China University of Petroleum (UPC) is a national key university directly affiliated to the Ministry of Education, a member of the “211 Project” and “985 innovation platform for preponderant discipline” universities as well. Since 2017, the Geological Resources and Geological Engineering, Oil and Natural Gas Engineering of UPC have been listed as National First-rate Disciplines under Construction. Under the joint-building regimes between the five leading energy corporations, the provincial government of Shandong, and the Ministry of Education, UPC, known as A talent cradle for petroleum sci-tech and management, has now become a multi-disciplinary coordinated university with distinctive petroleum and petrochemical characteristics, and engineering studies as its base.

UPC started the postgraduate training right from its founding in 1953, resumed to enlist students in 1978 after a suspense, and shortly after its Beijing Postgraduate Division was established in 1981. The University is among the first nationally authorized units offering master degree programs and the second for doctoral degree in China. In June 2000, UPC ran a pilot scheme of Graduate School with the approval of MOE, which was officialized in May, 2004. Over the past 14 years, the University has established a high-level postgraduate talent training system with distinctive features and prominent advantages, by adhering to a training concept of high quality, enhanced innovation and first-rate talents, strengthening the construction of degree-authorization disciplines, deepening postgraduate education reform, innovating training mode and carrying out quality-guarantee measures. A total of more than 24,000 postgraduate and doctoral degrees has been granted, which has lent an intellectual support for national energy strategy and socio-economic development.

Fig. Evolution of Postgraduate Education Management Institutions