MFA Lighting Design

Learn from award-winning and internationally renowned lighting designers.

Overview

One of only a small number of postgraduate lighting design courses in the world, this programme explores the use of light in interior and exterior spaces, and light as a medium for creative practice. You’ll learn combined technical and creative skills and to apply lighting design principles. You’ll be taught by award-winning and internationally renowned lighting designers.

Part of the MA/MFA Design Suite, the course benefits from bringing together designers from a range of disciplines into core modules, as well as modules specific to your chosen pathway such as 'Creative Lighting Design for Places and People' and 'Design for Heritage and Culture'.

All students complete the Live Project and you’ll study 'Thinking: Research for Creative Practice', which will help you to determine your Dissertation (MA and MFA) and Major Project (MFA) topics.

The MFA is recognised as an advanced masters level degree and students already holding an appropriate MA can apply to enter the programme directly into the second year of study.

Course details

Well-designed lighting can transform a place or a space, and greatly enhance the user experience.

The MFA Lighting Design will develop your skills and knowledge in the use of light and projection in designed spaces. You will learn how to exploit natural light, but also enhance interior and exterior spaces with the use of artificial lighting systems and art projections.

You will explore different lighting types and qualities, and learn how to select appropriate lighting for the right setting. You will develop technical understanding of state-of the art hardware, as well as the use of more simple technical solutions to lighting spaces.

The two year MFA offers students the opportunity to extend project work through an in depth, research-led creative enquiry. The first year of the programme is aligned to the MA and you will undertake six modules developing subject specific-skills and knowledge, external research and entrepreneurial collaboration, and practice-based research.

In the second year, you will extend your practice with two large modules: the self-directed Major Project with specialist supervisors, and Professional Practice with portfolio mentors. You will end the programme with a highly professional portfolio that enhances industry and employment opportunities or (with an emphasis on research) offers a robust gateway into PhD-level study.

Assessments

We take a common approach to learning, teaching and assessment in studio modules where practice-based student output is collated as a portfolio presentation.

Careers

Graduates from this programme pathway can pursue careers in:

• interior and spatial design
• lighting design
• urban design
• exhibition and museum design
• installation art.

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above in an art & design or related discipline (architecture, creative computing & engineering design). We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry. All candidates are interviewed with a portfolio of creative work or technical/business projects. Applicants from overseas can be interviewed by teleconference with an online portfolio.