Metal-organic frameworks-derived metal oxides with various morphology and composition have attracted enormous attention during the past years due to excellent catalytic activity. In this study, CuO microrods derived from the metal-organic framework MFUM-1(Cu) were prepared by careful calcination at different temperatures. Field emission scanning electron microscope images showed that while CuO microrods preserved their initial morphology after calcination at 500 °C, addition of Ce increased the integrity of the structure even after calcination at elevated temperatures. Moreover, the addition of Ce through a post-synthetic route (Ce-CuO-PS) affected size and specific surface area of Ce-CuO microrods, making them highly efficient photocatalysts for degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. Dye removal efficiency of CuO-500 and Ce-CuO-PS were determined to be 96.65 and 100% (within 180 and 120 min), respectively. The radical trapping experiments with different scavengers showed that the photooxidation of methylene blue mainly occurs via direct hole (h⁺) oxidation and hydroxyl radicals (^·OH).