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Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
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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.

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Undergraduate
Degrees + Certificates

SoVA student painting in studio.

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.
SoVA student exhibition Pushing it to the limit.

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.
Overhead view of a group of children surrounding a bright blue tub filled with liquid; one student has arms outstretched, holding a copper bowl of what appears to be intense blue dye.

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.
Virtual Reality immersive experience seminar.

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.
First year M.F.A. student exhibition with an interactive floor projection and teal balloons.

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.
SoVA student photoshoot capturing a close up shot.

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.
Graphic design students collaborating ideas in studio.

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. exhibition showing close up of a sculpture.

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.
BPS showcasing Art Education research exhibition on transdisciplinary creativity.

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.
Art Education student research exhibition.

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

Penn State gave me the opportunity to explore the many career paths available in the film industry.
Caleb Yoder, Penn State alumnus and DreamWorks animatic editor.

Alumni Spotlight

Caleb Yoder

B.Des. in Digital Arts and Media Design 2016

A student internship with DreamWorks Animation led Caleb Yoder to a full-time videographer position with the company following his graduation. Caleb spent eight months as a videographer before moving to the DreamWorks TV division, where he worked as a production assistant and production coordinator on Harvey Street Kids. As a Schreyer Scholar, Caleb graduated with highest distinction, serving as college marshal for the College of Arts and Architecture. Caleb now is assistant animatic editor at DreamWorks.

Silhouette of Caleb Yoder shooting video for DreamWorks.
DreamWorks animatic editor Caleb Yoder pictured with characters from Harvey Street Kids

Facilities

Galleries, Museums and Workshops
See All Facilities
A wealth of student artwork featured in the Zoller Gallery
A wealth of student artwork featured in the Zoller Gallery

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


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A wealth of student artwork featured in the Zoller Gallery

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


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A wealth of student artwork featured in the Zoller Gallery

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


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A wealth of student artwork featured in the Zoller Gallery

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


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A wealth of student artwork featured in the Zoller Gallery

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


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Faculty Spotlight

video
"Light," a Ben Radatz/Brian Alfred collaboration.

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.

Brian Alfred faculty spotlight portrait

News from A&A

School of Visual Arts shop staff create special award for students who bat it out of the park

Each semester for almost ten years, Matt Olson and Mark Rizzo have designed a special award for students who excel in their work in the School of Visual Arts shop.

“The Shop,” as it is fondly known in the Penn State School of Visual Arts (SoVA), isn’t just a room filled with tools and equipment. It is also a classroom


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Millett and White to discuss “Ex-Utero” project at Paris symposium

Cristin Millett, professor of art in sculpture, and Cynthia White, ADRI adjunct research associate, will discuss their "Ex-Utero" project at a Paris symposium.
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College of Arts and Architecture announces spring 2023 student marshals

The College of Arts and Architecture’s commencement ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. on May 6 in Eisenhower Auditorium and will be livestreamed.
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