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
Milagros Ponce de León
Associate Professor of Theatre
Milagros‘ areas of specialization include scenic design, 3D drafting, scene painting, and rendering for the theater. Recent design credits in the Washington DC area include scenic designs for Into the Woods, Jefferson’s Garden, and Ragtime at Ford’s Theatre; Life is a Dream at Gala Hispanic Theatre; and Matilda, In the Heights, and Sweeney Todd at Olney Theatre Centre. Additional credits include scenic designs for Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte in NC; and Catalyst Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Imagination Stage, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Metro Stage, National Players, Opera Vivente, Roundhouse Theatre, Theatre Alliance, and Studio Theatre 2nd Stage in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area.
Milagros has received three Helen Hayes nominations for outstanding scenic design in the Washington, D.C. area. She is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local-829, an Associate Artist at Ford’s Theatre, and an Artistic Associate at Olney Theatre Center.
News from A&A
Period instrument Eybler Quartet to perform long-forgotten works by Franz Weiss
The Eybler Quartet, a period instrument ensemble based in Toronto, will perform two long-forgotten string quartets by 19th-century composer and viola virtuoso Franz Weiss at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, in the School of
Exhibit visualizing sustainability research and crises on display this week
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State exhibit that highlights the collaboration between the Department of Graphic Design in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School and the Sustainability
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‘The Frederick Douglass Project’ virtual event offered free Feb. 8
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.