OpenFieldThe Cooper Union · New York, New York, United States
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is an internationally venerated private college located in Manhattan's East Village, New York City. Founded in 1859 by industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper under the vision that education should be accessible to all, Cooper Union is acclaimed for the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the School of Art, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering.
Cooper Union comprises three world-renowned professional schools: the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the School of Art, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. Every admitted undergraduate student receives an automatic half-tuition scholarship (currently $22,275 annually), with the institution steadily executing its historic plan to restore 100% full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduate scholars.
Admissions are among the most competitive in the United States. Engineering applicants require outstanding academic records in advanced calculus and physics. Architecture and Art applicants must submit extensive original artistic portfolios and complete the legendary, rigorous Cooper Union Home Studio Test.
NAAB-accredited world-famous five-year professional architecture degree fostering avant-garde structural design, spatial theory, urban ecology, and architectural fabrication.
Intensive graduate research program exploring microfluidics, polymeric drug delivery, environmental membrane separations, and electrocatalysis.
Rigorous fine arts studio curriculum covering painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, video, and social practice, situated in the heart of New York's art ecosystem.
ABET-accredited program covering digital signal processing, integrated circuit design, embedded robotics, communication theory, and neural network hardware acceleration.
Intensive civil engineering degree emphasizing high-rise skyscraper structural dynamics, seismic retrofitting, urban infrastructure resilience, and geotechnical mechanics.
Prestigious interdisciplinary fellowship supporting self-directed creative, architectural, or scientific research projects culminating in a public exhibition and lecture.
President & Former Executive Director of William Penn Foundation
Office of the President
Laura Sparks serves as the 13th president of The Cooper Union, a champion of educational equity and financial strategist who constructed the 10-year plan to res...
View researcher profile ↗Former Dean & Professor of Architecture
The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture
Nader Tehrani is a world-renowned architect, educator, and founding principal of NADAAA, celebrated for digital fabrication innovations, geometric structural en...
View researcher profile ↗Dean & Professor of Electrical Engineering, FIEEE
Albert Nerken School of Engineering
Dr. Barry Shoop is a Fellow of IEEE, OSA, and SPIE, a former president of OSA (Optica) and retired US Army Colonel who leads Cooper Union's engineering research...
View researcher profile ↗OpenField is an independent research platform not officially affiliated with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Information reflects public documentation reviewed on 2026-10-16. Students must verify application deadlines, fee structures, and prerequisite details directly with official university admissions departments before applying.
Updated 2026-10-16 · Editorial policy · Submit corrections