• Lighting Design MFA

    TNS_Website-20161103_Lighting_Design_Install_064
    TNS_Website-20161103_Lighting_Design_Install_031
    TNS_Website-042409_Student_Life_B_448.jpg

  • Take the Next Step

  • Explore Our Community

    What our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide

  • Contact Us

    [email protected] 
    212.229.5150 (U.S. only)

    Program Contact
    Craig Bernecker, Program Director

  • Related Links

  • Social

  • The MFA Lighting Design program at Parsons, the first of its kind in the world, has trained leaders in this rapidly evolving field for more than 45 years. With a solid foundation in the intellectual, aesthetic, and technical dimensions of light, the interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on human experience, sustainability, and the social impact of lighting design. You explore the relationships between theory, technical application, energy conservation, and social and environmental aspects of electric and natural light.

    Program Highlights

    • Rigorous Studio Experience

      Integrate research, conceptual design, representation, technical analysis, and full-scale study to uncover the experiential and social implications of illumination.

    • Urban Focus

      Explore the role of light in cities, relevant to zoning and building, traffic and pedestrian safety, neighborhood integration, and other urban planning matters.

    • New York City Opportunities

      Study in the birthplace of architectural lighting design, with access to important built projects, industry events, trade shows, conferences, and internship opportunities.

    • Creative Collaboration

      Share shops and studio spaces with students from graduate programs in Architecture, Industrial Design, and Interior Design, fostering interdisciplinary work.

    • Multidisciplinary Options

      Expand your expertise through a three-year double major with Interior Design or a four-year dual degree with Parsons’ NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture.

    • Degree Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
    • Format Full-time, on campus
    • Credits 60
    • Duration 2 years
    • Other program status STEM-designated

  • Curriculum

    The unique course of study is anchored in an integrated studio experience in which students interact with peers in architecture, interior design, and product design disciplines. Students work collaboratively on complex problems ranging from single interior environments to comprehensive architectural volumes, outdoor public space, and urban planning.

    Learn more

  • Career Paths

    Graduates are prepared for careers in architectural and interior lighting design, exhibition lighting, and equipment design and manufacturing.

    Learn more

    Explore Our Community

    Discover what our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide.

    sce.parsons.edu

  • Student Work

      See Our Work

    • Parsons faculty represent a broad range of expertise and are acknowledged as leading practitioners and scholars in their fields.

    • Beyond the Classroom

      • TNS_Website-011116_Healthy_Materials_Lab_033

        Research Labs

        Research is integral to the Parsons learning experience, and students and faculty work together to challenge existing paradigms and advance emerging scholarship and practice. Explore the thematic research laboratories housed at Parsons and throughout The New School.

        Learn More
      • TNS_Website-20190909_Swarovski_Class_046.jpg

        Industry Engagement

        Connect to the organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs driving global creativity and commerce. In classes, internships, and extracurricular projects, you gain marketable problem-solving skills in sectors ranging from government and nonprofits to tech and creative industries.

        Learn More
      • TNS_Website-06292017_Interns_City_Hall-80

        Internships

        New York City’s thriving creative industry and cultural institutions are part of your Parsons education. Our Career Services Office is enmeshed in the art and design industries and can help you advance your career with industry-oriented internships. 

        Learn More
      • TNS_Website-20170712_Cuba_IFP_041

        Funded Opportunities

        Funds are earmarked for graduate travel, research, and work to support your study. Opportunities include paid teaching assistantships, research fellowships and assistantships (including ones offered throughout The New School), ample student employment, and other grants available to U.S. domestic and international students alike.

        Learn More
      • TNS_Website-20200302_Kellen_Archives_005

        Making & Academic Resources

        Enjoy access to extensive resources including New School libraries, computer labs, archives, and studios, along with Parsons’ state-of-the-art Making Center, facilities offering a broad array of tools to support your creative and academic growth.

        Learn More

    • Related Programs

    • Program News

      • Take The Next Step

      Submit your application

      Undergraduates

      To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

      Undergraduate Adult Learners

      To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

      Graduates

      To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.