It can be very daunting diving into the world of Landscape Architecture, Landscape Design, or Garden Design. Whether you are an experienced professional trying to change careers or a new college student attempting to select a degree program, the academic curriculum can be confusing.

In this article, I will detail the various degree options available to students, along with an overview of their career and licensing prospects. Hopefully this information can help you focus your overall career or academic goals.

Professional Certificate (1 Year Degree Option)

Obtaining a professional certificate in Landscape Design can be done through a variety of public, private, or industry organizations. A certificate typically involves a handful of courses (anywhere from 4-7 separate classes) which cover the very basics of plant identification, site analysis, design basics, and other landscape contracting topics.

These certification programs do not need to be taken through a college or university. There are a number of state botanical gardens or trade associations that provide their individual design certifications. This type of training may be advantageous to individuals looking for a cheap, flexible option; however, due to the distinction from traditional academia, they are typically not available through federal financial aid.

The entire certification program would take roughly 1 year of dedicated study, depending on the specifics of the program, and may also include an internship component as well. (If you do end up in a program that requires an internship, be sure to also review my other article on design internships).

I find these certification programs to be valuable for individuals that have already obtained a collegiate degree in another field and wish to obtain new training, develop technical skills, or professionally network. Graduates of these certification programs would work primarily for garden centers, landscape nurseries, or landscaping companies providing design/build/maintain services.

Depending on the state in which you are obtaining the certificate, coupled with the academic entity providing the training, the certification may enable you to obtain professional license as a landscape professional. However, these certification programs are not recognized as suitable by the Landscape Architectural Registration Board and you would not be able to use the certificate toward landscape architectural licensure.

Associate Degree (Two Year Degree Option)

The Associate Degree (A.S.) is the basic post-secondary degree recognized by standard regional accrediting bodies. These degrees are provided in a number of different academic disciplines and are often the terminal degree of community colleges or vocational schools before transferring to a four-year institution.

The curriculum within an A.S. degree program in Landscape Design or Horticulture is often very similar to that of a Professional Certificate, with some key differences. First, the A.S. degree will also often include general college-level liberal arts courses (English, Math, Communications, etc.). These courses can often be applied as transfer credits if you wish to pursue further academic work.

Additionally, unlike the professional certifications, only regional or nationally accredited institutions can confer A.S. degrees. This provides students with a guarantee of educational value that is based on continued assessment and evaluation.

Due to the prevalence of A.S. degrees within the community college landscape, they provide a nice affordable option for students that are unsure of their level of commitment to college study, while simultaneously wanting to gain meaningful academic credits.

The A.S. option is useful for students who wish to work in the field of horticulture, landscape contracting, or landscape design, but are not interested in going through the entire process of landscape architectural licensure.

For prospective landscape architecture students, an Associate Degree is not accepted as an ASLA Accredited degree and therefore would not be applicable toward a CLARB registration record; however, the A.S. Degree could be utilized as a transfer-track for students interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture.

This is specifically true for the program that I coordinate at the Naugatuck Valley Community College. Students in my program can obtain an Associate Degree in Horticulture and then utilize those credits towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture and several accredited landscape architectural programs.

Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture (or Bachelor’s of Science in Landscape Architecture)

The baccalaureate degree is the primary degree conferred by universities and colleges across the globe. For landscape architecture, horticulture, and landscape design, these programs offer a rigorous curriculum which requires several design studios and environmental science courses. Additionally, as with the Associate’s Degree, students are also required to complete standard liberal arts requirements (English & Math) at a higher level.

When a student is considering different university programs before deciding to enroll, there are some things they should keep in mind.

First, university faculty may have professional research interests which steer their respective department in one direction or another. Two seemingly similar degree programs in Landscape Architecture may have wildly different areas of emphasis due to the faculty who teach the curriculum (i.e. sustainability, social influence, design theory, etc.). When investing in collegiate study, be sure to conduct your research on what program fits your career goals the best.

Secondly, do not get too distracted on the differences between a BLA and a BSLA. The differences are primarily organizational and based on administrative practices at the university level. They will often not have any impact on the traditional core curriculum you will experience within the degree.

However, you do want to ensure the program is accredited by the ASLA, or more specifically the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB). This information should be clearly stated on the college program’s website or informational brochures. You can also check through the ASLA itself by clicking here. Canadian programs are accredited through the Landscape Architecture Accrediation Council (LAAC) and can be found here.

As a side note: if you are unsure of whether to entering the field of landscape design or accredited landscape architecture, I would recommend reading “Becoming A Landscape Architect” by Kelleann Foster. The book provides a great overview of the profession by interviewing real experienced professionals working within the field. It will provide helpful insight and assist in this important decision.

In BLA programs, LAAB accreditiation ensures that courses are analyzed against professional industry standards and that the degree you will be receiving is applicable to the future licensing requirements of your state.

LAAB accreditation is a must for those wishing to pursue licensure, but it is not the only thing to consider. If you are considering a Bachelor’s degree program, you should also research their career placement statistics or career development assistance.

Do they host a career fair? Do they help with portfolio development? Do faculty assist with internship placement. All of these are critical to ensuring a smooth transition from college to professional life.

For students entering college with the intent of becoming a licensed landscape architect, the BLA or BSLA is for you.

Master’s of Landscape Architecture

The Master of Landscape Architecture degree is typically a two to three year program that provides several options for emerging design professionals. There are a wealth of different styles of Master’s degree programs throughout the globe, so I will provide a quick overview on some key items to keep in mind when thinking about the Master’s option

First, if you are interested in pursuing a career in higher-education or another administrative field, then obtaining a Master’s Degree is a must. The degree will prepare you for completing high-level academic research based on an original thesis, usually under the guidance of a seasoned-professional. All academic teaching positions in Landscape Architecture will require, at minimum, a Master’s Degree.

That being said, if you already have a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture and only wish to pursue licensure, the Master’s degree wouldn’t necessarily be the best option. It would be a large investment and would not necessarily benefit you professionally, since the Master’s programs would reiterate much of the construction and plant-identification curriculum you completed in the BLA degree.

A Master’s degree would be a suitable option for individuals who have a previous degree, but wish to now pursue the track of professional licensure. The LAAB also provides accreditation of Master’s programs and therefore can be applicable to state licensing boards. So if you perhaps had a prior degree in an unrelated field, you can still utilize your MLA toward your CLARB record.

Finally, Master’s programs can also be very faculty driven. So similar to the previous disclosure on Bachelor’s degrees, be sure to research the various faculty biographies and consider reaching out to the individual faculty members about their goals and your future interests. It is not uncommon for Master’s programs to speak with prospective students in order to gain a better understanding of their fit within the program.

Doctoral Degrees (D.Des or PhD. In Landscape Architecture)

The final degree to discuss is the doctoral track, specifically a PhD in Landscape Architecture or Doctor of Design. These degrees are specifically for those pursuing university-level career prospects as a Professor of Landscape Architecture or higher academic administration.

These degrees require a high-degree of faculty coordination, along with an original dissertation defended per standard doctoral candidate procedures. Since these degrees are fairly recent, there are not many PhD programs available in Landscape Architecture.

If you are interested in this academic track, I would highly recommend reaching out to the college programs individually and asking for alumni information in order to receive feedback from past students. Their experiences may clarify the advantages and disadvantages of pursing this advanced academic option.

As with any life-decision, preparation is key. Be sure to evaluate all your options and conduct thorough research before pursuing higher level academic study.

If you liked the content in this article, be sure to also checkout the other design and business articles on the site.

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