Explore. Create. Design. Perform. Succeed!
Envision your future here. Undergraduate Degrees Graduate DegreesWe 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

Alumni Spotlight
Ryan Jacobs
B.A. in Art History 2016Ryan Jacobs is a College of Arts & Architecture Alumni that graduated in 2016 majoring in Art History with a double minor in Architectural History and Architecture Studies. Upon graduating Penn State he enrolled at Virginia Tech to attain a Master’s in Architecture. His thesis, “The Troupes of Theatre”, combined both of his passions for architecture and theatre. After finishing his graduate studies, returned to PA and works at PWWG Architects in downtown Pittsburgh.

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
DK Osseo-Asare
Assistant Professor of Architecture and Engineering Design
Fulbright scholar, TED Global Fellow, and Africa 4 Tech Digital Champion, DK Osseo-Asare is assistant professor of architecture and engineering design, facilitating collaboration among the Stuckeman School, the School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs, and the Materials Research Institute. He is also the director of the Humanitarian Materials Lab (HuMatLab), affiliate to the Materials Matters and Stuckeman Center for Design Computing research clusters, and associate director of Penn State’s Alliance for Education, Science, Engineering and Design with Africa (AESEDA). Outside the University, he is cofounder and principal of architecture and integrated design at Low Design Office (LOWDO), based in Austin, Texas, and Tema, Ghana.

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
Read More‘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.