Explore. Create. Design. Perform. Succeed!
Envision your future here. Undergraduate Degrees Graduate Degrees
We are a vibrant community of artists, performers, researchers, designers, and educators committed to making meaning, learning, traveling, experiencing, and sharing. We collaborate. We build. We act and play.
We impact lives – your life.
Pursue your passions.
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, all in one of the Best College Towns in America. Our alumni get amazing jobs and make a difference.
Engage with the arts!
Penn State Arts and Architecture is a comprehensive college of arts and design, presentation, and performance. Supporting and elevating our extensive academic programs, the college also holds important collections and hosts powerful performances.
The Palmer Museum of Art and the Center for Performing Arts, as well as other A&A engagement units, foster significant partnerships and connections across the University, enrich the student experience, and expand the impact of arts, design, and performance at Penn State and within the broader community.
From welcoming world-class performers and premiere performances to housing globally relevant art collections and featuring contemporary exhibitions, the College of Arts and Architecture marshals the power of art, performance, and design to deeply investigate the most significant challenges of the times. And our invitation is open to all – visit, explore, experience. Engage with the arts!
Center for the Performing Arts
The Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) provides a context, through artistic connections, to the human experience. By bringing artists and audiences together CPA sparks discovery of passion, inspiration, and inner truths. CPA motivates creative thinking and examination of our relationship with the world.
Explore the Palmer
In addition to its growing collection that spans world cultures and centuries of art, the Palmer Museum of Art – a leading cultural resource for the region – is providing a diverse array of online programming and events, plus virtual tours and exhibitions. It’s a fantastic time to experience the Palmer.
Alumni Spotlight
View your education as an opportunity to explore...get weird and fail a few times – it’s a great way to learn.
Alumni Spotlight
Colleen Wade
B.Des. in Graphic Design 2019Soon after graduating, Colleen Wade landed her dream job at Burton Snowboards, where she is a production designer. She credits her Penn State education with preparing her well for this position, which has given her the opportunity to combine her passion for snowboarding and love of design.
The student experience matters here.
Engage. Learn. Grow.
Thrive.
100%
100% of people are creative and have the potential to make massive impact on the world. We are here to help you realize your potential.
Faculty Spotlight
Naomi Seidman
Assistant Professor of Music
Assistant Professor Naomi Seidman joined the School of Music faculty in 2012. An accomplished solo performer, she has won the Mid-South Flute Competition and the Frank Bowen Young Artist Competition, and was first runner-up in the Myrna Brown Young Artist Competition. She was also a semi-finalist in the Beijing Nicolet International Flute Competition. She has performed as a soloist with the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, Kingsville Symphony, and Ballet Austin. She has also been an invited performer, judge, and presenter at National Flute Association (NFA) conventions and is a member of the NFA Cultural Outreach Committee.
News from A&A
Interim architecture department head to retire after 35 years at Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A strong drive to always learn more has been one of the defining elements of Dan Willis’ career at Penn State. Willis, interim department head and
From Bach to Brass and Janáček to Jazz: Penn’s Woods Music Festival June 11-24
The beat goes on: Forty years of percussion education at Penn State
World-class performances, exhibitions, lectures, recitals, symposia and more.
The College of Arts and Architecture is home to a stunning variety of events that are enjoyed by thousands each year. The college fosters a vibrant and inclusive culture of inquiry and excellence within the arts and design disciplines.