CCM Lighting Design and Technology’s BFA and MFA programs are guided by a hands-on, experiential philosophy and holistic approach to the entire entertainment industry.
We offer students real production opportunities, access to industry standard technology and professional connections through exciting faculty, guests and alumni.
CCM is home multiple performance disciplines: plays, musicals, dance and opera form our active and varied production season. Student opportunities also include film projects like CCM Idea Lab and other collaborations with CCM's Media Production Division. We also have large format projects both in class and out, led by faculty with broad industry knowledge in multiple disciplines like concerts, TV and corporate events. Our opportunities are not just for lighting designers; they are also for programmers, technicians, innovators, media designers and creatives across the entertainment industry.
Our Lighting Design and Technology students get to work with multiple different lighting consoles and media servers, along with conventional, LED and moving lights and projectors in three different performance spaces that expose them to a large range of production sizes during their time here. We have partnerships with manufacturers and hold regular new gear demos. We organize trainings with industry partners like Disguise One. We offer two semesters of Moving Light Programming and two semesters of Lighting Technology.
CCM Lighting Design and Technology has active and connected faculty with decades of experience nationally and internationally working in theatre, dance and opera, along with concerts, television, corporate events and touring productions. Our students regularly get to interact with a roster of guest speakers from a variety of specializations ranging from designers for European opera, Cirque Du Soleil and the iHeartRadio Awards to high level programmers, production electricians, lighting manufacturers and event producers. Our alumni network is vast and strong, offering students a network and community.
CCM Lighting Design and Technology alumni don’t just work in the entertainment industry, they lead it. Our graduates design on Broadway and around the world, run concert, television, film and augmented reality production companies, keep touring shows running and develop the newest lighting technologies. They have those opportunities because of the training CCM provides, and that includes access to contemporary lighting technology while they’re in school so they’re ready to assume leadership positions immediately upon graduation and, perhaps most importantly, so they can return to CCM and share their successes, both to inspire and to help train the next generation.
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CCM's admissions process begins on August 1 (undergraduate) and September 1 (graduate) for entrance in the following year's fall semester. All application materials must be submitted on or before December 1 to be considered for specific scholarship awards. Visit the CCM Admissions website for additional application instructions.
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 in order to be considered for admission and invited for an audition.
Applicants must submit a graduate application by March 1 and the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before March 3 in order to request an interview with the faculty and be considered for admissions.
If you’ve participated in U/RTA you must submit the required materials (listed below) to Acceptd to be considered for admissions into CCM.
You will gain valuable hands-on experience working with our industry standard professional lighting and video equipment, software and inventory, including:
Event: November 13, 2025 6:12 PM
UC College-Conservatory of Music's 2025-26 theatre season continues with Cendrillon, playing Nov. 13-15, 2025 in Patricia Corbett Theater.
October 21, 2025
Light shapes how we see, feel and connect. That message is at the heart of CCM Lighting Design and Technology alumnus Sean Savoie's recent TEDxStLouis talk, "A Well-Placed Light." The presentation is available to watch on the Tedx Talk YouTube channel.
Event: October 23, 2025 5:54 PM
UC College-Conservatory of Music's 2025-26 theatre season continues with "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical", playing Oct. 23-25, 2025 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.
Event: October 2, 2025 4:00 AM
UC College-Conservatory of Music's 2025-26 theatre season opens with Regency-era romance "Pride and Prejudice," playing Oct. 2-4, 2025 in Patricia Corbett Theater. The fire and wit of Jane Austen's classic 1813 romance shines through in this vibrant new adaptation by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan. Presented as part of CCM's Play Series, tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.
August 25, 2025
UC’s College-Conservatory of Music will welcome a variety of new faculty and staff members to its roster of distinguished performing and media arts experts, researchers and educators this fall.
August 19, 2025
Experience world-class performances by the next generation of performing and media artists at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM)! The college’s fall 2025 schedule of major events is now available; tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.
August 1, 2025
CCM Dean Peter J. Jutras shares a message with the college community ahead of the 2025-26 academic year and performance season.
June 30, 2025
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras recently announced the appointment of Maggie Perrino as the college's new Assistant Dean of CCM Prep and Community Engagement. In this role, Perrino will lead a team of faculty and administrative staff at CCM Prep, which offers a wide variety of programs in music, dance and the theatre arts throughout the year for people of all ages and abilities. She will also oversee CCM’s Summer Programs for youth, teens and adults. Perrino's appointment begins on June 30, 2025.
June 4, 2025
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras recently announced the appointment of Jessie L. Grant, PhD, as CCM's new Assistant Dean of Student Services. In this role, Grant will coordinate CCM’s academic advising program, connect students with college and university-level resources, and evaluate CCM policies and processes to better serve the college’s undergraduate and graduate students. Grant's appointment officially began on June 2, 2025.
May 14, 2025
In a new short film created by CCM's Production Master Class, viewers can watch as a team of students put their education into action during one of Cincinnati's most popular events. Titled "Blink: A Spotlight on CCM," this mini documentary explores how CCM Lighting Design and Technology students contributed to BLINK, the nation's largest immersive art and light event. Held Oct. 17-20, 2024, BLINK transformed 30+ city blocks from Over-the-Rhine through Northern Kentucky and drew an estimated crowd of over 2 million people to the Greater Cincinnati region.
Event: April 25, 2025 12:00 AM
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) invites audiences to experience a bold and joyful revival of "HAIR," the groundbreaking rock musical that defined a generation. Directed by Vincent DeGeorge with musical direction by Steve Goers, CCM's production of "HAIR" brings the revolutionary spirit of the 1960s to life for a new generation.
April 3, 2025
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) invites audiences to experience the timeless charm and comedic mischief of "Coppélia," a family-friendly ballet filled with magic, mistaken identity and joyful romance.
