核工程牢固地立足于现代物理学的理解和应用。它在发电，医学，工业过程，等离子，太空技术和国防领域显示出巨大的增长潜力。普渡大学的核工程师为裂变和聚变发电机，新的医疗技术和程序，先进的食品安全性，先进的材料加工，先进的成像技术以及核废料的安全处理和处置等先进技术做出了贡献。印第安纳州的第一个也是唯一的核反应堆在普渡大学的电气工程楼里有自己的住所。它成为参加示范和实验的高中生和高年级学生的实地考察的头条新闻。本科课程的学生有机会在他们的课程中使用反应堆。
Nuclear Engineering has demonstrated vast potential for growth in power generation, medicine, industrial processes, plasmas, space technologies, and national defense. The field will become even more important and diverse in the future. Nuclear engineers will contribute to such advanced technologies as advanced fission and fusion power generators, nuclear medicine, more powerful computational methods, deep-space probes and propulsion systems, semiconductor device processes, improved food safety, advanced materials processing and characterization, advanced imaging, the safe treatment and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and new forms of industrial gauges.