Thursday, June 16, 2016

Nuclear Power School and Nuclear Prototype Instructors

While most of this site's discussion is focused on the Submarine and Surface Warfare career paths, there are also extremely important and rewarding jobs as Instructors which we offer.  I'll give a summary of the positions, a discussion of what is the same and what is different about the Instructor positions from Operational (Subs/Surface) positions, and a discussion of similarities and differences between the two Instructor options.  We conduct orientation trips to Charleston, SC approximately quarterly to provide an opportunity for interested students to get a better feel for what each position involves and to discuss various aspects with current instructors.

Nuclear Power School Instructor:

All Officers and enlisted personnel that will serve on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plants begin their service with 6 months of intensive technical training at Naval Nuclear Propulsion Training Command --- aka Nuclear Power School (NPS) in Charleston, SC.  In order to ensure that these students gain the requisite knowledge to go forth and be proficient operators and leaders we need exceptional individuals to teach them.  There are two major sources of NPS Instructors:  NUPOC and nuclear-trained personnel who performed at a high level in the operational fleet and have been temporarily reassigned to NPS to teach.  The role of NPS Instructor is focused on the teaching of the academic theory in a classroom environment.

Nuclear Propulsion Training Unit (NPTU) Instructor:

After completing NPS, sailors and Officers are sent to one of the four NPTUs (colloquially "Prototypes") which are split between Ballston Spa, NY (just outside Saratoga Springs) and Charleston, SC.  All Prototype Instructors accessed through the NUPOC Program will work at the two Charleston prototypes (the NY prototypes are run by the Dept. of Energy and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory).  At prototype personnel are taught to apply the theoretical knowledge they gained at Nuclear Power School to an operational Nuclear Reactor.  Much of this continues to be book learning dedicated to learning how individual systems and components operate, however it gradually shifts to a focus on actually performing operations that are commonly performed at sea.  In this way, sound practices and experience are built up in a controlled environment.

As a Prototype Instructor you have several roles, but most significantly you will provide oversight, guidance and evaluations to Officer students who are learning to stand watch in charge of the reactors -- as Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW).  You will also have responsibility for a division of enlisted instructors (mechanics, electricians, electronics technicians or engineering laboratory technicians) along with their associated training and maintenance, much as would be the case on an operational submarine or carrier.

How These Positions are the Same as Submarines/Surface:

- Pay while in NUPOC is the same
- Commissioned as a Naval Officer upon graduation
- Pay structure and promotion structure are the same during 5-year contract
- Can join NUPOC up to 30 months prior to graduation
- Earn GI Bill/Yellow Ribbon and other VA benefits
- Time in NUPOC and as instructor counts towards Navy Retirement at 20 years

How Both Instructor Positions Differ from Submarines/Surface:

- No $15,000 bonus for getting accepted
- Attend Officer Development School (ODS) after graduation, not OCS
- Permanently stationed in Charleston, SC (anecdotally, my favorite east coast city save Annapolis)
- Higher minimum academic standards
- Must have a technical major to be eligible
- At end of 5-year commitment have option to leave Navy or "laterally transfer" to another community in the Navy (ie. Engineering Duty Officer, Human Resources, Intelligence, Cryptology, Meteorology, Medical, Civil Engineering Corps, etc)
- Opportunities exist to complete advanced degrees simultaneous with job (Sub/SWO usually must wait until shore duty based on available time)

How NPS differs from NPTU:

- NPS has standard working hours while NPTU operates based on a shift schedule
  • Like civilian reactors, the day is split into shifts so some times you might be working odd hours at NPTU.  Some like this, others do not.  
- NPS is almost exclusively theory-based classroom instruction
  • NPTU has classroom components, but much of it is practical/applied training
- NPTU Instructor operating time can be applied towards a PE license
  • NPS Instructor time cannot, though you can get teaching certifications which help to open doors to academia -- especially when coupled with the ability to pursue advanced degrees in Charleston and have the GI Bill to use later.


31 comments:

  1. Hi Brian,

    What would generally be the cutoff GPA for consideration for the instructor position, I feel like I read it was a 3.4 but I haven't been able to find that information again?

    I'm in my junior year and my major is Math. I've gotten an A in both my physics classes, Calculus 3, and Mathematical Structures, but only a B in my lower level math and technical courses so my GPA is about a 3.4. My Math SAT was a 680 if that helps at all.

