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Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
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A&A at a Glance

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


People

The College of Arts and Architecture’s faculty, staff, and students are committed, resourceful, and innovative, creating a vibrant and inquisitive arts and design community.



Student Demographics


1489 Undergrads

257 Grads


62.94% Female

36.83% Male

0.23% Gender Undisclosed


53.6% In-State

46.4% Out-of-State

90.1% Domestic

9.9% International


Distribution of Students


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


A scene from the production of A Year With Frog and Toad where actors in bright-colored costumes are performing a musical number. Performed in the Playhouse Theatre at the University Park campus.
A female representative reviews a Stuckeman student's resume.
Darkened silhouettes of Penn State visual arts students crouched around a foundry crucible pouring red-hot molten metal.

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

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.



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.


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

Department of Art History
Department Head Elizabeth Mansfield

School of Music
Director David Frego

School of Theatre
Director Rick J. Lombardo

School of Visual Arts
Director Vagner Mendonça-Whitehead

Stuckeman School
Including the Departments of Architecture, Graphic Design, Landscape Architecture
Interim Director Patricia Kucker

Department of Architecture
Department Head Mehrdad Hadighi

Department of Graphic Design
Department Head Phil Choo

Department of Landscape Architecture
Department Head Roxi Thoren

In 2020–21, 64.76% of the College of Arts and Architecture’s student credit hours were General Education courses, evidence of our integral role in providing Penn State students with a broad-based education.
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.


Undergraduate Degree Programs

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.


Graduate Degree Programs

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

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.
Orange CNC robot arm 3d printing a concrete structure
A Black actress in a gown performing on stage.
A large audience gatherin the field of the Penn State Arboretum for a Penn's Woods Music Festival live concert.
Stage and lighting scene rehearsal for the play Albatross.
Three visitors viewing two large paintings in the Palmer Museum of Art.


Research, Engagement + 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.


Research + Creative Initiatives


A&A Sustainability
Director Mihyun Kang

Arts & Design Research Incubator
Director William Doan

Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design
Director Susan Russell

Center for Virtual/Material Studies
Director Sarah Rich

E+D – Ecology plus Design
Director Andy Cole

Hamer Center for Community Design
Director Lisa D. Iulo

Stuckeman Center for Design Computing
Director José P. Duarte

Studio for Sustainability + Social Action
Director Simone Osthoff



Outreach + Performance


Center for the Performing Arts
Director Sita Frederick

Palmer Museum of Art
Director Erin M. Coe

Penn State Blue Band
DIrector Greg Drane

Penn State Centre Stage
Artistic Director Rick J. Lombardo

Penn’s Woods Music Festival
Music Director & Conductor Gerardo Edelstein



Venues + Galleries


Borland Project Space

Downtown Theatre

Eisenhower Auditorium

Pavilion Theatre

Playhouse Theatre

Recital Hall

Woskob Family Gallery

Zoller Gallery


500+

Performances Annually

10,000+

Objects in the Palmer Museum of Art permanent collection



Philanthropy

2020–21 Figures

Our alumni and friends provide integral support for our students, faculty, and programs. We are grateful for their generosity and commitment to nurturing the arts and design community at Penn State.


$122,441,821.50 Total College Endowment


398 Endowments + Annually Funded Accounts


$4,369,474 Endowment Income + Current Year Gifts Available for Awarding FY2021


$1,109,912 Undergraduate Student Aid (181 accounts)


$78,636 Graduate Student Aid (12 accounts)


$391,276 Graduate or Undergraduate Student Aid (42 accounts)


$794,330 Endowed Faculty Positions (10 accounts)


$1,995,320 Endowed Academic, Museum, Performing Arts Programs (153 accounts)

College of Arts and Architecture blue white tailgate in front of the Stuckeman School during blue white weekend.
Photo of female student wearing an augmented reality headset.