College Counseling: Great Schools for Landscape Architecture Programs

Email to a friend Permalink

Saturday, November 08, 2014

Emily Standish, GoLocalPDX College Admission Coach

As you stroll through a park, a wildlife sanctuary, a campus, or past a memorial, notice the surfaces, walkways, and plants that surround you. You are in the midst of professional work by a landscape architect, a professional trained to create beautiful, functional and sustainable outdoor spaces for the public. Landscape architects design spaces in cities, along rivers, on top of buildings, and below ground so that we feel connected to the space we inhabit. If you like to draw, are interested in the environment, love to spend time outdoors but also enjoy computers, consider a career as a landscape architect. Here are five programs in landscape architecture; all are accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects:

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 

• Housed within the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture degree is a four-year degree program. Students must pass a milestone exam after the first year to be able to be eligible to complete the degree.
• Design School students participate in Innovation Space, a place where students in the colleges of Design, Engineering and Business collaborate to develop products that solve real world problems.
• By the numbers: 80% acceptance rate; SAT mid-ranges: CR 500-620, M 520-650; ACT mid-range 22-28.

 

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 

• Housed in the College of Agricultural Sciences, CSU offers a 4-year LA program that graduates 20-30 students each year with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture.
• Students in landscape architecture take classes in chemistry, math, plant biology, agricultural economics, design, environmental analysis, environmental ethics. See a four-year curriculum here.  
• By the numbers: 77% overall acceptance rate; SAT mid-ranges: CR 510-620, M 510-630; ACT mid-range: 22-27. 

 

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 

• The degree in Landscape Architecture and Planning is housed in the School of Architecture at UNLV; lower division classes are open to all UNLV students..
• Students who complete two years of lower division classes in the department must apply into the BLA major and submit a portfolio as  part of the application. A four-year curriculum plan can be found here.  
• By the numbers: 78% acceptance rate  SAT Mid-ranges: CR 440-550, M 450-560; ACT Mid-range:19-24.

 

Utah State University, Logan, UT 

• The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture is gained in four years of study; 25 students are accepted into the program after their sophomore year, having completed lower division classes and submitted a portfolio for review.
• Landscape Architecture students at USU are required to complete at study abroad, faculty-sponsored field study travel, or an individual internship.
• By the numbers: 98% freshman acceptance rate; SAT Mid-ranges: CR 470-590, M 470-600; ACT Mid-range:20-26. 

 

Washington State University, Pullman, WA 

• The School of Design + Construction at WSU houses the degree program for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, a four-year program. 
• First year projects focus on elements of design; second year projects focus on site design and engineering, history, and plant materials; upper division courses combine ecology with technical problem-solving.
• By the numbers: 82% acceptance rate; SAT Mid-ranges:CR 460-570, M 470-699; ACT Mid-range: 20-26.

 

Each Landscape Architecture program will reflect the natural environment of the locale near the university. Internship and studio experiences enable students to create a portfolio of work to present to future employers. Graduates with a BSLA or BLA degree are able to begin working as entry-level professionals in their field; Masters or PhD level graduates enjoy greater flexibility to teach or participate in research. For job outlook analysis for Landscape Architects, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For a complete listing of all accredited Landscape Architecture programs for undergraduates and graduate students, check out the American Society of Landscape Architects website. 

Emily Standish is a partner in Portland, Oregon-based College Admission Coach LLC which helps students identify and gain admission to right-fit schools where they will thrive academically and personally. Contact me at [email protected] 

Banner Photo Credit: iStock 

Related Articles

• College Counseling: Great Co-op Colleges
• College Counseling: Great Eco-Colleges
• College Counseling: Great Faith-Based Colleges
• College Counseling: Great Schools for Food and Nutrition Sciences Programs
• College Counseling: Great Schools for Landscape Architecture Programs
• College Counseling: Great Liberal Arts Colleges with Music Conservatories
• College Counseling: Great Schools for Marine Science Programs
• College Counseling: Great Programs in Fashion Design and Merchandising
• College Counseling: Great Schools for Kids Who Love Learning Languages
• College Counseling: Specialty Schools

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Email to a friend Permalink