NO EXISTEN CAMBIOS
The subject guide has been updated with the changes mentioned here
The University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia has been designed to provide advanced, specialized, and applied training in the computational simulation and analysis of neutronic problems. Throughout the program, students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to understand, apply, and integrate methodologies for radiation transport, activation, transmutation, geometric modeling, nuclear data analysis, and computational simulation in technically complex settings.
Computational neutronics is now an essential discipline for the analysis, design, operation, safety assessment, and decommissioning of nuclear and radioactive facilities. Its applications are particularly relevant to fission facilities, nuclear fusion systems, particle accelerators, medical applications, radiation protection, large scientific infrastructures, and regulatory bodies. In this context, the master’s degree responds to the need for professionals who can use advanced computational tools, interpret quantitative results, assess uncertainties, and support decision-making in real-world problems in nuclear engineering and applied science.
The program has a highly specialized professional orientation, while maintaining a rigorous scientific and technical foundation. Particular emphasis is placed on computational methodologies, practical problem-solving, and the integration of calculation workflows used in computational neutronics. This approach enables students to acquire training that is closely aligned with the current needs of companies, research centers, universities, nuclear facilities, laboratories, regulatory organizations, and technology-based institutions working in nuclear and radiological fields.
The master’s degree belongs to the branch of Engineering and Architecture, within the field of industrial engineering and related areas, and is taught entirely in English. It is offered in a distance-learning/virtual format, following UNED’s educational model, which allows students to combine advanced graduate study with professional or research activity. Teaching is supported by virtual courses, instructional materials, practical activities, tutoring, computational tools, and assessment systems adapted to distance education.
The curriculum consists of 60 ECTS credits. It is organized into seven compulsory 6 ECTS courses and an 18 ECTS Master’s Thesis. The compulsory courses provide a coherent progression from physical and computational foundations to advanced nuclear analysis and applications in nuclear fusion facilities. Four of these courses include computational practice, reinforcing the applied character of the program and enabling students to develop direct experience with calculation tools and methodologies.
The Master’s Thesis is the final integrative component of the program. In it, students are expected to apply, in a coordinated manner, the knowledge and competencies acquired throughout the degree in order to carry out an advanced technical project in computational neutronics. Whenever possible, thesis topics will be connected to real problems of interest to companies, research centers, universities, or other stakeholders in the field, thereby strengthening the connection between academic training and specialized professional practice.
Taken as a whole, the University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics offers a distinctive, specialized, and cross-cutting program of study. It prepares students to address advanced problems of simulation, analysis, and interpretation in computational neutronics, and to work in highly qualified technical environments related to nuclear engineering, fusion, radioactive facilities, accelerators, and other applications involving ionizing radiation.
General Objectives Of The Master’s Degree:
- To understand the physical and mathematical foundations of radiation transport, radiation–matter interaction, activation and transmutation, and their application to nuclear engineering and radioactive facilities.
- To apply advanced computational methodologies for neutronic simulation, including Monte Carlo methods, transport–activation coupling, geometric modeling, nuclear data processing and results analysis.
- To use programming, data analysis and scientific computing tools to solve applied problems in computational neutronics in technically complex environments.
- To design, execute, verify and interpret complete nuclear analyses, assessing the accuracy, validity, uncertainty and traceability of the results obtained.
- To integrate computational neutronics methods and tools in real-world problems associated with fission facilities, fusion facilities, particle accelerators, medical applications, radiation protection and regulatory bodies.
- To communicate, in English, technical results, assumptions, limitations and conclusions of neutronic analyses in a clear, rigorous and well-founded manner to specialized audiences.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
TYPE: Knowledge or contents
CN1 - Understand the theoretical principles of radiation–matter interaction for radiation transport applied to engineering.
CN2 - Understand the theoretical principles of activation and transmutation applied to engineering.
CN3 - Understand the most relevant nuclear and radioactive facilities and the role of neutronics in their design and operation.
CN4 - Understand the general concepts of programming for the processing and analysis of data relevant to computational neutronics.
CN5 - Understand the numerical methods and computational systems used in computational neutronics simulations.
TYPE: Skills or abilities
H1 - Use relevant scientific and technical resources and databases in nuclear engineering.
H2 - Develop and apply computational tools for the processing and analysis of data relevant to computational neutronics.
H3 - Communicate technical results and conclusions clearly and rigorously in English to different audiences.
H4 - Implement calculation methodologies adapted to the solution of specific neutronic problems.
H5 - Apply computational simulation tools to estimate nuclear responses.
H6 - Generate neutronic models adapted to the needs of nuclear and radioactive facilities.
