Introduction to Architecture: Summer 2025
Image Credits: "Sectioned" by Asialy Bracey Gardella.
Watch this public information session to get an overview of the program's curriculum, pedagogy, and focus. The session features the work of our alumni and presentations by faculty, Prof. Mersiha Veledar and Prof. James Lowder, followed by a live Q & A session including Assistant Dean Hayley Eber and administrative staff.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2025 summer programs.
Dates: July 7 - August 8, 2025 | 5-weeks | Virtual Live Synchronous Sessions Monday-Friday, 11AM-2PM EST
Student daily tutorial and desk-critique sessions will be assigned to either 9AM-11AM or 2PM-4PM EST to accommodate time zone differences.
Program participants are current high school students. Applicants do not require a portfolio or previous classwork in architecture. Students who attend the program and successfully complete all requirements will receive a Certificate of Completion from The Cooper Union.
Dates: July 7 - August 1, 2025 | 4-weeks, 4 credits | Virtual Live Synchronous Sessions Monday - Friday, 11AM-2PM EST.
Student daily tutorial and desk-critique sessions will be assigned to either 9AM-11AM EST or 2PM-4PM EST to accommodate time zone differences.
Program participants have graduated high school and/or completed at least one year of college and are considering pursuing a professional degree in architecture at the undergraduate or graduate level. Some experience with the study of architecture or art is expected. Students will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio for use in applying to architecture school. Students who attend the program and successfully complete all requirements will receive 4 college credits from The Cooper Union.
Applicants accepted to the program will be notified on a rolling basis beginning in late March. No applications will be reviewed after June 13, 2025 Applications should be submitted by June 10th in order to allow the admissions committee time for final review by June 13. Students accepted before or by June 13 are expected to confirm and pay their enrollment by June 14 at the latest.
Application Deadline: June 13, 2025. Enrollment Deadline: June 14, 2025
We recommend that applications be submitted as early as possible and before June as the programs will reach capacity by then.
The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture offers two full-time, rigorous, online-based summer programs to introduce students to the discipline and practice of architecture and one in-person program to introduce advanced and interdisciplinary students to digital fabrication. Introduction to Architecture: Foundation Studies and Portfolio Development for High School Students is a five-week program for students entering or currently attending high school who are interested in exploring the fundamentals of design and thinking at the architectural scale. Introduction to Architecture: Foundation Studies and Portfolio Development for College Students is a four-week program intended for students at the college level who are considering applying to a professional degree program in architecture at the undergraduate or graduate level. The Introduction to Architecture programs are each full-time, intensive programs modeled on the curriculum that has distinguished the School of Architecture's five-year Bachelor of Architecture professional degree program for over thirty years. The program offers a comprehensive overview of the culture, practice and history of architecture. Students will engage in the iterative process of analysis and design as foundational for a critical approach to the study and making of architecture. Workshops in digital techniques support and extend the program as an online learning platform. Program faculty are graduates of professional degree programs in architecture, with experience in both teaching and practice.
For additional information and questions, please email architecture.summer@cooper.edu or call 212-353-4224.
