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 at Penn State is unable to present public performances by artists at University Park during spring semester 2021, but the center’s series of streaming presentations, Up Close and Virtual, continues free of charge to patrons.
Learn about the evolving lineup of Up Close and Virtual presentations.
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
Penn State embraced my vision for a cross-disciplinary education that combined electrical engineering with theatre and stage lighting.
Alumni Spotlight
Andrew Giffin
Inter-College Bachelor of Philosophy, 2005
Andrew Giffin – a Schreyer Scholar who earned a inter-college Bachelor of Philosophy incorporating studies in Theatre Design and Technology plus Electrical Engineering – is the associate lighting designer for the rock band, Phish, and is widely considered as the top lighting programmer in the industry. Andrew has designed and programmed light shows for musicians such as Pearl Jam, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber in addition to his work on music award shows, theatre productions and sporting events.
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
Brian Alfred
Associate Professor of Art
Brian Alfred received a B.F.A. from Penn State in 1997, studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine, and received an M.F.A. from Yale University in 1999. He has had numerous solo exhibitions in locations ranging from New York City to Tokyo to London, as well as group exhibitions nationally and internationally. He is the host of the podcast “Sound and Vision,” featuring conversations with contemporary artists, which recently celebrated its 200th episode. His work is in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Denver Art Museum, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.
2021 Architecture & Landscape Architecture Summer Camp
ZoomEvents
Go. Explore.News from A&A
Department of Architecture announces 2021 Haider competition winner
UNIVERSTY PARK, Pa. — Darshika Agrawal, a master of architecture student within the Stuckeman School, was named the recipient of the 2021 Jawaid Haider Award for Design Excellence in Graduate
Arts and Architecture names college, academic unit marshals
