School of Visual Arts
You belong here
Our challenging undergraduate and graduate programs span Studio Art, Digital Arts and Design, and Art Education. We also offer online courses tailored to diverse learners. SoVA’s internationally recognized, award-winning faculty are dedicated to learning, research, and educational imagination. Visual thinkers, creators, shapers, and educators – you belong here.
Contact + Connect
Undergraduate
Degrees + Certificates
B.A. in Art
The B.A. in Art offers visual artists the opportunity to find their artistic voices in an environment that fosters individuality and prepares graduates for an impactful career in the arts.
B.F.A. in Art
The BFA prepares visual thinkers who work with hands, heart, and head to be leaders in the contemporary art world.
B.S. in Art Education
The B.S. in Art Education degree program prepares knowledgeable, skilled, and creative leaders to teach social and environmental justice in educational contexts such as schools, community settings, and cultural institutions.
B.Des. in Digital Arts and Media Design
The B.Des. in Digital Arts and Media Design is on the cutting edge of a rapidly growing discipline that prepares students to develop digital technology in art, gaming, simulations, web-based design, and much more.
B.Des. in Digital Multimedia Design
The wholly online B.Des. in Digital Multimedia Design program prepares students to impact the ever-changing visual art, information science and technology, and communications digital media landscape.
B.Des. in Professional Photography
The B.Des. in Professional Photography prepares students to realize the power of photography while training them to professionally capture the beauty and complexity of the world.
Digital Arts Certificate
Blend classroom and online learning in this 15-credit certificate program that will help you develop artistic knowledge and technical skills that can be applied across industries and professions.
Graduate
Degrees
M.F.A. in Art
The Penn State M.F.A. in Art offers concentrations in ceramics, drawing and painting, graphic design, new media, photography, and sculpture – all to elevate your art and impact.
M.S. in Art Education (+Dual M.S.)
The M.S. in Art Education and Dual M.S. in Art Education + Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State explore the making of art and curriculum as the making of ideas that matter.
Ph.D. in Art Education (+Dual Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. in Art Education – plus the Art Ed + African American and Diaspora Studies and Art Ed + Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual-title degrees – position you to make a lasting impact on the art education profession.
Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight
Meliza Fermin
B.A. in Integrative Arts 2004Meliza Fermin is an award-winning visual effects artist across television and film genres. She won an Emmy for Outstanding Visual Effects for her work on the television show Heroes, and Emmy certificates for her contributions to The Battle of Gettysburg and American Horror Story. Currently, Meliza works at Fuse FX as a senior digital matte painter on shows such as American Horror Story and Timeless.
Zoller Gallery
Located on the entrance level of the Visuals Arts Building, the Edwin W. Zoller Gallery is a 2,200 square foot exhibition space. Founded in Learn More
DArt Design Studio
The DArt Design Studio computer and peripheral labs are available 24 hours a day to the entire DArt community, and are primarily for student Learn More
HumpDay Gallery
The HumpDay Gallery is a student-run organization which provides its undergraduate members with hand-on experiences in curating, installing, and hosting gallery shows. HumpDay prides Learn More
SoVA Ceramics Studio
Adjacent to the Visual Arts Building, the School of Visual Arts ceramics studio provides instructional and work space for ceramics students and houses the Learn More
SoVA Wood & Metal Shop
The School of Visual Arts Wood and Metal Shop is an exceptionally well-equipped and maintained facility located on the 1st floor of the Visual Learn More
Faculty Spotlight
Cristin Millett: The 21st Century Sculptor
Cristin Millett
Professor of Art
Straddling traditional disciplinary boundaries, SoVA Professor Cristin Millett’s investigations of medicine and its history are integral to her artistic process. Her toolkit of sculptural processes incorporates new advances in digital technology along with established methods of sculpture, such as stone carving and bronze casting. The resulting objects and installations prompt a contemporary cultural critique of societal issues surrounding reproduction and gender identity. Millett was awarded a Fulbright to the University of Western Australia in 2020.
News from A&A
College of Arts and Architecture to honor Alumni Award winners on Oct. 5
The College of Arts and Architecture will honor its 2023 Alumni Award recipients on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 5 p.m. at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center.
The College of Arts and Architecture will honor its 2023 Alumni Award recipients on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 5 p.m. at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 146 S. Allen
'Meticulously crafted sculptures' on display at Woskob Family Gallery
“High Strung,” featuring the meticulously crafted sculptures of local artist and educator Melissa Forkner Lesher, is on display in the Woskob Family Gallery through December 23. Read More
‘It’s Penn State’: Happy Valley is the right answer for Kappel family
Penn State runs deep in the Kappel family. Read More