Type@Cooper Condensed is a five-week summer intensive in typeface design, taught on site at The Cooper Union in New York from 14 June to 15 July 2027. It brings typeface design, calligraphy, type history and theory together into one integrated course, and each participant designs their own text typeface. Classes run four to five days a week, adding up to 166 hours in the classroom. Tuition is $5,575, there are at most 16 places, and applications are open from 1 to 28 February 2027.

Most short type design courses are either online or spread over evenings for months. This programme does the opposite: it compresses a large amount of teaching into a few weeks of full days, with sessions that can run from nine in the morning until half past nine at night. For a designer who can clear their summer, that concentration is the point. You spend five weeks thinking about letters and very little else, in a small group, with instructors in the room.

What You Will Learn

The programme covers the full path from hand-drawn letterforms to a working font. Based on the official description, the main areas are:

Typeface design as a discipline, from first sketches to digital drawing
Calligraphy, used to understand how letter shapes are built
The history of type and the ideas behind it
Typographic theory that informs design decisions
Designing a text typeface meant for reading sizes, roughly 6 to 16 point
Adding companion styles to the family
Producing the project to current industry standards

Who Is Type@Cooper Condensed For?

The Type@Cooper Condensed programme suits graphic designers, typographers and letterers who want a serious, structured introduction to designing type and can commit to five weeks in New York. The application asks for a portfolio of graphic arts work, including typography, lettering or vector drafting, so you need some design experience before you apply.

It is less suited to someone looking for a casual taster or a course they can fit around a full-time job. The timetable is demanding, and the certificate is only given to participants who attend every session. If you cannot be in New York for the whole period, an online workshop may fit better.

Programme Structure

The programme runs as one integrated course rather than separate modules. The main points of the schedule are:

Length: five weeks, 14 June to 15 July 2027
Days: four to five teaching days each week
Hours: sessions between 9:00 and 21:30, 166 in-class hours in total
Project: an individual text typeface, designed for 6–16 pt, with companion styles
Group size: a maximum of 16 participants
Extras: enrolled students can buy a discounted ticket to the Typographics festival, or volunteer and attend for free

How to Apply

Applications open on 1 February and close at midnight on 28 February 2027. You send everything as a single PDF, sized 1920 by 1080 pixels, to type@cooper.edu with the subject line "Typeface Design Application". The PDF should include:

A letter of about 250 words
A portfolio of six graphic arts projects, such as typography, lettering or vector drafting
A list of relevant courses you have taken
A résumé

There is a $75 non-refundable application fee. Decisions are sent by 12 March 2027.

Price and Access

Tuition for the 2027 programme is $5,575, due by 5 April 2027, on top of the $75 application fee. Travel and accommodation in New York are not mentioned on the official page, so budget for them separately. Check the official page for the current terms before you apply.

About the Instructors

The teaching team includes Hannes Famira, and the official page lists the other instructors. Type@Cooper is the type design programme of The Cooper Union, the New York college, and it also runs shorter online workshops during the year. Some of its workshop teachers are themselves graduates of the Condensed programme.

Things to Consider

Time: this is close to full-time study for five weeks; plan your work and travel around it.
Attendance: the certificate requires you to attend all sessions, so avoid booking anything else.
Portfolio: prepare six projects early, and choose ones that show care with letters and type.
Format: your application must be one PDF at 1920 by 1080, which is a screen format rather than A4.
Budget: add accommodation, travel and living costs in New York to the tuition.
Places: with 16 participants at most, apply early in the February window.

Is It Worth It?

Whether Type@Cooper Condensed is right for you depends on how you learn. If you want a focused, in-person push with daily teaching and a finished typeface project at the end, the format makes sense. If you prefer to learn slowly alongside work, a longer online course will be easier to sustain.

Apply to the Programme

Interested in learning with Type@Cooper?

Apply to the Condensed Program 2027

For the full programme details, instructors and application terms, visit the official Type@Cooper website.

Looking for more ways to learn? Browse all courses and learning resources on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 12, 2026

Type@Cooper Condensed Program 2027