    I know nothing is definitive until my recruiter gets my academic prescreen done, but would I have a reasonable shot at getting an interview?

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    1. There’s a shot. I’m not sure it’s 50-50, but it’s >0. Two significant questions will be what school and what is the trend?

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    2. Arizona State University. I honestly don't know if we've got a great reputation or not, but I believe we're one of the the largest universities.

      The trend is upwards, but I pretty much just went from Making mostly B's my first few years to making mostly A's recently. So not a major change but I've never gotten below a B.

      Thanks for your help.

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  2. aSU probably doesn’t help or hurt. The trend will reflect positively— tell your recruiter to explicitly note that on the prescreen

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  3. Hi Brian,

    You say a technical major is required. Would physics count as technical major or do you mean technical as in engineering?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Physics would qualify as technical. The major is actually not 100 percent essential so long as your core curriculum requirements are met (2 semesters each of calculus and calculus-based physics), but it's much more difficult to be accepted as an English major than as a Physics, Math, or Engineering major.

      Good Luck

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  4. To all considering:
    I did this job from the other side (enlisted). Power School was awesome, the officers there were the coolest (but they don't go to sea if that's what you're interested in)

    Everyone feared NR engineers (you know like when you pass a cop and you've done nothing wrong but you're paranoid? Kind of like that)

    Surface and sub officer duty would probably 'feel' the most real, especially if you're cool to your divisions, they will either respect you or hate you, so lead wisely.

    I never noticed the prototype officers, I must have always assumed they were sea-retournees... It would probably 'feel' real as well, you'd get the best of both worlds. Practical experience, starting and shutting down an actual plant as if you were at sea, but you'd also be able to sleep in your own bed at the end of the day.

    Choose wisely.

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  5. Is there anywhere I can go to find out what hours the NPS instructors work in an average week? Is it 4 10 hour days, 5 8 hour days? Weekends? Evenings? etc.

    All the websites I've come across only talk about how many hours the students put in in a week but I can't find anything that talks about the instructors hours.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The work-life balance at NPS for instructors is absurdly good. When you start your application I'd advise you to have your recruiter put you in touch with someone who works there (via the NUPOC Office in TN). 40 hrs/week will be typical, with some variation based on when you have classes to teach, and a limited amount of additional responsibilities when you're on duty, etc. It's really quite a sweet deal. NPTU is more hours but also provides a mix of the operational experience and classroom, whereas NPS is entirely classroom.

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  6. Do NPS instructors complete Nuclear Power School as students and then turn around and teach it? Or do they just go directly from ODS to teaching?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dallin,

      NPS instructors will first attend Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, Rhode Island. After that they'll report to NPS in Charleston, SC. Once there they must complete all of the exams, but will not sit in classes in the same way as actual students. Instead, they receive all the relevant course notes and study guides and spend the first several months learning the material and taking the exams. I forget the threshold, but there is a substantially higher bar to pass the exams for instructors. They will also be auditing classes during this time to observe more senior instructors, and will eventually begin teaching (usually at about the 6-8 month mark after arriving). Early on they will have senior instructors observing and providing feedback, but this supervision goes away after a short period.

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    2. So including ODS, leave, qualifying/learning the material and gaps between commissioning -> ODS -> NPS you would probably be actually teaching for a little over 4 years out of the 5 years you sign up for.

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  7. Hello Brian,

    I saw in another comment section that an upside to being a Surface/Submarine officer is the Top Secret clearance, which seems like it could be especially helpful for government research jobs (or similar). Do Instructors also get Top Secrets by default? If not, are there ways you can earn Top Secret clearance as an Instructor (say, by volunteering for certain positions/assignments)?

    Additionally, I have significant tutoring/teaching experience in college-level physics. Would this help me stand out to selection boards, or do they only care about academic record?

    Thanks for your great collection of information on this blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would not have a need for a TS clearance as an instructor (either prototype or NPS). There may be some special circumstance in which you could obtain one, but in general I would assume that you will not be able to for the duration of your time in that role. You could, of course, transfer to another community after the instructor position and depending on your choice this might require you to have a TS clearance.

      The tutoring / teaching experience will be a benefit, but only on the margins. It will not make up for a major weakness on either academic performance or test scores.

      Hope this is helpful and good luck!

