Professional Certification
ORAU-ANL Decommissioning Certificate Program
A formal credential issued through Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) — documenting that you have achieved a baseline level of training in nuclear facility and site decommissioning.
Program Overview
A Joint ORAU Credential
The ORAU-ANL Decommissioning Certificate Program is administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). The program opened for registration on April 1, 2009, and provides a formal means to document that an individual has achieved a baseline level of training in the subject of facility and site decommissioning.
Participants must complete two core requisite courses and one elective course. Upon verification by ORAU program coordinators, the Decommissioning Certificate is issued. ORAU maintains a permanent database of all certificates issued. There are no additional administrative fees beyond the normal course tuition — you pay only what you would normally pay to attend each training course.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Academy's Decom Training Course now serves as the first required core course, replacing the former ANL Facility Decommissioning Training Course in the certificate program. Attending NDA's course is your first step toward earning this credential. It is recommended to attend the Facility Decommissioning TC first, then the MARSSIM TC.
ORAU-ANL Decommissioning Certificate
Administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) upon verified completion of three required training courses. The NDA Decom Training Course fulfills the first core course requirement.
Eligibility
Open to All Interested Participants
Domestic & International
Participation is open to any interested participant — domestic or foreign. No pre-registration in the certificate program is required before attending courses.
Technical Professionals
A technical background or degreed educational background is highly recommended and would be very useful for participants in the program.
Utility & Licensee Staff
Nuclear power plant and materials licensee personnel responsible for decommissioning planning, execution, or oversight.
Regulators & Government Staff
NRC, Agreement State, and DOE personnel involved in decommissioning review, inspection, or policy.
D&D Contractors
Engineers, project managers, health physicists, and technicians working on decommissioning projects for any type of nuclear facility.
Consultants & Advisors
Technical consultants, environmental professionals, and legal or financial advisors supporting licensees through the decommissioning process.
Requirements
How to Earn the Certificate
Core Course 1 — Facility Decommissioning TC
Attend the NDA Decom Training Course. The NDA course replaces the former ANL Facility Decommissioning Training Course as the first required core course in the certificate program. This course should be completed first.
Core Course 2 — MARSSIM TC
Attend the MARSSIM Training Course offered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). This is the second required core course.
Elective Course — Choose One
Select one elective from: any RESRAD Workshop, Site Characterization Course (ORAU), or Gamma Spectroscopy Course (ORAU). Then submit your TC completion certificates to ORAU to receive your Decommissioning Certificate.
Elective Options
Choose One Elective Course
Select one of the following elective courses to complete your certificate requirements:
RESRAD Workshops
RESRAD Program
Any of the RESRAD dose/risk assessment workshops qualify as the elective requirement.
Site Characterization Course
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
Site Characterization in Support of Decommissioning: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.
Gamma Spectroscopy Course
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
Gamma Spectroscopy training course offered by ORAU's Professional Training Programs.
Claiming Your Certificate
Submit Your Completion Certificates to ORAU
It is your responsibility to submit the TC completion certificates from each of the three required training courses to the ORAU contact for inclusion in their tracking database. Once ORAU verifies that all requirements have been met, the Decommissioning Certificate will be issued.
The ORAU Decommissioning Certificate Program registrar maintains a permanent database of all certificates issued.
ORAU Contact
FAQ
Common Questions
Start with the NDA Course
The NDA Decom Training Course is your first step toward the ORAU-ANL Decommissioning Certificate — replacing the former ANL course in the program. Register for December 2026.