Noted for its talented, award-winning faculty and affordable prices, Cooper Union Continuing Education offers Professional Development courses for architects and engineers; and non-credit courses in fine art, photography, calligraphy, art history, writing, literature, cinema studies, languages, finance, computers and New York Urban Studies. Continuing Education also offers an extensive range of free and inexpensive public lectures, debates, cultural events, symposia, concerts, tours and other community-oriented activities. These programs are the legacy of a tradition that began in 1858, when Cooper's adult education program was the first of its kind to become available at an American college. Worried about the growing problems of social inequality and class division in New York City, Peter Cooper hoped that his institution, strategically situated at the top of the Bowery, would provide a meeting ground for the working and genteel classes, the immigrant and native born. The galleries, public reading room, exhibitions and collections would draw all levels of society, yet would operate without an eye to commercial return. Whatever other ventures the Union undertook, it always intended to train citizens to be ethically vigilant and able to contribute to the public good. At that time, most of Cooper Union's students already were working; they came at night to learn the fundamentals of science and art, and thus to develop problem-solving techniques for work already underway. There is an online catalog of current Continuing Education offerings available. If you would prefer to receive a print version of the catalog, please call (212) 353-4195 and ask to be added to the mailing list.