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Summer STEM

Two students work on assembling an electronics circuit for a remote control vehicle.
Students in the Rube Goldberg class prototype components with cardboard and cups before 3D printing final parts.
Summer STEM students test a gear for an elevator in the Rube Goldberg machine.
Microcontrollers and breadboards used by Summer STEM students to assemble electronics.
Students in a chemistry lab as part of the Summer STEM program. Photo by Chris Taggart/Cooper Union

Students in a chemistry lab as part of the Summer STEM program. Photo by Chris Taggart/Cooper Union
Sustainable and green energy students test prototypes to gather energy from wind.

Applications for Summer STEM 2021 are closed.

Summer STEM will offer three-week virtual programs in design, engineering and hands-on problem-solving. Class projects will cover topics from current problems in civil, chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering. Students gain knowledge in an engineering field and guidance to address a real-world problem by designing and engineering a solution. Students who attend the program and successfully complete the assignments will receive a certificate of completion from The Cooper Union.

Hear about Summer STEM from past students and staff in the What is Summer STEM? Video.

Class Projects: See Summer STEM 2021 Courses

Program Dates:

Session 1: Class on July 6-9, July 12-15, and July 19-22 (note week 1 runs Tuesday-Friday) and student orientation June 30, 4:30 - 6:00 pm EST,

Session 2: Class on July 26-29, August 2-5, and August 9-12 and student orientation July 21, 4:30 - 6:00 pm EST.

Daily Schedule: Each session is three weeks and meets four days per week, typically Monday - Thursday. The daily schedule is:

10 am – 12 pm EST Class Meeting
1 – 3 pm EST Class Meeting
3 – 5 pm EST Program Activities, days and times will vary.

Admissions: High school students that are currently in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade during the 2020-2021 school year can apply.

Application deadline: April 4, 2021

Acceptances sent: April 16, 2021

Cost: $1585 per three-week session. Full and partial scholarships available; 60 or more scholarships will be awarded.

Note: Acceptance or rejection to the Cooper Union Summer STEM Program does not affect entrance to Cooper Union’s undergraduate program. However, your performance in Summer STEM may be considered if you apply to the undergraduate program.

For more information or questions, please contact: summerstem@cooper.edu. 

  • 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.