Career Discovery

Visit the ASLA Career Discovery page for information on becoming a landscape architect. This page contains stories about landscape architects, videos about landscape architecture and architects, a PowerPoint presentation on the profession, a downloadable brochure on landscape architecture as a career, links to Bureau of Labor Statistics on the profession, results of ASLA’s annual graduating student survey, examples of great landscape architecture, and a coloring book for the younger set.

Schools

The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) is a specialized agency that accredits educational programs leading to first professional degrees at the bachelor’s or master’s level in landscape architecture in the United States and its territories. Use the map to locate schools by state. Programs are identified by degree: BSLA or BLA for undergraduate programs, MLA for master’s programs. LR (last review) is the date of the last complete review by LAAB. IR (initial review) is the first review of a program. NR (next review) is the date of the next scheduled complete review. The maximum term for LAAB accreditation is six years.

Candidacy programs are emerging programs that are not yet eligible to apply for accreditation. Candidacy programs have made a commitment to apply for initial accreditation within one year of their first graduating class.

Accreditation and Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB)

Accreditation is a nongovernmental, voluntary system of self regulation and self-evaluation. Accreditation can be sought at both institutional and specialized levels. Institutional accreditation is concerned with the institution as a whole; specialized accreditation with a specific program. The institution or program conducts a self-study to evaluate how well it is meeting its educational objectives. The accrediting agency then provides an independent assessment of that evaluation.

The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) is a specialized accrediting agency that accredits educational programs leading to first professional degrees at the bachelor’s or master’s level in landscape architecture in the United States and its territories. In addition to assessing how well a program meets its own specific and institutional education mission and objectives, accreditation evaluates all programs against standards that ensure the educational components leading to entry level professional competence. These standards are developed by consensus of the community of interest and are regularly reviewed and assessed. LAAB is created in the ASLA bylaws as an autonomous committee and includes three members of the public, one representative each from the American Society of Landscape Architects, Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture and Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards. The LAAB is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.

Visit the LAAB page to find:
LAAB accreditation standards and procedures, including candidacy process
Visiting Team Guidelines
LAAB news

Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES)
A collaboration of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards, Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, and the Landscape Architecture Foundation.

The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES) will establish, maintain, and enforce standards for evaluating professional development and continuing education programs for landscape architects. Continuing education has never been more important for professionals. It's needed to stay up to date in the profession, develop new areas of expertise, and is mandated for maintaining licensure in many jurisdictions. LA CES will guide professionals in identifying courses that are appropriate for landscape architects and offered by legitimate organizations that have controls and processes in place to monitor quality and track attendance.

The mission of LA CES is to assure landscape architects and licensing boards that courses provided by LA CES approved providers are of sufficient quality. Approved providers will register courses with LA CES that meet LA CES requirements. Registered courses will cover a broad range of subject matter and providers will be required to identify those courses that meet the LA CES standard of health, safety, and welfare (HSW). Visit LA CES to find professional development opportunities that are searchable by topic, date and location.

The Committee on Education (formerly the Council on Education) shall provide guidance and direction to the Board of Trustees on matters relating to education policy; accreditation of professional degree programs; administrative and legislative program support; establishment of new programs; growth in program enrollments; and employment trends. Changes in education policy and accreditation standards to be endorsed or recommended by the Society shall require an affirmative vote by a majority of the Board of Trustees present and voting.

The Committee on Education has researched and published the following papers:

Models of Education (2008) 
Growing the Profession (2007)
White Paper on Faculty Diversity (2005)