The Master's in Lighting Design is cross-disciplinary and international. Classes are conducted in English with a focus on problem-based project work. As a Master’s student, you will work with natural light, illumination, artificial light or electric light at the intersection of three scientific fields: media technology, engineering and architecture. Among other things, you will work with the interplay between the physical elements of light, lighting technologies, digital media, context, human factors and design methods.

The Master's in Lighting Design prepares you for the current revolution in lighting technology. The lighting of tomorrow is intelligent and dynamic, adapting to the user's needs and the course of the day — whether in a home, office or waiting room, or the light from an information screen at a train station or in a canteen. The link between light and technology has led to an increasing demand for professional and highly educated graduates who can understand holistic lighting design, work with modern technologies and develop new and smarter solutions.

After graduating, you will have great job opportunities. For years, the lighting design industry has been calling for a Master's degree at a high international level. With a Master’s in Lighting Design, you will meet the long-standing demand for professional lighting designers who can work with consulting engineers, designers or architects, major builders, media production companies and event companies. In these collaborations, lighting designers will create illuminated physical and virtual environments in buildings as well as in urban and landscape spaces, using both artificial and natural light as well as media technologies.

All bachelors enrolled in the programme who have not obtained their bachelor's degree from Aalborg University must take part in a course on problem based learning as part of the 1st semester project. In case non-AAU bachelors get credit transfer for the 1st semester, they will be asked to take part in a course ensuring that they are trained in working according to the problem based learning model. 

Read more about problem based learning.

In the 1st semester of the postgraduate programme in Lighting Design, you and your group will work on a project under the theme “Seeing the light”. The purpose is for you to develop competences in designing with light within architecture and design, science and media technology. Through the project, you will learn about the complexity and interplay between these areas when designing with light in real and virtual spaces.

Courses in the 1st semester

• Lighting fundamentals
• Meaning of light: Light and space
• Rendered light simulation/CGI

In the courses, you will be working with the basic principles for the interplay between light, space, technology and human perception. One subject will be Nordic light which is included in order to demonstrate sensibility in lighting design. Moreover, you will learn about the basic photometric and colorimetric terms as well as the processes in perception of the luminous environment. Last, but not least, you will work with digital simulation of light. This is an important design tool, and you will also be introduced to CGI - Computer-generated Imagery – which stands for computer-generated special effects.

In the project work in the 2nd semester, you will be working with interactive lighting design via media technology and human / conceptual interaction. You and your group will work with a problem which should be solved both functionally, technically and aesthetically.

Courses in the 2nd semester

• Evidence-based lighting design
• Light and context
• Intelligent lighting design

In the course “Evidence-based lighting design”, you will learn about light’s effect on people in relation to our perception of our luminous environment as well as the psychological effect of light. On the 2nd semester, you will also work with aesthetic, functional, statutory and environmental design parameters in relation to light, and you will learn about the use of digital media for both indoor and outdoor applications in lighting design with focus on human factors.

On the 3rd semester, you have the opportunity to carry out a project in collaboration with a company. Many Lighting Design-students choose this option. An internship may add to your specialisation.

Find more information and a list of companies with whom Lighting Design-students have collaborated.

You may also choose an exchange stay at another university in Denmark or abroad.

Read more about taking a semester at another university.

On the 3rd semester, you can also choose project-based work. Tthe project work will take up more time than on the previous two semesters.

The theme is “Lighting design innovation”, and you are going to work with new solutions for a problem of your own choosing.

You could for instance include commercial aspects or socio-cultural implication compared to generation of scientific solutions.

Courses in the 3rd semester

• Design experiments
• Academic writing
• User experience design for service interaction

The 4th semester is the final semester of the postgraduate programme in Lighting Design. Here, you will work on your master’s thesis. There are no courses in the 4th semester, because it is dedicated entirely to working on your thesis which is done either individually or in small groups.

If you want further information about the Master's education of Lighting Design, you can find more details in the study curriculum.

• Read the study curriculum

• ARUP, London (UK)
• Concepto, Paris (FR)
• Licht Kunst Licht, Berlin (DE)
• L'Observatoire International, New York (US)
• Studio Roosegaarde, Rotterdam (NL)
• Ulrike Brandi Licht, Hamburg (DE)
• Lighting Design Collective, Helsinki (FI) and Madrid (ES)
• Light Bureau, Copenhagen (DK) and Malmö (SE)
• Fagerhult, Habo (SE)
• Zumtobel, Dornbirn (AT)

• Louis Poulsen, Copenhagen
• MOE, Copenhagen
• Sweco, Copenhagen
• COWI, Copenhagen
• Gottlieb Paludan Architects, Copenhagen
• Lightscapes, Copenhagen
• iGuzzini, Copenhagen
• Fortheloveoflight, Copenhagen
• HAY, Copenhagen
• Vertigo, Copenhagen
• YOKE, Copenhagen
• Tivoli, Copenhagen
• Grob Theatre, Copehagen
• Chromoviso, Aarhus
• Østre Gasværk Teater, Copenhagen
• Helsingør Kommune, Helsingør
• WE Architects, Copenhagen
• Studio Steven Scott, Copenhagen
• Arkitema, Copenhagen
• KHR Architects, Copenhagen
• Gehl Architects, Copenhagen
• Henning Larsen Architects, Copenhagen
• SLA Landscape Architects, Copenhagen

AAU Career helps you on your way from student life to job life in Denmark by giving you the tools to examine your options and find out what to do.

While studying at AAU, you can participate in career and job-related events, find help on our website, and book a personal career counselling session to talk about e.g.:

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• What you can offer an employer
• How to go about job search in Denmark – both student job, internship and full-time job

Read more about AAU Career here

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