The Master of Architecture/Master of Fine Arts programme in Lighting Design at Parsons School of Design combines architecture and lighting design disciplines with the opportunity to work on real-world projects.

Parsons' MArch/MFA Lighting Design dual degree, the first of its kind in the world, offers an interdisciplinary curriculum combining master's architecture and lighting design courses.

It gives graduates a competitive edge across a spectrum of industries. This four-year, full-time programme draws on Parsons' faculty of award-winning practitioners and resources found only in New York City, a centre of innovative design firms.

Our NAAB-accredited architecture courses and lighting design studios develop your skill in coordinating considerations, including site, user needs and safety, construction requirements, materiality, aesthetics and environmental sustainability.

Design-build projects with city partners give you real-world experience in building in urban settings and exposure to change-making nonprofits, firms and community organisations offering internship and employment opportunities.

The programme's home at Parsons and The New School – a university offering disciplines including the social sciences and humanities, performing arts and management – enables you to collaborate with peers in related fields such as community development and theatre. You emerge prepared to advance the potential of design to foster a more resilient, equitable and ecologically sustainable world.

Applicants join our diverse community from fields including interior design, architecture and industrial design. Applicants are considered for merit scholarships during the application process; no separate application is required.

School: Parsons School of Design
Course: Master of Architecture/Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design
Type: Postgraduate
Location: New York City, USA
Course dates: September 2026 to May 2030
Application deadline: 5 January 2026 (priority deadline), applicants accepted on a rolling basis if there is space available

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– Architectural design
– Lighting design

What are the requirements?

– Applicants must submit a portfolio including a sequence of 15 to 25 images that best communicate their visual thinking
– We welcome students from a wide variety of disciplines; if you are an applicant without previous training in architecture or design-related fields, you can demonstrate your aptitude by submitting examples of freehand drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, graphic design, three-dimensional work, furniture, product design, digital media or work in other formats
– Applicants can also submit a video introduction that details what they see as the major challenge of their generation.

What facilities and resources are available?

– Labs, shops and studios
– The university's Making Center offers students unprecedented opportunities to acquire industry-ready skills, transform how products are made and upend conventional notions of supply chains, local production, mass customisation and craft

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Applicants can expect career pathways in architecture, lighting design, interior design, engineering, urban planning and landscape design.

Who teaches this course?

– Craig Bernecker, professor of lighting design​
– Allyson McDavid, assistant professor of ancient material and visual culture​
– Mark Gardner, associate professor of architectural practice and society​
– Sharon Egretta Sutton, distinguished visiting professor of architecture​
– Andrew Bernheimer​, associate professor of architecture​
– Hyon Woo Scott Chung​, assistant professor of architecture​
– Paul Goldberger​, Joseph Urban professor of design​
– Robert Kirkbride​, professor of architecture and product design​
– David Lewis​, professor of architecture​
– Brian McGrath​, professor of urban design​
– Eva Perez de Vega​, assistant professor of interior design​
– Derek Porter​, professor of lighting design​
– Kaveh Samiei​, assistant professor of building systems and energy​
– Glenn Shrum​, associate professor of lighting design and interdisciplinary practice​

Top image: Rebecca Savage (M.Arch/MFA Lighting Design 2025)

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