Skip to main content
Home / Academics / Programs

College of Creative Arts and Media: School of Theatre and Dance

Lighting Design and Technology, MFA

The MFA Lighting program emphasizes a hands-on learning environment. You will get an immersive lighting experience from production electricians, to designers, to moving light technicians and lighting console programmers.

Coupled with significant production experience, our MFA Lighting students get to work with ETC consoles running beta software, new LED fixtures and moving lights. Production design opportunities include theatre, opera, dance, musical theatre and special events.

Design training features an emphasis on the development of the production and lighting aesthetic and the ability to help tell a story in a collaborative and supportive team atmosphere.

You will gain training in:

  • Design
  • Vectorworks Spotlight
  • Light Plots and Paperwork
  • Programming Consoles
  • Moving Lights
  • ETC Beta Testing (Eos/Ion/Element)
  • Wiring
  • Hang/Focus
  • Cueing
  • Maintenance and Repair
  • Management
  • Teaching
Your Degree Plan Learn by Doing Places and Spaces Admission Requirements Take the Next Steps

Your Degree Plan

Intro

Aerial view of Martin and Woodburn Halls

Get immersive lighting experience from experts with new technology with a variety of production design opportunities.

The MFA in Lighting Design and Technology requires 61 credit hours and can be completed in six semesters (three years).

With an emphasis on hands-on learning in a rigorous production environment, our MFA programs provide you with significant experience to develop and hone your craft. You will graduate with a significant portfolio of realized work. Furthermore, you'll receive real-world teaching experience at the university level under the guidance of our faculty. Upon completion of the program, you are prepared for entrance into the professional markets of entertainment and academia.

Assistantships, tuition waivers and scholarships are available.

School of Theatre and Dance MFA programs are accredited by the National Association of the Schools of Theatre (NAST) and are terminal degrees.

Take advantage of special options related to this major:

  • Honors

    Expand your curiosity — and enhance your curriculum — through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations for first- and second-year students and Honors EXCEL for third- and fourth-year students.

    Explore Honors

Learn by Doing

Learning happens outside the classroom. Get involved.

Production design opportunities include:

  • Theatre
  • Opera
  • Dance
  • Musical theatre
  • Special events
Outside of the Evansdale Crossing building.

What you learn outside of the classroom is just as important as what you learn during class. We’ll help you follow your curiosity.

Places and Spaces

Learn about all of the places and spaces you'll learn in.

Program Facility - Creative Arts Center

Canady Creative Arts Center

The Loulie, Valerie and William Canady Creative Arts center boasts 4 exhibition spaces, 5 performance spaces, 33 individual practice rooms and 50 classrooms and studios with plenty of space to create. The loading dock at the rear of the building is a wonderful open-air space with stunning acoustics.

Explore the Canady Creative Arts Center
  • Virtual Tour
    It's the next-best thing to being here – you can virtually tour residence halls and the WVU Morgantown Campus.
  • Student Life
    You will have it all here — epic traditions, quality academics and a supportive community that feels like home.
  • Visit
    Experience WVU in person and start imagining life as a Mountaineer!

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission into a graduate program at WVU an applicant must submit official, bachelor's degree transcripts from a regionally accredited institution and hold a GPA of at least 2.75. WVU operates decentralized admissions. Decentralized admissions allows each graduate program to set its own application requirements in addition to the University requirements.

Ready to take the next step?

Learn how to join the WVU family.

Request Info

Want to know more about Lighting Design and Technology at WVU? Fill out our request form to receive more information.

Request Info

Visit

​​Experiencing campus is the best way to see if WVU is the right fit. Choose from in-person and virtual options.

Visit WVU

Apply

Your first step to becoming a Mountaineer is applying for admission using our convenient online application.

Apply Now