LC Intern Program

Join Penn State, RPI, TCU, the University of Colorado ,the University of Minnesota, Parsons School of Design, the University of Southern California, the University of Kansas, the University of Nebraska and Ryerson University in Canada and University College London, Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering.

Tomorrow’s lighting professionals have an opportunity to pursue a professional credential in lighting. Graduate and undergraduate students in lighting have an option to participate in the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions (NCQLP) respected Lighting Certified (LC) credential through participation in the Intern LC Program if they are within one year of graduation with a bachelor’s degree.

The LC credential is currently based on an examination plus experience model. Qualified students or graduates within one year of graduation with a bachelor’s degree who participate in the Intern LC Program and are successful in taking the LC examination can waive one year of their experience requirement for full LC status. The certification renewal cycle will begin when full LC status is earned.

Individuals who meet the requirements may use the professional designation, “Intern LC.” The designation will indicate to employers that the individual is in the process of qualifying for the credential by meeting the experience requirement. Intern LCs will be required to verify employment when they apply for the full LC credential. The Intern LC to full LC experience requirement must be completed within eight years.

Students who participate in the Intern LC program are not the only beneficiaries of the project. Organizations employing Intern LCs will benefit from employees who have demonstrated a knowledge base in lighting practice. The Intern LC designation denotes to employers that the individual has passed the written LC examination and is in the process of qualifying for the credential by meeting the experience requirements.

Any accredited college or university offering a minimum of 12 credit hours in lighting or lighting-related courses can apply to provide their students with this opportunity. Interested schools must complete a NCQLP application and approval process that includes: (1) completion of an application that describes the degree plan which will prepare students to sit for the written LC examination (2) designation of a faculty liaison, and (3) confirmation by the faculty liaison of a student’s eligibility prior to sitting for the LC examination.

The pilot project, partially funded by two grants from The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education, and additional grants from The Lutron Foundation and the Golden Gate Section of IES, was implemented with the November 4, 2000 examination. Eligible students may sit for the annual examination scheduled on the first Saturday of November at more than 20 sites in the U.S. and Canada. The candidate application fee for the LC examination is documented in the LC Candidate Handbook; qualified students from registered schools will pay $100 to sit for the LC examination and the remaining balance will be due when they apply for the full LC credential after they have met the experience requirement.

NCQLP then requests:

• A letter detailing how the Intern LC met the work experience requirement or a resume
• The fee which is the difference between the $100 fee the Intern LC paid to take the examination and the actual fee for the examination at that time. NCQLP can be contacted to assist you if your records are incomplete.

Once all of this information is received, NCQLP will review your request.