Academic Calendars

The Cooper Union for The Advancement of Science and Art operates within a two semester calendar (fall and spring). Most classes are scheduled Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. We offer a limited summer session with courses typically provided in Math, Physics, and Engineering.

Normal business hours are:
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

From early June through Labor Day, Cooper Union operates under a summer schedule:
Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.

2018 - 2019 Academic Calendar

Aug 29 Wednesday Move-in day for Residence Hall
Aug 29 - Sept 3 Wednesday - Monday New student orientation
Sept 3 Monday Labor Day
Sept 4 Tuesday Fall semester classes begin. NOTE: Tuesday classes meet
Sept 11 Tuesday Last day to drop/add courses based on your school’s policy regarding drop/add. There will be a $25 fee for Dropping classes after this date
Sept 18 Tuesday Fall Festival (school in session)
Nov 20 - 21 Tuesday - Wednesday Thursday and Friday Classes Meet
Nov 22 - 25 Thursday - Sunday Thanksgiving (staff holiday)
Nov 29 - Dec 5 Thursday-Wednesday Registration for Spring 2019 Classes
Dec 13 - 19 Thursday-Wednesday Last meeting times for all exams/classes/crits. These continue regularly assigned rooms.
Dec 19 Wednesday Last day of Fall 2018 semester
Dec 20 - Jan 13 Thursday - Sunday Winter recess; all schools
Dec 20 - Jan 1 Thursday-Tuesday  Staff Holiday
Jan 2 Wednesday Administrative Offices reopen. All grades are due in the Office of Admissions and Records before Noon
Jan 14 Monday Spring semester classes begin.
Jan 21 Monday Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday (Staff Holiday)
Jan 22 Tuesday Last day to drop/add courses based on your school’s policy regarding drop/add. There will be a $25 fee for dropping classes after this date
Feb 15 - 18 Friday - Monday Founder’s Day/President’s Day (staff holiday)
Mar 9 - 17 Saturday - Sunday Spring recess (administrative offices remain open)
Apr 9 - 12 Tuesday- Friday Registration for Fall 2019 classes
May 1, 2, 6 - 8 Wednesday, Thursday, Monday - Wednesday Last meeting times for all exams/classes/crits. These continue regularly assigned rooms.
May 8 Wednesday NOTE: FRIDAY CLASSES, EXAMS AND CRITS MEET
May 8 Wednesday Last day of Spring 2019 semester
May 9 Thursday Senior grades due in the Office of Admissions and Records before Noon.
May 13 Monday All non-senior grades are due in the Office of Admissions and Records before Noon.
May 20 Monday Commencement rehearsal; annual student exhibition opens
May 21 Tuesday Commencement
May 27 Monday Memorial Day (Staff Holiday)
July 4 Thursday Independence Day Observed (Staff Holiday)

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.