Admissions

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited U.S. or equivalent from a foreign institution
• A 3.0 cumulative grade point average on undergraduate course work or in the final 60 credit hours or at least 9 hours of any graduate work already completed with appropriate grades for regular admission 

A GPA of 3.0 is required for all students, but in some cases, a high GRE score may be used to compensate for a GPA between 2.75 - 3.00 

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School.

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Official transcripts (along with an English translation version for non-English speaking universities) from each and every institution attended, official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores (for international students whose native language is not English), and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Admissions, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

In addition to the documents and scores listed in the "Departmental Admission Requirements" section above, applicants can include a letter of intent, writing sample(s), and a GRE score. All of these additional items should be submitted electronically through the Graduate School admission system. Direct mailing of these items is discouraged. While these items are not required, they could give you a competitive edge over applicants who do not submit these items.

• Individual transcripts for EVERY institution at which you have attempted hours (including dual enrollment and/or AP courses) must be submitted. Transcripts can be unofficial, however, a transcript for each school is required for review. If admitted, then all official transcripts are required within the first 30 days of courses beginning. 
  • In addition to transcripts, international applicants are required to submit degree certificates/diplomas.
• Resume or CV containing employment and educational history. 
• 3 Recommendation Letters are requested under the recommendation tab in the application portal 
• Statement of Purpose 
  
  • Your format will reflect your level of professionalism. Your statement of purpose should be limited to three pages or less (unless a program requests additional pages).  Be concise. As a good rule, a single-spaced, 10-12 point-size font, with reasonable margins is best. Before uploading your Statement of Purpose, ask an adviser, a trusted colleague, or a faculty member to read and comment on your work. Try to revise your statement at least once. 
    
    • Use the following prompts to guide you in writing your Statement of Purpose.  
    • Introduce yourself and your reasons for pursuing graduate study. 
    • Discuss your experiences with the following: 
      
      • Explain why you chose the field of Chemical Engineering 
      • List your expertise and accomplishments in your major field. 
      • Describe your undergraduate studies, current career track or volunteer activities and how they relate to what you intend to do in graduate school. 
      • Include specific experiences that demonstrate your motivation and inspiration for continued study. 
      • Mention specific faculty with whom you are interested in working with at LSU. 
      • Leave the reader with a statement of your perceived qualifications and your view of why you will be successful in graduate school. 
      • Describe how you will manage the academic demand of graduate school. If you are applying to the PhD program, discuss how will you manage the academic demand of graduate school while completing research. 
      • Explain what it is that you hope to experience or contribute while you are a student at LSU? 
      • Describe your plans or goals after you have received your graduate degree and how this program will help you reach those goals.  
• The Graduate School requires either a TOFEL or IELTS score for international applicants.   
  
  • The minimum TOFEL requirement is   
    
    • 550 (paper-based exam)   
    • 213 (computer-based exam)   
    • or 79 (internet-based exam)  
  • The minimum IELTS requirement is 6.5   
• Optional Documents 
  
  • GRE Score: Goal score of 297 or higher 
    
    • Should be requested directly from ETS to the LSU Graduate School code using the school code 6373. 
  • Writing Sample / Previous Publications

Fall Semester:

April 15 (International Students)

June 30 (Domestic Students)

Spring Semester:

October 1 (International Students)

November 15 (Domestic Students)

Completed applications received by the priority deadline of February 1 are given first consideration

Track your application status online.

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The Graduate Committee begins reviewing applications at the end of January.

Completed applications received by the priority deadline of February 1 are given first consideration. During departmental review of your application, if the review committee has further questions, you may be asked to participate in a short interview.

Completed applications are those for which all required documents and information have been received by the Graduate School. 

The department graduate admissions committee reviews the record of each applicant, taking into consideration grade point average, undergraduate preparation, engineering experience, recommendations, and any other information which can contribute to the review.

Superior applicants will be invited to visit the department at our expense.