TYPE: Competences
CP1 - Evaluate results, as well as their accuracy and validity, to support design and safety decision-making in nuclear and radioactive facilities.
CP2 - Apply, in an integrated manner, radiation transport, isotopic activation and computational modeling methodologies to perform complete nuclear analyses in relevant nuclear and radioactive facilities.
CP3 - Propose solutions to real neutronic problems in nuclear and radioactive facilities.
CP4 - Identify neutronic needs in nuclear and radioactive facilities.
CP5 - Plan and manage scientific and technical work with critical judgment and autonomy.
The current development of nuclear, radioactive, and accelerator-based technologies is creating a growing demand for professionals with advanced training in computational simulation, radiation transport, activation, geometric modeling, nuclear data processing, and the interpretation of quantitative results. This demand is present in the energy sector, large scientific infrastructures, nuclear fusion facilities, research centers, engineering companies, regulatory bodies, medical and industrial applications involving ionizing radiation, and activities related to radiation protection, safety, and decommissioning.
The University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics addresses this need through specialized and applied training aimed at enabling students to tackle advanced technical problems in computational neutronics. The program combines physical and mathematical foundations, calculation methodologies, simulation tools, scientific programming, data analysis, and computational practice in order to prepare graduates for highly qualified professional environments.
From a professional perspective, graduates may work in nuclear engineering companies, technology organizations, nuclear and radioactive facilities, fusion projects, particle accelerator facilities, laboratories, computing centers, specialized consultancies, regulatory organizations, and institutions connected to medical or industrial applications of radiation. Their training will enable them to contribute to neutronic modeling, radiation transport analysis, estimation of nuclear responses, activation calculations, radioactive source evaluation, uncertainty treatment, verification of results, and technical support for decisions related to design, operation, safety, or decommissioning.
From an academic perspective, the master’s degree provides advanced MECES level 3 training and may support further progression toward doctoral studies, subject to the admission requirements of each doctoral program. The structure of the degree, and particularly the Master’s Thesis, allows students to specialize in advanced technical problems and to gain systematic experience in defining, carrying out, documenting, and defending an advanced project in computational neutronics.
From a research perspective, the program provides a strong foundation for joining research lines related to radiation transport, Monte Carlo simulation, activation and transmutation of materials, transport–activation coupling, advanced nuclear analysis, nuclear fusion, nuclear data processing, scientific computing, and the development or validation of computational methodologies. This orientation is particularly relevant for students interested in pursuing a doctoral thesis or joining research projects at universities, technology centers, laboratories, or national and international scientific institutions.
The main student profiles targeted by the program are the following:
-
Graduates in Industrial Engineering, Energy Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or other Science or Engineering degrees who can demonstrate sufficient prior training in mathematics, applied physics, programming, and quantitative analysis.
- Professionals from engineering companies, nuclear or radioactive facilities, technology centers, regulatory bodies, or radiation-related organizations who wish to acquire or update competences in computational neutronics.
- Students interested in orienting their careers toward applied research or toward a future doctoral thesis in nuclear engineering, fusion, computational simulation, or applications of ionizing radiation.
- Technical or research staff involved in projects related to simulation, nuclear analysis, radiation transport, activation, radiation protection, particle accelerators, or large scientific infrastructures.
- Graduates who, for geographical, professional, or personal reasons, require specialized training in a virtual format compatible with UNED’s distance-learning model.
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, a University Master’s Degree, or degrees of the same level as a Spanish Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree issued by universities or higher education institutions within the European Higher Education Area, provided that such degrees grant access to Master’s-level studies in the country of issue. Applicants holding degrees from education systems outside the European Higher Education Area may also be admitted, provided that their degree is equivalent to Bachelor’s level and grants access to postgraduate university studies in the country of issue, following verification by the University. This route does not imply official recognition or homologation of the previous degree for any purpose other than admission to the Master’s Degree.
Given the nature of the Master’s Degree, specific access requires that students hold one of the following qualifications: a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering, Energy Engineering, or Nuclear Engineering, as well as the former five- or six-year Industrial Engineering degree from study plans prior to the European Higher Education Area; or a Bachelor’s Degree or former Licenciatura in Physics.
In addition to the direct-access degrees listed above, applicants holding university degrees in Science or Engineering may also be admitted, provided that they demonstrate sufficient prior training consistent with the objectives of the Master’s Degree. In particular, they must show that their previous studies have provided the following competency profile: a sufficient mathematical foundation for physical and engineering modeling, including differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, numerical methods, and fundamentals of statistics or data analysis; basic training in applied physics, especially mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, atomic or nuclear physics, or fundamentals of radiation–matter interaction; knowledge of engineering or applied sciences enabling them to understand complex technological systems, industrial, energy, nuclear, radioactive, or scientific facilities, and their design, operation, analysis, and safety requirements; programming skills and the use of computational tools, including programming languages or scientific computing environments, data processing, numerical problem solving, and technical software; and the ability to interpret quantitative results, assess their physical consistency, analyze uncertainties, and draw technical conclusions from simulations, calculations, or experimental data.
