Putnam Hall lit by UNH landscape lighting students.
Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Installation and Design is a niche profession – part lighting design, part electrical installation, and part horticulture. For this reason, very few colleges teach the subject*. One notable exception is the University of New Hampshire in their Thompson School of Applied Science.
“Landscape Lighting”, created and led by Rene Gingras, Associate Professor of Horticultural Technology, is a one credit course offered once a year. This 4-week course combines classroom work with hands-on training. It represents one of the most in-depth trainings available anywhere. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a “Certificate of Completion” from CAST Lighting (a landscape lighting manufacturer).
Professor Gingras remarks, “We established this class three years ago with the support of CAST Lighting and BISCO (a green industry distributor). We also received a grant from the University Parents Association. Next year, we plan on adding LED information and extending the course to 7 weeks for an additional credit.”
Students learn hands-on landscape lighting installation techniques.
Steve Parrott, Communication and Marketing Director of CAST Lighting, comments, “Most landscape lighting professionals received, at most, one or two days of training before launching into the work. In fact, CAST Lighting offers a very effective full-day hands-on landscape lighting seminar that teaches the basics. While that’s enough for most, it doesn’t compare to the comprehensive 4-week program that Professor Gingras provides.”
*One other university class also presents an exceptional training opportunity, “Landscape Lighting” a two-day class taught once a year at Rutgers University by CAST founder, Dave Beausoleil.
For more information about the UNH class, contact Admissions by email or phone (603) 862-1360.
*Above photo was taken by UNH photographer Lisa Nugent.
