Apply to the
Cooper Union

The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

Architecture Studio Space

Architecture Studio Space

Admissions Process

*Please click here to view the requirements for transfer students to the School of Architecture. Admission after three years of high school will be considered for exceptional students. See below for more information.

EARLY DECISION: If The Cooper Union is your first choice, you may consider applying early decision. If admitted via early decision you must accept our offer and withdraw your other college applications.
STEP 1 Submit the first part of your application online by Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
STEP 2 You will receive a confirmation email.
STEP 3 You will have to prepare and submit by Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
  • Your official high school transcript or GED certificate (required for all applicants)
  • Any official college transcripts (sent directly from the college or university)
  • Recommendation letter (1 strongly encouraged)
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores, if applicable*
STEP 4

You will receive the Studio Test via email on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. You will have approximately one month to complete the test. The Office of Admissions must receive the Studio Test and all application materials no later than Tuesday, January 5, 2021. Extensions are not permitted unless in the case of extenuating circumstances. We highly recommend adding admissions@cooper.edu to your email address book in order to prevent important emails (like your Studio Test and admission decision) from going to spam!

Please follow all instructions carefully. For First Year applicants, no additional portfolio material should be sent.
STEP 5 You will receive an admission decision by Monday, February 1, 2021.

 

REGULAR DECISION:
STEP 1 Submit the first part of your application online by Tuesday, January 5, 2021. 
STEP 2 You will receive a confirmation email.
STEP 3 You will have to prepare and submit by Tuesday, January 5, 2021. 
  • Your official high school transcript or GED certificate (required for applicants)
  • Any official college transcripts (sent directly from the college or university)
  • Recommendation letter (1 strongly encouraged)
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores, if applicable*
STEP 4

You will receive the Studio Test via email on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. You will have approximately one month to complete the test. The Office of Admissions must receive the Studio Test and all application materials no later than Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Extensions are not permitted unless in the case of extenuating circumstances. We highly recommend adding admissions@cooper.edu to your email address book in order to prevent important emails (like your Studio Test and admission decision) from going to spam!

Please follow all instructions carefully. For First Year applicants, no additional portfolio material should be sent.
STEP 5 You will receive an admission decision by Thursday, April 1, 2021.

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.

*Undergraduate applicants whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from a secondary school in a country with English as the official medium of instruction are required to take one the below exams.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or DET (Duolingo English Testing) Scores per the below requirements. Scores must be submitted directly by the testing service to admissions@cooper.edu.

Click here for more information regarding International Applicants.

Deferral of an Offer of Admission in the School of Architecture: Due to the small size of the programs, the deferral of an offer of admission to the Bachelor of Architecture (undergraduate) and/or Master of Science in Architecture (graduate) program is not permitted.

Admission After Three Years of High School

Candidates of exceptional merit may be considered for admission after completion of three years of high school. Engineering applicants must have excellent high school averages and test scores. Art and architecture applicants must have excellent high school records and exceptional ability. A recommendation from the high school principal, at least one recommendation from a teacher and an interview will be required. In accordance with the regulations of individual states, a student may or may not be eligible to receive an Equivalency Diploma after completion of a specific number of credits in appropriate subject areas at The Cooper Union. It is the responsibility of the applicant to investigate his or her state regulations in this regard.

  • 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.