The College of Arts and Architecture is one of fourteen academic colleges at the University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University.

Under Eric Walker, twelfth president of Penn State, the University system experienced a revival in the importance of the humanities and fine arts, which culminated in the creation of the College of Arts and Architecture by action of the Board of Trustees in 1962.

The College was formed by joining the School of Fine and Applied Arts, formerly within the College of the Liberal Arts, with the Department of Architecture, formerly within the College of Engineering.

[1] Jules Heller, then the director of the School of Fine and Applied Arts, was named the founding Dean of the College [2] and was a founding member of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD).

In addition to its academic mission, the Penn State and greater State College area is supported by cultural outreach programs administered by the College: Source: Penn State[7]