High School Graduation Requirements

At The Cooper Union, each school has its own high school graduation requirements for applicants. You can find the requirements for the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the School of Art, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering below. More information is available in our Course Catalog.


Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

High school records must show graduation with a minimum of 19 units* before July 15 of the year for which admission is sought with required and elective subjects as follows:

Subject

Units Required for Architecture

English

4

History and Social Studies

3

Mathematics (including Trigonometry, Algebra II and Pre-Calculus)

3

Science

3

Other Electives

6

Total Units Required

19


Calculus is a required first-year course for all architecture students. Entering first-year students must have completed Mathematics (including Trigonometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus). Any student who has not completed Pre-Calculus in high school must do so during the summer before enrollment and must submit an official transcript documenting successful completion of the course. A math course credit is offered upon request and evaluation: policy for ARCH 103, Calculus & Analytic Geometry.


School of Art

High school records must show graduation with a minimum of 16 units* before July 15 of the year for which admissions is sought with required and elective subjects as follows:

Subject  

Units Required for Art

English

4

History and Social Studies

2

Mathematics

1

Science

1

Other Electives

8

Total Units Required                     

16


Students who apply while attending high school will be expected to supply transcripts of subjects studied during the first three years of high school (Grades 9, 10, and 11). High school graduates must supply the full four-year record. High school transcripts should be sent during the fall and winter months but no later than January 18 if supporting a first-year application.

Each candidate should make certain that the high school subjects required for his or her major are completed prior to graduation since The Cooper Union will not be able to verify his or her senior program until final transcripts arrive in June or July. This is too late to make up a missing required subject or to make plans for admission to another college. Students who have not fulfilled their application requirements may have their offer of admission rescinded.


Albert Nerken School of Engineering

High school records must show the following:

Subject  

Units Required for Engineering

English

4

History and Social Studies

2

Mathematics (including one year of Calculus)

4

Physics

1

Chemistry

1

Other Electives

5-7

Total Units Required                     

17 minimum, 19 recommended


We understand that high schools offer varying course options and will consider your achievements within the context of your school's offerings. While we will evaluate your academic record holistically, we encourage you to pursue advanced mathematics and physics courses whenever possible. This will not only strengthen your application but also prepare you for the rigor of Cooper's required science and engineering courses. 

If you have not completed the above requirements, and you believe your circumstances may warrant an exception, please include that in your application or consult with the admissions team.


*A unit represents a year's study in a subject with classes meeting at least four times a week in a secondary school.

Information specific to homeschooled applicants can be found HERE.

  • 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.