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FACT
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Since the establishment of the first professional training course in landscape architecture at Harvard University in 1899 by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., landscape architecture degree programs have spread to more than 75 additional post-secondary educational institutions in the United States and Canada. A formal education program is required to become a landscape architect. A person interested in becoming a landscape architect needs sensitivity to landscape quality; understanding of the arts and a humanistic approach to design; the ability to analyze problems in terms of design and physical form; technical competences to translate a design into built work; and skills in professional practices. To gain these skills and knowledge, formal education is essential. 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. Today approximately 5,600 students attend accredited, first-professional landscape architecture programs in the United States and Canada, including more than 900 students at the master's level. 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. Most undergraduate landscape architecture degree students go on to enter private practice, a smaller percentage work for the government or multidisciplinary firms, and a few seek further education. State laws in all but four states require that an individual obtain a license before practicing as a landscape architect. Licensing states require successful completion of the Landscape Architect Registration Examination before granting licensure. Often states require a degree from a professional landscape architecture program before allowing a candidate to take the exam. Some states also require work experience. ASLA's Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation to serve as the accrediting agency for first professional baccalaureate and master's degree programs in landscape architecture. ASLA is also a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors. To become accredited, a landscape architecture program must demonstrate that it meets the accreditation standards as well as its own objectives. The professional education components of the curriculum must include landscape architecture history and theory, professional practice, design and design implementation. A frequent question is to name the top-ranked schools for landscape architecture; ASLA does not endorse any existing ranking systems for schools of landscape architecture. In order to become a licensed landscape architect, students must earn a bachelors or masters degree from one of the accredited university programs. However, each university offers a unique program and learning environment; determining uniform ranking criteria would be impossible. Interested students can visit ASLA's Career Discovery online, www.asla.org, for a series of questions that will help them form their own opinions on which school is best for them. Additional information about the education of a landscape architect is available at www.laprofession.org. The standards for accreditation are focused upon the requirements for entry into the landscape architecture profession. Research-oriented M.A./M.S. and Ph.D. programs in landscape architecture are not eligible to seek ASLA accreditation since they are post-professional degrees. LAAB has accredited 75 programs in landscape architecture at 58 institutions. |
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| Accredited U.S. programs include those offered by the following colleges and universities: | |
| Arizona State University
Auburn University Ball State University California Polytechnic State University California State Polytechnic University University of California at Berkeley University of California at Davis City College of New York Clemson University Colorado State University University of Colorado at Denver University of Connecticut Cornell University Florida International University University of Florida University of Georgia Harvard University University of Idaho University of Illinois Iowa State University Kansas State University University of Kentucky Louisiana State University University of Maryland University of Massachusetts Michigan State University University of Michigan University of Minnesota Mississippi State University |
Morgan State University
North Carolina A&T University North Carolina State University North Dakota State University University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ohio State University Oklahoma State University University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University Purdue University Rhode Island School of Design University of Rhode Island Rutgers University State University of New York at Syracuse Temple University Texas A&M University Texas Tech University University of Texas at Arlington Utah State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University University of Virginia Washington State University University of Arizona University of Arkansas University of Washington West Virginia University University of Wisconsin |
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