Nuclear Engineering: Science, Systems and Society
An MIT first-year seminar that pairs an online technical course with in-person writing workshops. Students work through 22.011x, MIT's free Open Learning Library course, to learn the physics of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation, covering reactor basics, radiation safety, and the case for nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source. In parallel, weekly seminar meetings guide students through drafting and revising a traditional newspaper Op-Ed that translates this technical material into a public argument. The course materials include the full 22.011x lecture and problem set content plus in-class writing exercises and peer feedback on drafts. It is designed for first-year undergraduates with no prior nuclear engineering background, blending quantitative content on energy systems with practice in science communication aimed at a general audience.