International Exchange
The School of Art participates in student exchanges exclusively with schools listed below. The exchange program is for a single semester only.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands Barcelona, Spain Basel, Switzerland Berlin, Germany Frankfurt, Germany Jerusalem, Israel |
Kyoto, Japan London, England Malmö, Sweden Paris, France Prague, The Czech Republic |
How to Apply to The Cooper Union School of Art Exchange Program
Cooper Union Students
Students in good academic standing at the Cooper Union may participate in exchange programs during their third (junior) year. Students interested in applying for an exchange semester with the above schools should meet with the Director of Off-Campus Programs to plan and prepare their applications.
Incoming International Exchange Students
Students at the above schools who wish to study at The Cooper Union School of Art should follow the instructions below.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is March 15 for either semester (term) (fall and spring) of the following academic year. We do, however, honor an October 15 deadline for the following spring term. Download the Application Form PDF
English Language Proficiency Requirement
Undergraduate applicants whose native language is not English and who have not had at least 3 years of English at a school where English was the official medium of instruction are required to take one of the exams below. Please note that your English Language Proficiency test results are only valid for two years. Please ensure that the name on your passport matches the name on your application, and on your language scores.
Test for English Language Proficiency | Minimum Score Requirements |
---|---|
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | 600 (paper-based test) 100 (internet-based test) MyBest™ scores are not accepted |
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) | 7.0 |
DET (Duolingo English Test) | 120 (current exam) 75 (testing date before July 2019) |
How to Apply
Interested students must first be nominated by the exchange coordinator at their home institution. Students then apply by submitting application materials to their exchange coordinator, who will forward the materials to the Cooper Union. Questions about this process may be addressed to the Cooper Union exchange coordinator.
Application Requirements
Application materials include the following:
- Application Form
- Statement of Intent
- Portfolio
- Image List for Portfolio
- Academic Transcript
- English language proficiency score report
All application materials must be typed in English. Student's name and home school must be clearly indicated on the application, statement of intent, portfolio, and image list.
Application Form
The application form must be downloaded, filled out, and included with the application materials.
Portfolio
Examples of work should be submitted as a digital portfolio. Applicants may choose to provide still images and/or videos. For still images, a total of up to twenty (20) images should be submitted and saved in a single PDF. PDF File size should not exceed 15 MB. Time based work may be presented either as a story board with 5–10 images or full works may be submitted via Vimeo links or emailed individually via Wetransfer Video formats accepted by our system include QuickTime (mov), m4v, and mp4. We will accept up to 5 video uploads. Each video can be up to 10 minutes long and no larger than 100MB. It is acceptable to provide excerpts if videos are longer than 10 minutes. if you choose the Vimeo option, submit your links in a PDF file using the PDF upload button. We prefer files compressed with the H.264 codec to ensure readability.
Image List for Portfolio
Each portfolio submission must be accompanied by an image list describing the images or videos. The list should be headed with your name, your school and list the image number, title, date, medium, and dimensions of each work. For video submissions also include the running time, intended format of presentation (for example video installation, online video, cinema screening, or not specified) for each video. Labels and writing should clearly explain the projects. This may be integrated and saved within the portfolio PDF.
Calendar
The Cooper Union academic calendar varies slightly each year. Fall semester typically begins in September and ends in December. Spring semester typically begins in January and ends in May.
Rules and Regulations
Students who are accepted to The Cooper Union for exchange must abide by the rules and regulations set forth by The Cooper Union. Class attendance is mandatory. Students must agree to finish the entire 15-week term and are not permitted to depart before the end of such term.
Orientation
There is a mandatory orientation the week preceding the start of classes.