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Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Graduate Certificate Program in Weapons of Mass Destruction

The certificate program is a ten-week educational program targeting the technical aspects of combating WMD. radarThe program first provides the fundamental biology, chemistry and physics necessary for the follow- on study of the production, utilization, effects and mitigation of WMD. The goal of the certificate is to achieve the knowledge, comprehension and application levels of cognitive learning. The program consists of four academic courses with one each in biological weapon technology, chemical weapon technology and nuclear weapon technology. The fourth course consists of a Practicum involving guest lecturers, laboratories, and group exercises and projects. The Practicum will present a unifying approach to the broader category of combating WMD. For example, topics such as risk analysis and mass casualty medical care, can apply to any type of WMD analysis.

 

Course Descriptions

NENG 597 Nuclear Weapons Effects, Technology and Non-proliferation:
Provides and understanding of the effects of nuclear weapons, the technology necessary to produce nuclear weapons, and the current status of international nuclear weapon proliferation. Topics include: the energetics of nuclear weapons, specific effects of, and differences between, the various classifications of explosions (i.e. air, surface, sub-surface and high-altitude bursts), the technology of producing nuclear weapons, the nuclear fuel cycle, and assessment of future trends.

BIOL 597 Biological Weapons Effects and Technology:
The malicious use of microorganisms and threats of further acts of war or of terrorism drive this course. A review of fundamental microbial biology and organisms known to have biological warfare applications will be followed by coverage of current advances in biotechnology and the potential for offensive or defensive applications. Finally, current technologies for detection and response to microbial agents will be reviewed.

CHEM 597 Chemical Weapons: Materials, Effects and Technology:
The potential use of chemical agents as weapons of war or as weapons of terror motivates this course. A brief survey of chemistry foundations will be followed by coverage of chemical weapons materials and effects. Chemical weapons technology will be discussed in terms of the potential for offensive or defensive applications. Technologies for detection, protection and response to chemical agent attacks will be reviewed.

CWMD 597 Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Practicum:
This course is designed to provide students supervised practical application of the material studied in the other courses of the certificate program. The practicum will consist of a series of laboratories, tabletop exercises, group analysis projects, guest lectures and seminars. The practicum will cover various aspects of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons of mass destruction.

 

Admission Standards and Procedures

The general requirements for admission are:

  • U.S. citizenship
  • A Bachelor’s degree from an ABET accredited engineering program or a B.S. degree in a science related to environmental science, such as physics, biology, chemistry or industrial hygiene or a medical field related to physiology, epidemiology or health sciences.
  • Math courses including calculus up to ordinary differential equations.
  • A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), 1100 GRE combined verbal and quantitative score.
  • Deficiencies in any area may be waived on a case-by-case basis as approved by the Department of Engineering Physics and the curriculum chair.