Working hard for our environment while creating a natural look at a reasonable price.
Please visit these associated professional organizations.
American Society of Landscape Architects
Landscape Architecture Foundation
Association of Professional Landscape Designers
Florida Environmental Regulation Specialist, Inc.
Landscape Architecture; Is It a Career For You? You have to ask yourself a lot of questions and perform extensive research before you can really answer this question. Without knowing all the facts to attaining the education, seeking a job, and the job salary, how can you possibly be making the right decision. Consider these questions: First you need to determine if this type of profession will fit into the type of life style you may want 5, 10, even 20 years down the road. Is it what you really want to do above all else. Will it be a satisfying career? Will you enjoy the type of working conditions? Can you make the commitment for the educational requirements to obtain your degree and licensure as a landscape architect? Does the school you want to attend offer a program in this field? What are the job prospects after graduation? Here are some of the facts to consider about this growing profession. I had to consider these very closely myself before making my choice. What does a landscape architect do? They strive to maintain, conserve, or reestablish the diversity of biological systems and are committed to the use of native and compatible materials and plants. Landscape architects create livable communities that are practical, sustainable, and enjoyable developments that protect our natural world. They design large scale conservation plans, reclaim neglected inner-city brownfields, and restore damaged wetlands and forests. Where waste exits, landscape architects reuse, recycle, and transform our environment. Educational Requirements: A formal education program is required to become a landscape architect. At the undergraduate level, students attend four- or five-year programs leading to a bachelor of science in landscape architecture or a bachelor of landscape architecture degree. At the graduate level, students whose undergraduate degree is in a non-design field attend a three-year program leading to the first professional master of landscape architecture degree. Students whose undergraduate degree is in landscape architecture can usually complete a master's degree program in one to two years. Generally, course work for a first professional degree in landscape architecture encompasses design studios, art history, construction techniques, plant identification, grading and drainage, and the natural and social sciences, such as botany, geology and sociology. State law (currently there are 46 such state) requires that a professional in landscape architecture obtain a license. You must complete rigorous, three day, uniform nation exam before being granted licensure. Some states require a degree from a professional landscape architecture program before allowing you to take this exam. There are also some states which require work experience as well. You can find a full list of accredited U.S. programs available on ASLA online at www.asla.org. Job Prospects: The job growth for landscape architecture has been projected to increase over 21% by the year 2006. There are virtually limitless choices of employment after graduation. Many graduates go to work in the private sector in large and small firms. At larger firms they may have a specific role to play on a project team. While at smaller firms they may have multiple projects to see through at a time. Others may work for the public sector for federal agencies such as the National Park Service or the U.S. Forest Service. Still there are those who choose to work at the academic level as professors and researchers. Salary: The 2004 ASLA National Salary Survey indicates an increase of 23.4 percent. The results reflect the significant growth in demand for landscape architecture services across the board,” said Nancy C. Somerville, executive vice president of ASLA. “ The average for recent graduates is approximately $40,000 (according to ASLA).
