Lighting Design (MFA), Architecture (M.Arch)
Lighting Design MFA
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Contact Us
thinkparsonsgrad@newschool.edu
212.229.5150 (U.S. only)
Program Contact
Craig Bernecker, Program Director
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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
Bring together research, concept design, representation, technical analysis, and full-scale study to uncover the experiential and social implications of illumination. Learn using the program's industry-standard tools including a heliodon, goniophotometer, and our Diffuse Sky Simulator.
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.NYC + Global Opportunities
Study in the birthplace of architectural lighting design, with access to important built projects, industry events, trade shows, and internship and job opportunities. Students are often recognized for their work, winning awards and presenting research internationally at conferences.
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 program.
Creative Collaboration
Share shops and studio spaces with students from graduate programs in architecture, industrial design, and interior design, fostering interdisciplinary work.
A Built-in Community
Group projects foster a close-knit community, and LUX—the program’s active pre-professional organization— organizes the annual Protango networking event, co-learning immersions, and career exploration opportunities such as studio visits.
- DegreeMaster of Fine Arts (MFA)
- FormatFull-time, on campus
- Credits60
- Duration2 years
- Other program statusSTEM-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.
Making Center
The Making Center, a spacious studio bringing together creative tools from around the university, offers students unprecedented opportunities to acquire industry-ready skills, transform how products are made, and upend conventional notions of supply chains, local production, mass customization, and craft.
Career Paths
Graduates are prepared for careers in architectural and interior lighting design, exhibition lighting, and equipment research, design, and manufacturing.
Student Work
Lighting Design (MFA)
Lighting Design (MFA)
Lighting Design (MFA), Architecture (M.Arch), Architecture (M.Arch) / Lighting Design (MFA)
Lighting Design (MFA), Architecture (M.Arch), Architecture (M.Arch) / Lighting Design (MFA)
Lighting Design (MFA)
Parsons faculty represent a broad range of expertise and are acknowledged as leading practitioners and scholars in their fields.
Beyond the Classroom
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related Programs
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