A two-year, hands-on master’s programme in set design for weddings, events, film and television — in Mumbai.
Every great wedding, stage show, film set and TV studio starts with a designed world. IIED’s MA in Set Design is a two-year, full-time set design course in Mumbai that takes you from sketching, colour and model-making to AutoCAD, 3D visualisation, set construction and full production design. You learn to design mandaps and wedding stages, event worlds, and film and television sets — and graduate with a professional portfolio, a live public showcase and real industry internship experience.
Learn to Design and Build Sets
for Weddings, Events, Film & TV
Set design is where art meets engineering. A set designer has to imagine a world, draw it, model it, cost it and then see it built safely on a lawn, a stage or a studio floor. This course builds those skills in order: design fundamentals, colour, drawing, perspective and model-making; then AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator and generative AI; then set construction, materials, scenic painting, props and production design; and in Year 2, advanced 3D, virtual sets, budgeting and creative direction.
In Semester 2 you complete a supervised internship with a set, event or art-department company. By the end of Year 2 you design and deliver your own project before a live public audience — your portfolio centrepiece as a Set Designer, Production Designer or Art Director.
Eligibility
Graduate in any discipline
Duration
2 Years (4 Semesters)
Type
Full Time
- Graduates from any stream who want a professional career in set design
- Wedding, event and décor professionals who want formal design training and a master’s degree
- Architecture, interior, fine art and design graduates moving into weddings, events, film or TV
- Fabricators and art-department assistants who want to move up into design
- Anyone who wants to know how to become a set designer in India — no prior experience needed
- Design fundamentals for sets: line, form, space, composition and colour
- Indian Knowledge System: Indian architecture, performance spaces, traditional craft, décor and festive design, as a living resource for sets and mandaps
- Freehand sketching, perspective, scaled drawings and model-making
- Storyboarding, concept development and rendering
- AutoCAD, Photoshop and Illustrator, plus generative AI for concepts
- Set construction: materials, carpentry, flats, platforms, backdrops and scenic painting
- Props, set dressing and décor
- Production design for weddings, events, film and television
- Health, safety and rigging awareness for set work
- Budgeting, costing, vendor management and creative direction
- Research and writing skills, ending in a dissertation
Year 1 — Semester 1: Foundations
- Design Fundamentals, Composition & Colour
- History & Theory of Set & Production Design
- Set Sketching, Perspective & Model-Making
- Visual Storyboarding, Concept & Rendering
- Health, Safety, Rigging Awareness & Production Management
- Indian Knowledge System in Indian Architecture & Performance Spaces
- Elective (choose one): Interior Design & Décor for Set Environments OR Architecture, Period Style & Spatial Reference
- Research Methodology for Design Practice
Year 1 — Semester 2: Digital Design & Realisation
- CAD, Graphic Visualisation & Generative AI (AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator)
- Set Construction, Materials, Structures & Backdrops
- Production Design Principles
- Props, Set Dressing & Décor
- Indian Knowledge System in Indian Craft, Décor & Festive Design
- Elective (choose one): Set Design for Film & Television OR Theming & World-Building for Weddings & Events
- Industry Internship (Set / Art Department)
Year 2 — Semester 3: Advanced Practice
- Advanced Set Construction, Automation & Finishes
- Advanced 3D Visualisation & Virtual Sets
- Advanced Production Design across Weddings, Events, Film & TV
- Budgeting, Costing & Vendor Management
- Elective (choose one): Film & TV Art Department OR Exhibition, Retail & Theatre Environments
- Research Project I
Year 2 — Semester 4: Capstone
- Capstone Design Project & Public Showcase
- Design Practice, Business & Leadership
- Creative Direction & Production Design Leadership
- Elective (choose one): Concert & Award Stage Design OR Broadcast & Studio Environments at Scale
- Research Project II — Dissertation
Software
- AutoCAD
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- SketchUp
- 3ds Max with V-Ray
- Blender
- Vectorworks Spotlight
- Generative AI tools
Workshop & Materials
- Timber, board and set carpentry
- Metal framing
- Carving foam
- Fabrics and backdrops
- Scenic paints and faux finishes
- Model-making materials
In Semester 2 you complete a supervised internship with a set, event or art-department company — working on real builds, installs, set dressing, shoots or event delivery, with a logbook signed by your host supervisor.
In Semester 4 you design and deliver your own capstone project before a live public audience. You can even choose a nonprofit or fundraising event.
