A&A shape graphic with a vibrant collage images showcasing student performances, exhibits, research, and design works.

About

About the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture

Welcome to A&A

The College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State, located on the University Park campus in beautiful central Pennsylvania, is the hub for arts and design education, outreach, and engagement, where new ways of thinking are encouraged and interdisciplinary collaboration is the norm.

Find contact information for all A&A schools, units, and offices in the college directory.

Two cellists playing with the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra

With academic programs spanning music, theatre, visual arts, graphic design, digital design, art history, architecture, and landscape architecture, we are a complete arts and design community committed to artistic and scholarly creativity, research, and the preparation of creators and educators whose innovation and industriousness make a positive impact around the world.

We offer a broad array of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as numerous ensembles and clubs open to all students regardless of major. The Center for the Performing Arts, Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State Centre Stage, and Penn’s Woods Music Festival – also part of the college – are key organizations in the area’s thriving cultural landscape, offering performances, exhibitions, and educational outreach programs that are enjoyed by thousands each year.

In addition, the college’s research centers and institutes help to foster a vibrant culture of inquiry that promotes excellence within the arts and design disciplines, while at the same time leveraging the potential of a comprehensive research university.

Student theatre performer kneeling on bed on a darkened stage with with arm outstretched overhead.
A landscape architect student explaining her many posters and vibrant images displayed on a wall during a landscape architecture student display event.

College of Arts and Architecture faculty are dedicated to providing high-quality professional instruction to graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in the college. They also are responsible for providing undergraduate literature, history, and studio courses in the arts for all students at Penn State.

The college is housed in sixteen buildings in the “Arts District” on the University Park campus. Learn more about our extensive facilities.

Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture proudly serves as one of the major cultural centers between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Landscape architecture SIP program student pointing to her designs and speaking with an instructor.

Academics

The College of Arts and Architecture offers more than 30 undergraduate and 15 graduate degrees in a resource-rich setting with world-class faculty and facilities, coupled with diverse arts, performance, and design programs. A&A also is committed to online education with some 262 courses engaging more than 4,400 online learners. Alumni from our programs get amazing jobs and make a difference.

View Degrees
School of Music ensemble performance.

Undergraduate Majors & Minors

A&A provides undergraduate majors, minors, and certificate programs that capture students’ imagination, expand their horizons, and prepare graduates for success across design, performing arts, and visual arts disciplines.

View Majors & Minors
Student thesis work showing wind temperature and internal airflow 'heat maps' overlaid on architectural images

Graduate Programs

Graduate programs housed in the College of Arts and Architecture – including master’s and doctoral level degrees, professional degrees, dual-title degrees, and graduate certificates – each challenge candidates to achieve significant contributions through research and performance.

View Graduate Programs

Student Demographics

53.6%

In-state

46.4%

Out-of-state

90.1%

Domestic

9.9%

International

62.94%

Female

36.83%

Male

0.23%

Gender Undisclosed

Student Distribution

1489

Undergrads

257

Grads

20.62%

Architecture

19.82%

Visual Arts

15.41%

Music

12.6%

Digital Multimedia Design (World Campus)

11.86%

Theatre

11.17%

Landscape Architecture

4.64%

Graphic Design

2.81%

Art History

0.74%

Integrative Arts

0.33%

Graduate Certificates

ArtsUP event, celebratng the arts at Penn State. Students, faculty, and staff from the College of Arts and Architecture, the Palmer Museum of Art, and the Center for the Performing Arts performed and led workshops throughout the Arts District. Screen printing aprons with SoVA students and faculty.

Faculty & Staff

212

Full Time Faculty (including admin)

51

Part Time Faculty

2

Postdocs

172

Grad Assistants

5:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

122

Full Time Staff

59

Part Time Staff

Bill Doan gesturing toward a projected illustrated diagram of a human brain. A man is standing in the foreground at a podium with a laptop.

Research, Engagement and Outreach

The College of Arts and Architecture is home to a stunning variety of performances, exhibitions, and educational outreach programs that are enjoyed by thousands each year. From lectures by global thought leaders, to Broadway-caliber performances, to art and technology workshops, symposia, musical recitals, and so much more, the college fosters a vibrant and inclusive culture of inquiry and excellence within the arts and design disciplines.

500+

Performances Annually

10,000+

Objects in the Palmer Museum of Art Collection

A Black actress in a gown performing on stage.

Strategic Plan

The College of Arts and Architecture has developed a 5-year roadmap highlighting key goals, processes to achieve those goals, and impacts/outcomes.

Student using digital projector to display visual presentation on the wall of a blue-light cast room.

Stay in Touch!

Keep up-to-date with the units across the college through our e-news publications. Please complete this form and indicate the information you’d like to receive.

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