Landscape Architecture major

Landscape Architecture: courses, careers, and where to study

Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor spaces, parks, campuses, streetscapes, and natural systems, for students who want to blend site design with ecology and the way people use land.

A Landscape Architecture major teaches students to plan and design outdoor environments, from parks, plazas, and campuses to streetscapes, waterfronts, and restored natural areas. The work runs through the design studio, where students develop sites from analysis to grading plans, planting plans, and construction details, paired with coursework in soils, hydrology, plants and horticulture, geology, ecology, site engineering, and the history and theory of designed landscapes. Students also study the law and regulations that shape land use along with professional standards and responsibilities. Unlike building architecture, which centers on the structures people occupy, landscape architecture focuses on the ground itself, how water drains, how soil and plants behave over seasons, and how spaces between buildings hold up to use; and unlike urban and regional planning, which sets policy and zoning at a broad scale, it produces the buildable site design and stewards living, growing material over time.

This field is typically entered through a professional bachelor's degree, with master's pathways available for students arriving from another background. Programs are studio-intensive, sequencing design courses each term that build toward a comprehensive capstone project, and they pair drawing and model-making with site engineering labs covering grading, drainage, and earthwork. Becoming a practicing landscape architect generally requires passing a national licensing examination and meeting a supervised-experience requirement, and the title is regulated in many states, so prospective students should confirm programmatic accreditation and the licensure rules for their state before enrolling. Graduates work in landscape architecture and design firms, planning and engineering offices, parks and recreation departments, environmental and ecological restoration practices, and public agencies that manage land, transportation corridors, and open space.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of landscape architects, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $79,660 and projects employment to grow about 3.5% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.