Admission, enrollment and progression manual of the Nuclear Packaging Graduate Program

This manual gives step-by-step instructions on how to complete the University enroll/fee processes for the Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP), the Graduate Certificate in Transportation Security and Safeguards (GCTSS), and the courses. 

Students must complete additional enrollment/fee processes for classes offered by national laboratories. 

Program admission, course enrollment and program progression support is available at gradadmissions@unr.edu or (775) 784-6869. For academic advisement and aid in paying University of Nevada, Reno fees, contact NPGP@unr.edu.

Certificate Admission

Complete the Online Application

Go to the application website: https://unr.my.site.com/

Create a username and password. The user ID must be a full email address where you can receive an access code to verify the account. Please use that email address as your user ID for future access to the application.

Select the following options:

  • Choose enrollment status: degree seeking
  • Choose application type: domestic (Students from all countries should select Domestic. However, UNR will not issue a student visa for graduate certificates.)
  • Choose program of study:
    • Nuclear Packaging GCert or Transportation Security and Safeguard GCert
  • Choose sub-plan/emphasis for program of study: General
  • Student admit type: certificate program
  • Term: select applicable term for admission for first course, e.g. “Fall 2025”
  • Click "Start Application."
  • For admission, students must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. If they earned at least 60 semester-credit from where the bachelor’s degree was awarded, they need only provide an official transcript from that institution. If not, they must provide official transcripts from all institutions whose credit was used toward their degree. 
    • Official transcripts must be provided directly from the institution or from a third-party provider (such as National Clearing House, Parchment, Escrip-safe, using school code #002568).
    • or
    • Official transcripts may be mailed to: Graduate School Admissions Office, C/O University of Nevada, Reno, Mail Stop 0326, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557.
    • To expedite an admission review, students may upload unofficial transcripts during the application process. The unofficial transcripts can be used for the evaluation process, but official transcripts will be required to complete the admission process.
    • Admission requirements: Transcripts must show that the student has:
      • A bachelor’s degree in mechanical, materials, nuclear or closely related engineering field, or
      • A bachelor’s degree in any field and nuclear materials/packaging management experience. For this option, students must provide a description of their nuclear materials packaging experience during the application process (see Online Application below).
    • Upload any additional documents for departmental consideration.
    • Click the Save and Review Application button.
    • Pay the $60 application fee to submit the application.

Admission Acceptance

Applicants will receive an admission decision via email 1–7 days after submission. Accepted students will receive their Nevada System of Higher Education NSHE ID and an application number to set up their MyNEVADA account for registration and payment.

Admission to either the GCNP or GCTSS allows multi-semester enrollment without additional application fees. Immunization records or waivers are required before course registration

Course Enrollment Information

Required Items

  • To earn UNR credit in a course, students must complete the UNR enrollment/fee process before the first day of class. Students should start this process at least one week before the class begins. 
  • All students must provide immunization records or an Immunization Waiver Application for Medical or Religious Exemption. Students do not need to provide immunization records for additional course registration unless the immunization records have expired. 
    • The immunization record must show: Two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR, the first dose must be on or after the first birthday), and one dose for tetanus/diphtheria (TD) or TDAP, in the last 10 years).
      • Immunization records may be obtained from your healthcare provider, databases or other sources.
    • Alternately, students may file an Immunization Waiver Application for Medical or Religious Exemption
    • Records or waiver may be submitted by: Email: mynevada@unr.edu, Fax: (775) 784-4283, or Mail: University of Nevada, Reno, Admissions & Records, MS 0120, Reno, NV 89557
  • Course Fees (currently $450/unit)
  • Non-Nevada residents will not be charged a non-resident fee for this program.
  • For Packaging University courses offered by National Laboratories, students must complete an additional enrollment/fee process with the lab offering the course. For each course, that process is described on the Packaging University website. 

Course Enrollment

Student must maintain good academic standing to continue in the program.

Enrollment Less than one Week Before a Class Begins

Students who have not yet been admitted to the graduate certificate program may earn credit in a course by enrolling as a non-degree seeking (graduate special) student. Once they have been admitted to the graduate certificate program, they may transfer up to 12 units of previously earned credit into the graduate certificate program. The credits earned as a graduate special will be included on the Program of Study.

Shared Credits

Students earning more than one graduate certificate may share up to 4 credits between two certificates.

Progression to Graduation

The Program of Study form must be completed by the student and show the required and elective courses the student chooses to satisfy the requirements for the certificate. The completed Program of Study form must be submitted and approval by the Program Director and Graduate Dean as early as possible, but no later than the semester of requested graduation.

Continuous Enrollment:

Degree seeking students must register for a minimum of 1 graduate unit each fall and spring semester until graduation. Alternately, students in good standing may submit an online Leave of Absence Form. The form must be approved by the program director and the Graduate School. Any request for a leave of absence must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the leave is to begin. A leave of absence will not be granted retroactively unless the student submits a written appeal with department approval for the Graduate Dean to review.

A leave of absence can be granted for up to one year from the requested semester. Time spent on approved leave is included in the six years allowed to complete the certificate. Exceptions to the time limit may be granted for valid, compelling reasons by the Graduate School.

Students who do not continuously enroll and are not on an approved leave of absence will be discontinued from the program. Students wanting to return to the program may request that their enrollment to be reactivated using a Notice of Reinstatement ($60 fee).

There are no minimum registration requirements during the summer unless the student has applied to graduate in the summer and was not enrolled for the previous spring semester. Summer graduation applicants who were not enrolled for the previous spring semester must enroll for at least one graduate credit for summer.

Graduation

To graduate, students must complete their program of study within 6 years and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. All candidates for graduation must work with the program director during their final semester to confirm their expectations. At the time of graduation, students must purchase a graduation application ($145, available from the MyNEVADA portal) by the following deadlines:

  • May graduation deadline: March 1
  • August graduation deadline: June 1
  • December graduation deadline: Oct. 1

The student will receive an email outlining the result of their graduation review approximately 3-8 weeks after the student applies.