Mission Statement

KU Chemical & Petroleum Engineering integrates teaching excellence and research innovation to educate students and produce future leaders.

Key Research Fields

• Biomedical and Biomolecular Engineering

• Catalysis (Electro-, Photo-, Heterogeneous, Homogeneous)

• Ionic Liquids

• Sustainability

• Energy Storage and Fuel Cells

• Alternative Fuels

Associated Research Centers

• CEBC: Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis

• ISE: Institute for Sustainable Engineering

New Program Options

• 1 year MS in Chemical Engineering with a Data Science focus

Graduate Admission

To qualify for study in any of the graduate programs in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, a student generally must have earned an accredited bachelor’s degree in chemical or petroleum engineering. However, a student with good preparation in another engineering discipline or a related science field, such as chemistry, physics, or geology, or other engineering disciplines may be qualified by taking the appropriate prerequisite undergraduate courses. These This pathway of courses is determined on a case-by-case basis by the Department's Graduate Admissions Committee/Director.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Priority Deadline: January 5; final deadline March 1
• Spring Deadline: October 1

All application materials must be submitted before the final deadlines, March 1 for Fall semester and October 1 for Spring semester, to be considered for admission. All admitted students are considered for any funding opportunities for which they qualify. See our Graduate Admissions page or the Graduate Studies website for the application procedure and fees. Additional resources for International applicants can be found on the International Support Services Website.

Application Materials

• Application (online only)

• Statement of Purpose

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae

• Official transcript

• Three letters of recommendation

• TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS scores (international students)

         The following documents are required only after a student has been admitted:

• Financial Statement (International students only if no department funding offered)
• One (1) Official Transcript sent directly from the applicant’s university to the University of Kansas

*TOEFL Scores

• Institution Code – 6871
• Program Code – 64

IELTS Scores

• Email the electronic version to cpegrad@ku.edu.

* As of October 2020, GRE scores are no longer required.

Students admitted with baccalaureate degrees in chemical or petroleum engineering enroll in the graduate core courses listed in our Graduate Program Manual. Up to 9 credit hours from an outside institution may be transferred into upon approval of both department and university offices. Learn more about the degree requirements on the CPE Graduate Degree webpage.

All graduate applications must be submitted online.

Regular Status

For admission to regular status, the student must have an undergraduate grade point average of at least B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). For students whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, admission on provisional status will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Graduate Record Examination scores are required.

Non-native English Speakers

For up-to-date details about the University's English Proficiency Requirements, visit the Graduate Studies Website.

Visit Us

Graduate program staff can assist prospective students in determining the fit between the student and the program. In order to determine this, we feel that visiting our campus in Lawrence is an important step. If you would like to schedule a visit, there are two main options:

The first, and most preferred, entails simply applying for admission to the program. All prospective students are welcome to attend our Open House in mid-October or mid-March. Eligible admitted students are invited to participate in Campus Visit Days in February (prior to the fall semester of your intended matriculation). These organized visits opportunities will allow you to gather a great deal of first-hand information which we hope will help you in making a final decision about whether to attend KU.

The second option is making arrangements to visit us on your own, outside of organized events. With early notification, we will do our best to work with you to provide information and schedule appointments with faculty when possible. 

Contact Information

Please contact the CPE Graduate Program Coordinator, cpegrad@ku.edu or (785) 864-2900, if you would like to  schedule a campus visit, or have questions about the program or the application process.

The University of Kansas
CPE Graduate Program
4132 Learned Hall
1530 W. 15th Street
Lawrence, KS 66045