The Master’s Coordination Committee will verify compliance with this competency profile on the basis of the applicant’s academic transcript, course syllabi or teaching guides of previously completed subjects, the Bachelor’s Thesis or equivalent work, documented academic or professional experience, and any other documentation submitted by the applicant that allows the Committee to objectively assess their suitability for the admission profile. Accordingly, admission of students from other Science or Engineering degrees will not be automatic, but will be subject to individualized verification that the applicant has the prior competencies needed to successfully undertake the University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics.
Since the Master’s Degree will be taught entirely in English, students must provide evidence of English-language proficiency equivalent to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This may be demonstrated through an official B2-level certificate or equivalent, including comparable certificates such as those issued by the University of Cambridge. UNED may also certify candidates’ English level through a qualification issued by its Centro Universitario de Idiomas a Distancia, whose levels are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Failure to provide evidence of the required English-language proficiency will result in exclusion from the admission process.
No bridging courses or complementary training credits are included in the degree.
The body responsible for the admission and selection of students in the University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics is the Master’s Coordination Committee. This Committee is responsible for establishing and applying the admission and selection criteria, as well as for assessing applications individually when demand exceeds the number of available places.
Student admission will be based, first, on the suitability of the academic degree granting access to the Master’s Degree. Priority will be given to degrees directly related to Industrial Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Energy Engineering, and Physics, as well as to other Science or Engineering degrees that provide sufficient prior training consistent with the objectives of the degree and with the required competency profile.
If demand exceeds the number of available places, the Coordination Committee will apply the following selection criteria:
- Suitability of the academic degree for the Master’s Degree, up to 4 points. The Committee will assess the relationship between the applicant’s degree and the fields of industrial engineering, nuclear engineering, energy engineering, physics, and other areas of Science or Engineering related to computational neutronics.
- Academic record, up to 4 points. The average grade of the degree granting access to the Master’s Degree may be assessed.
- Curriculum vitae, up to 2 points. Research, teaching, or professional experience relevant to the field of the Master’s Degree may be taken into account.
- Other merits, up to 1 point. Additional training in programming, participation in research projects, stays at reference centers, publications, academic awards, or other merits related to the objectives and contents of the degree may be considered.
Applications will be assessed individually. The Coordination Committee may request additional documentation when necessary to verify the applicant’s suitability for the admission profile, including course syllabi or teaching guides of previously completed subjects, evidence of academic or professional experience, a description of the Bachelor’s Thesis or equivalent work, certificates of additional training, or any other evidence that allows the Committee to objectively assess the applicant’s prior preparation.
Entrance examinations or personal interviews are not generally envisaged. However, in specific cases, the Coordination Committee may request additional information from the applicant in order to verify compliance with the access requirements and the required competency profile.
The University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics offers 50 newly admitted student places
ECTS credits
A total of 60 ECTS credits is required to obtain the University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics. The study plan does not include elective credits, bridging courses, or curricular external internships. The academic structure of the degree consists of 42 ECTS credits corresponding to compulsory courses and 18 ECTS credits corresponding to the Master’s Thesis.
Structure
The study plan is organized into seven compulsory 6 ECTS courses and an 18 ECTS Master’s Thesis. All courses in the program are compulsory and are distributed between the first and second semesters, following a coherent learning progression. Students first acquire the physical, mathematical, and computational foundations of the discipline, and then move on to advanced nuclear analysis and specific applications in nuclear fusion facilities.
First-semester courses introduce the fundamentals of radiation transport, data analysis, the Monte Carlo method, the time evolution of isotopic inventories, and modeling for radiation transport simulations. In the second semester, students take courses focused on more applied computational neutronics problems, including advanced nuclear analysis and neutronics for nuclear fusion facilities. Finally, the Master’s Thesis integrates the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired throughout the degree.
Four courses include computational practice, with a workload of 3 ECTS each. Together with the Master’s Thesis, these activities account for 30 ECTS of practical training, equivalent to 50% of the program. This structure reinforces the applied character of the degree and enables students to work with methodologies, tools, and calculation workflows used in computational neutronics.
Compulsory courses
First semester
-
Basics of radiation transport / Fundamentos del transporte de radiación — 6 ECTS.
-
Data analysis for computational neutronics / Análisis de datos en neutrónica computacional — 6 ECTS.
