Career prospects

The field of employment ranges from nuclear utilities, via nuclear service companies and commercial organisations specializing in different stages of fuel cycle, to the vendors and developers of nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations.

In Switzerland, nuclear power plants are operated by AXPO (KKB), BKW (KKM), Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG (KKG) and Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL). Nuclear waste is treated and temporarily stored by ZWILAG. external pageNAGRA is the national research and service organization in Switzerland for the final disposal of nuclear waste from nuclear power plants. A number of domestic and international companies with branches in Switzerland offer services in the field. A considerable number of job opportunities are found abroad. Potential commercial employers include reactor vendors and developers, utilities as well as reprocessing facilities, uranium enrichment plants, fuel manufacturers and organizations dealing with waste disposal.

In the field of nuclear energy research and development, the external pagePaul Scherrer Institute is the main player in Switzerland. Scientific contributions to the safe and economic operation and future decommissioning of the domestic nuclear power plants as well as the participation in international collaborations aimed at developing new reactor types are concentrated in the Department of Nuclear Energy and Safety (NES), which is one of six departments of PSI. The Paul Scherrer Institute is an important employer for young academic personnel wishing for a career in the field of research and development, and in particular aiming at continuing the education as a doctoral or post-doctoral student. Similar opportunities exist in numerous research centers abroad, as well as in scientific-technical support organizations such as GRS in Germany and IRSN in France. Also universities will have a certain need for graduates and young scientists in the field of nuclear engineering, especially if the applicants’ curriculum includes a PhD obtained in Switzerland or additional experience on the job.

Furthermore, appropriately qualified academic personnel are needed in national authorities and governmental institutions like the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (external pageENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (external pageSFOE), and similar organizations abroad. A number of graduates from the Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering program have already found attractive positions with such institutions.

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