The master's programme in Architectural Lighting design offers a unique approach to light and lighting planning: a combination of visual, physical, and biological-based experience and knowledge applied to design, technology, and health. It provides an in-depth understanding of the field through scientific expertise and practical experience in artificial light and daylight. The programme gradually moves from foundational studies of light, perception and human behaviour towards more advanced applications in indoor and outdoor environments, scientific analysis and independent project work. Graduates from the programme can apply advanced knowledge in lighting design in both practical and academic contexts.
The programme combines theory and practice through lectures, workshops, discussions, laboratory sessions and individual and group design assignments. You work with prototypes, mock-ups and full-scale studies to explore how light behaves in architectural settings, and develop your design proposals through case-based work, presentations and study visits in and around Stockholm. Guest lectures by Swedish and international lighting designers, architects and researchers bring professional and research perspectives to your studies.
The programme is developed by the Lighting Design Division, one of five divisions of the Department of Architecture at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at KTH. The Lighting Design Division, along with education, conducts several research projects that involve students collaborating with companies and other institutions. The division also organises events to connect academia with businesses and research institutions on specific topics, such as the annual Light Week, a collaboration with the Swedish Energy Agency. Since 2010, the division has organised the Light Symposium, a two-day international event focused on light and health, partnering with the universities of Wismar, Aalborg and South-Eastern Norway. The event was hosted at KTH in 2010, 2015, 2018 and 2023.
This is a full-time one-year programme (60 ECTS credits) taught in English. It consists of four courses and a master's degree project that you will conduct at the end of the second semester. The courses and the degree project are scheduled in a continuous sequence, with no elective courses. Each course requires 100 % study pace, which correspond to 40 hours per week. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science. The programme is primarily delivered at KTH Campus by the School of Architecture and Built Environment, and includes a series of study visits and workshops in and around Stockholm.
Light and Humans
The programme begins with the course in Light and Humans (9 ECTS credits). You will explore the relationship between light and humans, which is mediated by physical space. Knowledge of light qualities, sources, materials, and cultural and human aspects is combined with experience from the design process. After this course, you will be able to develop a comprehensive site-specific lighting design proposal, following a design method that considers social and human factors.
Light and Space – outdoor
The following course is Light and Space – outdoor (12 ECTS credits). This course focuses on the relationship between light and outdoor environments, especially urban settings and their physical and cultural characteristics. It will enhance your understanding of the methodology, tools, concepts, and vocabulary associated with outdoor lighting processes. The design tasks conclude with full-scale, hands-on lighting installations, preparing you to address challenges such as ecological impact, social interactions, and integration within a specific urban identity.
Light and Science
At the final course for the first semester, Light and Science (9 ECTS credits), you will further develop your theoretical knowledge about light. You will focus on its relationship to space and humans through discussions between fellow students an