-
Monte Carlo method for radiation transport / Método Monte Carlo para transporte de radiación — 6 ECTS.
-
Temporal evolution of the isotopic inventory / Evolución temporal del inventario isotópico — 6 ECTS.
-
Modeling for radiation transport simulations / Modelado para simulaciones de transporte de radiación — 6 ECTS.
Second semester
-
Advanced nuclear analysis / Análisis nuclear avanzado — 6 ECTS.
-
Neutronics for nuclear fusion facilities / Neutrónica para instalaciones de fusión nuclear — 6 ECTS.
-
Master’s Thesis — 18 ECTS.
Master’s Thesis
The Master’s Thesis is the final integrative component of the degree. It carries 18 ECTS credits and is completed in the second semester. Its purpose is for students to apply, in a coordinated manner, the knowledge and competencies acquired throughout the program to an advanced technical problem in computational neutronics. The Master’s Thesis may consist, among other possibilities, of a complete nuclear analysis of a real application, an innovative computational development, or the exploration of new methodologies in computational neutronics.
De acuerdo con la legislación vigente, todas las Universidades han de someter sus títulos oficiales a un proceso de verificación, seguimiento y acreditación.
En el caso de la UNED, el Consejo de Universidades recibe la memoria del título y la remite a la ANECA para su evaluación y emisión del Informe de verificación. Si el informe es favorable, el Consejo de Universidades dicta la Resolución de verificación, y el Ministerio de Educación eleva al Gobierno la propuesta de carácter oficial del título, ordena su inclusión en el Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT) y su posterior publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado.
Los títulos oficiales de máster han de renovar su acreditación antes de los seis años, desde la fecha de inicio de impartición del título o de renovación de la acreditación anterior, con el objetivo de comprobar si los resultados obtenidos son adecuados para garantizar la continuidad de su impartición. Si son adecuados, el Consejo de Universidades emite una Resolución de la acreditación del título.
Estas resoluciones e informes quedan recogidos en el Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT).
VERIFICACIÓN / MODIFICACIÓN
- Memoria del Título
- Informe de Verificación de la ANECA
SEGUIMIENTO
ACREDITACIÓN
The University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics does not include curricular external internships or compulsory on-site practical training. Practical training within the degree is developed through computational activities integrated into several courses and through the Master’s Thesis.
Four courses in the study plan include non-face-to-face computational practice, with a workload of 3 ECTS each. These practical activities are focused on the use of software tools, scientific computing environments, radiation transport simulations, data analysis, isotopic inventory evolution, neutronic modeling, and advanced nuclear analysis.
Computational practice is designed to be completed remotely, in accordance with UNED’s distance-learning methodology. Students will have access to teaching materials, specific instructions, support tools, and guidance from the teaching team. When needed, students will receive synchronous support during the established tutoring hours, as well as asynchronous support through the virtual learning platform.
The courses that include computational practice are:
-
Data analysis for computational neutronics / Análisis de datos en neutrónica computacional.
-
Temporal evolution of the isotopic inventory / Evolución temporal del inventario isotópico.
-
Modeling for radiation transport simulations / Modelado para simulaciones de transporte de radiación.
-
Advanced nuclear analysis / Análisis nuclear avanzado.
Together with the Master’s Thesis, these practical activities are an essential component of the applied orientation of the degree, enabling students to develop competencies directly connected to professional practice in computational neutronics.
UNED has an Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIC-U) that covers all its official Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as the services it provides. Its design was certified by ANECA.
The SGIC-U includes all the processes needed to ensure the quality of its teaching staff, resources, and student services, including access, admission and induction, external internships, mobility programs, academic guidance and employability, monitoring and evaluation of learning outcomes, handling of suggestions and complaints, and the suitability of support staff, among others.
The bodies responsible for the SGIC are:
- The Degree Coordination Committee
- The Center Quality Assurance Committee
- The Dean’s or Management Team
- The UNED Quality Assurance Committee
Through its Statistical Portal, UNED provides the entire university community with information on both learning outcomes and satisfaction results from the different groups involved.
The University Master’s Degree in Computational Neutronics does not qualify graduates for the practice of regulated professions and is not a requirement for access to any regulated profession.
The degree provides advanced and specialized training in computational neutronics, aimed at developing professional competencies in radiation transport, Monte Carlo simulation, isotopic activation, computational modeling, and nuclear analysis applied to nuclear, radioactive, fusion, and accelerator facilities. However, its professional scope is academic and specialized in nature and does not entail legal qualification for the practice of regulated professions.
Students seeking a qualifying degree in the field of Industrial Engineering should consult the relevant official academic offer, particularly University Master’s Degrees that qualify graduates for the regulated profession of Industrial Engineer.
