic Transport (offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
  • NP 711: Nuclear Security During International Transport (offered by Argonne National Laboratory)
  • NP 720: Fundamentals of Nuclear Security (offered by Sandia National Laboratory)
  • NP 730: Fundamentals of Nuclear Safeguards (offered by Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Elective courses

For either graduate certificate, students must select five units of electives from the Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program courses. They may be chosen from a combination of the following:

On-campus students may also choose other University of Nevada, Reno elective courses. However, those courses are not currently available to off-campus students, unless they take an equivalent course at another university and transfer the credits. Students should contact NPGP@unr.edu before considering that option to assess transferability. Students earning both graduate certificates may use four units from one to satisfy electives for the other. 

Required and elective classes may be taken in any order (no class is a prerequisite for another). 

Students must complete a University registration/fee process for each class. The Application, Admission/Enrollment and Progression Manual provides step-by-step instructions. Employers often cover University of Nevada, Reno fees, but fee assistance and academic advisement are available at NPGP@unr.edu. For all Packaging University courses, students must complete an additional national laboratory enrollment/fee process, described on the Packaging University website. 

All students taking classes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (in Tennessee) must follow additional instructions found on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory webpage. 

Students who attended Packaging University courses but did not earn University of Nevada, Reno credit may contact NPGP@unr.edu. 

Program progression and graduation

Students must complete at least one credit of course work each fall and spring semester to remain enrolled in the program, or they must file for a leave of absence. For a course to apply toward a graduate certificate, students must earn a C grade or higher. The full nine-unit curriculum must be completed within six years of program enrollment with an average grade of B or higher. The Application, Admission/Enrollment and Progression Manual provides full details. 

Other important information

Credit transferability

Credits earned through this program may be used toward either the Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP) or the Graduate Certificate in Transportation Security and Safeguards (GCTSS), or any other program that accepts them. Students who are considering transferring credits to another university or program are advised to first check with that program or institution. Transferability is an option of the accepting institution. As an accredited institution, the University of Nevada, Reno has a history of transferring credits to other universities. 

Student complaints

This section outlines the process for any student complaints about the program.

  • Student course complaints or concerns should first be addressed by working with the course instructor.
  • Students who are not satisfied with that step, or have complaints about the program, may email the program director at NPGP@unr.edu.
  • Students who are not satisfied with that process may seek a remedy through the University’s comprehensive complaint process at the University’s Distance education student complaints page. The students who pursue this option will receive an email from the Provost’s Office as their complaints are processed.
  • If students feel their concern/complaint was not resolved to their satisfaction, they may complete the Complaint Resolution Form, which will be directed to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) portal agency in Nevada.

Nevada State SARA Portal

Terina Caserto
Senior Analyst, Academic & Student Affairs
Email: tcaserto@nshe.nevada.edu
Phone: (775) 784-3447
Nevada System of Higher Education
2601 Enterprise Road
Reno, NV 89512

The decision of the Nevada State SARA Portal, Nevada System of Higher Education, is final.

Web resources