Mission
The mission of the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB)
is to evaluate, advocate for, and advance the quality of education in
landscape architectural programs.
Identity
The LAAB is the accrediting organization for landscape architectural
programs. As such, the LAAB develops standards to objectively evaluate
landscape architectural programs and judges whether a school’s landscape
architectural program is in compliance with the accreditation
standards.
The LAAB is comprised of landscape architecture practitioners and
academicians, representatives from landscape architecture collateral
organizations and public representatives. The collateral organizations
are the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Council of
Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) and Council of
Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA).
Values
To achieve our mission, the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board seeks to:
- hold itself to high standards and ethical behavior.
- uphold the standards it establishes in a non-punitive manner.
- support diversity in all its many forms.
- promote self-examination and self-analysis of programs and curriculum.
- aspire to achieve educational excellence as a predicate to professional excellence.
- encourage education that prepares students to succeed in a changing world.
Diploma and Accreditation Mills
What is a ''diploma mill?" Why should you avoid them? And how can you tell if a degree program has no value?
Diploma mills," also known as "degree mills," tend to have
drastically lower requirements for academic coursework, with some even
allowing their students to purchase credentials without any education.
Students may be required to purchase textbooks, submit homework, and
take tests, but degrees are nonetheless conferred after little or no
study.
Diploma mills are motivated by profit and often claim
accreditation by non-recognized or unapproved accrediting bodies
("accreditation mills") set up for the purposes of providing an
appearance of authenticity.
Avoiding Diploma and Accreditation Mills
Several national and international bodies publish lists of
accreditors that are known to lack the necessary legal authority or
recognition. Most legitimate accrediting organizations in the United
States are recognized by either the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education.