Studying Landscape Architecture in the US

Landscape architecture is just one of the subcategories of Architecture that focuses on the design and planning of natural environments. This can include functions like managing and looking after the said environments thereby creating a better living standard for all communities. Landscape Architecture includes the three elements of greenscape, hardscape, and waterscape.

In the year 2019, 1,177 students were awarded their degree in Landscape Architecture. Since this is a specialized course from a developing stream of architecture, it is evident that the course has not reached its peak in popularity which makes it more desirable in the job market. The average tuition fee for studying Landscape Architecture in an in-state public institution is $8,917 and the out-of-state private tuition is estimated to be $47,515 according to Data USA.

Their jobs include healing gardens, bioremediation, constructing green roofs, and also creating environments that are energy saving. Their main focus lies in the restoration of natural environments that can thereby restore the world by healing it one patch of land at a time. Their work can include projects dealing with wetlands and even filtering toxins from rainwater so that problems relating to these aspects can be controlled to an extent.

Being a landscape architect will involve both the academic preparation required for the profession as well as other aspects like completing the training required and procuring a license to practice the profession. They can also focus on creating other specific skills that can aid them in their endeavor.

Benefits of Studying Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architecture is one of those courses that can both meet the capitalistic needs of a normal person and at the same time provide them with the satisfaction of healing the world one step at a time. It is also considered to be the future of designing due to the oncoming disasters relating to global warming and the like.

Due to the highly specific nature of the job and the amendments made by governments that support saving nature from falling apart, the demand for landscape architects has risen in first-world countries. The career opportunities that arise from studying this course will be creative in nature and will require them to work with different mediums. They have to focus on the preservation of existing elements and also adding matter to the already existing features in sustainable ways that can boost their growth.

Undergraduate Programs for Landscape Architecture

The Bachelor’s degree offered in this field has a duration of 4 to 5 years like most other degree courses and is mainly concerned with the planning and design of natural environments. But before moving to complex environmental systems of nature they will be dealing with only land areas. Students can choose between a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture or a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture.

The courses that are dealt with in the Bachelor’s program include subjects like design, art, history, and natural sciences. They also have an interdisciplinary approach by bringing in fields like geology, hydrology, and horticulture and blending them with technology to make the best of every plot.

Graduate Programs for Landscape Architecture

The three different graduate programs that students can pursue after their Bachelor’s degree are first professional Master of Landscape Architecture, second professional Master of Landscape Architecture or an MA/MS in Landscape Architecture where the first one is for students who come to landscape architecture from other disciplines, the second for students with BLA or BSLA degree and the last one is for people who only want to pursue the subject in its research aspect and does not wish to practice.

Students who wish to pursue a Master’s degree after completing a course from another discipline must look for places that offer the first professional Landscape Architecture and check if they are accredited by The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board or the American Society of Landscape Architects.

On the other hand, students who wish to pursue the second professional Landscape Architecture or MA/MS in Landscape Architecture do not have to look for accreditation.

Doctoral Programs in Landscape Architecture

Students who are interested in researching and joining academia as even part of their profession generally take a Ph.D. in the subject. Their study focuses less on the practicality of the course and more on the theorization of the same. Completing a Ph.D. in the subject does not make the student eligible to get a license to practice in the field.

The requirements for applying to a doctoral program includes completing an undergraduate program in Landscape Architecture and having other application procedures like submitting the letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a statement of purpose.

Top Landscape Architecture Programs

University of Georgia

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Texas A&M University

Utah State University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Iowa State University

Ohio State University

Louisiana State University

Pennsylvania State University

Colorado State University

University of Colorado Denver

University of Connecticut

Cornell University

University of Florida

Florida A&M University

Florida International University

Harvard University

University of Idaho

Illinois Institute of Technology

Kansas State University

University of Kentucky

University of Maryland, College Park

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Michigan State University

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

Mississippi State University

Morgan State University

University of Nebraska at Lincoln

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

New School of Architecture and Design, San Diego

University of New Mexico

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina State University

North Dakota State University

Oklahoma State University

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

Purdue University

University of Rhode Island

Rhode Island School of Design

Rutgers University

State University of New York

Temple University

Texas Tech University

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

University of Texas at Arlington

University of Texas at Austin

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

University of Virginia

Washington State University

University of Washington

West Virginia University

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Career as Landscape Architect

Landscape Architects spend most of their time working on the design and planning on publicly used natural spaces like parks and gardens. They also have the task of transforming natural spaces in a sustainable and healthy manner in order to benefit the community in. The average salary that landscape architects have has been estimated to be $70,630 by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is provided only to candidates who have adequate licensing.

Landscape Architects will be able to find jobs in both the private sector and the public sector with the initiatives that have been put into place for ecological sustenance. They will also be able to work for themselves by approaching different private sectoral companies and transforming their spaces for the betterment of the environment especially in pollution-stricken areas. This seeking out for a job can be handled by opting for marketing tactics and making presentations.

Other careers that landscape architects can opt for are-

• Landscape Developer
• Landscape Assessor
• Design-Builder
• Garden Designer