The MSc Light and Lighting course at UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering supports students in developing a skillset necessary for careers in lighting design.

UCL offers one of the world's most comprehensive master's degrees in Light and Lighting.

We bring together the technical and creative sides of lighting design to offer an extensive package of knowledge and skills for your career as a lighting professional working in the built environment.

School: UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering
Course: Light and Lighting MSc
Type: Postgraduate
Location: London, Bloomsbury and London, Hackney Wick (Here East)
Course dates: 22 September 2026
Application deadline: 26 June 2026
(for applicants who require a visa) and 28 August 2026 (for applicants who do not require a visa)

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– Design lighting as an integrated component of architecture, utilising exciting advances in science and technology whilst taking into consideration human responses to the lit environment
– Gain in-depth expertise in the science of light, lamp and luminaire technologies, and the impact of light on architectural form and human response to both daylight and artificially lit spaces
– Skills to design beautiful lit environments that promote user wellbeing and the skills to ensure they are successfully engineered

What are the requirements?

The normal minimum qualifications are a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

What facilities and resources are available?

– Specialist built environment library and state-of-the-art study spaces, including the UCL Student Centre — an example of Environmental Design and Engineering in action, with an "rxcellent" BREEAM sustainability rating
– Specialist lighting research equipment, such as illuminance and luminance meters, and a spectrometer
– An artificial sky consisting of a five-metre dome with 810 individually adjustable light sources – simulating daylight distribution – and a moving sun simulator at our East London Facility

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

UCL's Light and Lighting MSc is designed to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge base and skill set to build a successful career in the lighting profession, whether as a lighting designer, luminaire manufacturer, or as part of an architectural or engineering firm.

You will join a global cohort of students studying pioneering sustainable approaches to lighting design, operation and research.

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