Graduate Education
Master's Degree Program in Lighting
Now accepting applications for Fall 2024
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The Master's program in lighting is the premier graduate degree offered in the field of lighting, focusing on technology, design, human factors, and lighting applications. This full-time, 30-credit, multidisciplinary degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute allows students to work closely with world-class faculty experts who serve as mentors. The two-semester program allows for a hands-on study of lighting, which culminates in a master’s project during which each student can dive deep into a particular area of interest directly with a faculty advisor. With the faculty’s connections to the lighting industry, students also will have the opportunity to meet with company leaders during industry events and make connections for future employment.
The lighting program is geared toward students who wish to gain a broad education in lighting. Course content and curriculum are continually updated to include the latest advances to ensure that students receive an education on the leading edge of lighting. Students often present their master’s projects at international conferences and win industry awards.
This 9-month degree allows students to explore their interests, conduct research, step towards a doctoral degree, train for a broad range of high-level careers, or even start their own business. The program is also ideal for people with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to turn new, innovative ideas into viable lighting products or services. The program includes product innovation and development, designed to help students better identify and understand industry opportunities and the innovation process with a focus on lighting products and services that benefit society and the environment.
Two degree options are available:
Master of Science in Architectural Sciences with a Concentration in Lighting – for those with a background in architecture, design, or a related field
Master of Science in Lighting – for those with a background in engineering, physics, or a related field
Career Opportunities After Graduation
Lighting is a multidisciplinary topic cutting across many fields. In the M.S. program, students learn a broad array of topics such as electronics, optics, thermomechanics, 3D printing, sensors, metrology, business, and entrepreneurship through classes such as Lighting Technologies & Applications, Lighting Workshop, Lighting Leadership, and in the execution of their final master's project. This foundation allows students to seek employment not only in the lighting industry but also in semiconductors, electronics, software, 3D printing, and engineering companies.
Our graduates have gone on to industry careers in technology, design, and manufacturing, as well as to Ph.D. research programs and medical school. A few of these companies include:
Graduates have also gone on to work in federal and state government agencies and university and national laboratories.
Student Achievement in Lighting
Many of our students have won awards and scholarships for the research and designs they developed while working in the M.S. program, as well as after graduating into their professional career, including:
- U.S. Department of Energy L-Prize Concept Paper Award
- IES NYC Chapter Thesis Prize
- The Nuckolls Fund Jonas Bellovin Scholar Achievement Award
- AMUG Student Scholarship
- IES Philadelphia Chapter DesignWithLight Competition
- U.S. Department of Energy Solid-State Lighting Student Poster Award
Faculty
Jean Paul Freyssinier, M.S. – LRC Senior Research Scientist, Lecturer
Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D. – Professor, School of Architecture; Professor, Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy; Director, LRC Graduate Education
Indika Perera, Ph.D. – LRC Research Scientist; Lecturer, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering
Abhay Wadhwa – Design Principal, AWA Lighting Designers; LRC Lecturer