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  8. I have been accepted into the program as a NPS Instructor and have an ODS date in October. Following ODS, do instructors report immediately to Charleston to begin or is there a break period? Additionally, when they begin in Charleston, are instructors learning through being a part of the school or do they learn the material on their own? Any information on the ODS-Charleston transition would be greatly appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There will likely be a break of a few weeks before reporting to Charleston. Once there your initial priority is learning the material you will later be teaching and then you gradually work into teaching classes. You have a lot of resources to help with learning the material, but some of the learning is on your own. Recommend considering Daniel Island or Sullivan's Island for housing... Enjoy Charleston - awesome place!

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  9. Is it possible to transfer from prototype instructor to the CEC program after completing five years?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that is a viable path that is taken but you have to apply and it's not guaranteed that you'd be accepted.

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  10. Hey Brian, first I wanna say thanks for making this blog and staying active. It is the best resource for people considering NUPOC.

    I am currently a 26 year old sophomore ME major at the University of Missouri- Kansas City with a 3.7 GPA. I got screened for fleet and instructor and have my (virtual) NVIP trip coming up. I am 100% set on joining this program but am having a hard time deciding which route to take; submarine or instructor.

    I am planning on starting a family very soon after graduation and worry about being away on deployment for long periods of time. I am also curious about the discrepancy in pay of fleet and instructor positions. I've heard that sub officers qualify for about every pay possible and make great money (with a good reason of course). Do instructors make considerably less money? I'd appreciate your overall advice about someone in my position. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a lot to consider. There is a pay difference, but its not HUGE. The option set after your 5-years is different, but both can be compelling (assuming you were demonstrating some reasonable level of competence during those 5 years and don't have garbage evaluations). There is a quality of life difference... and it's substantial at times.

      Drop me an e-mail via the message box at the bottom of the page and happy to find 10 minutes to chat on the phone sometime. Next couple days suck on my end, but maybe over the weekend or next week.

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  11. I'm 35 years old and was just approved to apply for nuke instructor. I plan to do 20+ years and retire as a CEC officer. I like the idea of 4-5 years in Charleston, SC for my young family but don't want to lower my chances of a successful CEC career.

    My question is - Would a 40-year-old prior nuke instructor Lieutenant have a hard time transferring to CEC? Would I be better of going straight to CEC?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To be honest I'm not sure. If I were you I'd try to get in touch with the CEC program officer/detailer in Millington TN. Their building is right across the street from the Nuclear Programs team (which manages NUPOC) so someone should be able to put you in touch. In general I think you would be in a good position still to make that transition, but I don't want to say "yes" without being sure.

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  12. Can an international student apply for this program?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Generally no, this is just available to US citizens. In the case of dual citizens or those about to receive citizenship, there may be a path, but that's a case by case scenario and governed by policy documents.

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  13. So I got accepted into the NUPOC program and passed my interviews and got accepted as an NPTU instructor back in May 2020 and I’m scheduled to head to ODS in May this year. I just wanted know if it’s possible to change to Subs or SWO(N) during my time as an instructor or while attending NPS.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Omar,

      Technically yes, but it's not easy. Assuming positions are available, you could probably reach out (or have your recruiter reach out) to the central office in Millington and indicate that you'd like to switch. The process will be easier prior to graduation and commissioning than it will be afterwards.

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    2. Thanks for answering my question. Would I have to reach out to the central officer while at NNPTC or is there someone I would speak with in Charleston? Also, is it possible to lateral transfer to Submarines once my first contract has ended given that Subs are in high demand? If so, how would the promotion schedule change? Thanks again!

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    3. Omar,

      Two paths. First, Id reach out to your recruiter before may and see if they can switch you. That will be a function of howany billets are available.

      2. At NPTU I'd inquire again and indicate your interest in the change.

      No promises. Path 1 is easier than path 2, if the billet exists

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  14. Hey Brian,
    I'm currently a sophomore Electrical Engineering student at Texas A&M university with a GPA of 3.53. Would I be competitive for a position in NR Engineering. If not, how likely is it that I could laterally transfer into NR from being a sub officer or from instructor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. James,

      Depending on your SAT scores, it's possible. That said a 3.5 is on the low end for NR. They do have a perpetual need for EE, though, so that could work in your favor. It's worth a shot, but I'd be aware that you're on the margins.

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