Unlock a world of creative career paths with this program, preparing you for roles like:
- Set Designer
- Wedding & Mandap Designer
- Event Set & Stage Designer
- Production Designer
- Art Director / Assistant Art Director
- 3D Visualiser
- Set Dresser / Props Master
- Scenic Artist
- Exhibition & Retail Environment Designer
- Creative Director
Reasonable Fees
for Innovative Career
Fees are per year, paid in three instalments.
Total for the two-year MA in Set Design: ₹5,00,000.
1st Instalment
Non Refundable
2nd Instalment
Non Refundable
3rd Instalment
Non Refundable
Fees per Year
Non Refundable
Portfolio
Event Design Portfolio
Wedding Design Portfolio
Event & Wedding Design Group Project
Lighting Design Portfolio
Advanced Lighting Design Portfolio
Event Design Portfolio
Event Design Portfolio
Event and Wedding Design Portfolio
Wedding Styling Portfolio
Wedding Design Portfolio
Event Design Portfolio
Other Popular Courses
The Most Complete Set Design Course in Mumbai
What is an MA in Set Design?
An MA in Set Design is a two-year postgraduate programme that trains you to design and build physical worlds for live and screen audiences. At IIED, it covers weddings, events, film and television. You learn visual design and colour, Indian and world architecture, sketching and model-making, AutoCAD and 3D visualisation, set construction and scenic finishing, props and set dressing, and production design — then apply it all to real projects.
Why Set Design Matters in Weddings, Events, Film & TV
The set is the first thing an audience sees and the last thing they remember. At a wedding it is the mandap, the entry and the stage. At an event it is the world guests walk into. On film and television it is the place the story lives. A trained set designer can turn a brief into a concept, a concept into drawings, and drawings into a set that is built safely, on time and on budget.
MA in Set Design Course Highlights
- Design foundations: composition, colour and space, plus Indian Knowledge System courses in Indian architecture, craft and festive design
- Drawing & models: freehand sketching, perspective, scaled drawings and scale models
- Digital tools: AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp, 3ds Max, Blender and generative AI
- Set construction: materials, carpentry, platforms, backdrops and scenic painting
- Props & décor: sourcing, making, dressing and continuity
- Production design: venue integration, sightlines and building a complete visual world
- Specialisations: weddings & events, film & TV, exhibitions, concerts and broadcast
- Business skills: budgeting, costing, vendor management and creative leadership
- Capstone: a live public showcase and a research dissertation
Build a Career in Set Design
India’s wedding, event, film and television industries need trained set designers who can both create and deliver. The MA in Set Design prepares you for roles such as Set Designer, Production Designer, Art Director, Wedding & Mandap Designer and 3D Visualiser — with a portfolio, an internship and a public showcase to prove your skills.
See where IIED alumni are working today on our Careers & Placements page.
Why Choose IIED’s MA in Set Design?
- Four industries, one course: weddings, events, film and television
- Hands-on training: drawing boards, models, workshop builds and real sets
- Industry faculty: learn from working set designers, fabricators and architects
- Industry-standard tools: AutoCAD, SketchUp, 3ds Max, Vectorworks and Adobe
- Real exposure: an industry internship and a live public showcase
Ready to start your career in set design? Book a free visit to IIED’s Mumbai campus and see the studio for yourself. Call 9892966334.
FAQ
It is a two-year, full-time master’s programme in set design for weddings, events, film and television, based in Mumbai. It covers everything from sketching and model-making to AutoCAD, 3D visualisation, set construction and production design.
Any graduate from any discipline can apply. You do not need prior design or art experience — the course starts from first principles.
The fee is ₹2,50,000 per year, paid in three instalments of ₹1,00,000, ₹1,00,000 and ₹50,000. The total for the two-year programme is ₹5,00,000.
Two years, split into four semesters, full time.
AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp, 3ds Max with V-Ray, Blender and Vectorworks Spotlight, plus generative AI tools for concept work.
No. Sketching, perspective and technical drawing are taught from the basics in Semester 1.
Yes. A supervised internship with a set, event or art-department company is part of Semester 2.
Graduates work as set designers, wedding and mandap designers, event stage designers, production designers, art directors, 3D visualisers, set dressers, scenic artists and exhibition designers across weddings, events, film and television.
Yes. Every semester has an elective: interior décor or architecture and period style in Semester 1; film and TV or weddings and events in Semester 2; film and TV art department or exhibition, retail and theatre in Semester 3; concert and award stages or broadcast and studio sets in Semester 4.
Set design focuses on designing and building the physical set. Production design is the complete visual world of a production — sets, props, colour and style. This course trains you in both.
Learn design fundamentals, drawing and model-making, master CAD and 3D tools, understand how sets are built, and build a portfolio through real projects. The MA in Set Design covers each of these steps, with an internship and a public showcase.