How to Become a Landscape Architect

Landscape architecture is a highly creative profession, and is for a person who is passionate about incorporating the beauty of nature to enhance the way of life, and the way we live. A landscape architect plans and designs real estate as well as government constructions like building, public parks, golf courses, roads, walkways, airports, etc. For most of these landscaping projects they are involved in its creation since the conception of the project and are major decision makers about the arrangement of flowers, shrubs, and trees. They do so as a part of a team that consist of gardeners, architects, surveyors, construction contractors, and site engineers. Besides new projects, a landscape architect is involved in conservation or restoration of natural resources and places such as forest, wetlands, conservation parks, mined area, and also places that have been ravaged by natural calamities. For restoration works, they mostly team up with environmental scientists, foresters, and other restorative professionals. The following points will enable one to decide whether a landscape architect would be your calling as well as how to become a landscape architect.

Criteria for a Landscape Architect
Love for nature alone is not credit enough to become a landscape architect. For careers in landscape architecture, the individual needs to incorporate knowledge of design, construction, ecology, horticulture, and soil science into construction plans that are functional yet highly aesthetic. This kind of knowledge is acquired through education and experience.

Education and Training: Formal education is a must to become a landscape architect. A bachelor’s or a master’s degree in landscape architecture from colleges or universities accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is essential to acquire for this profession. According to ASLA, a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in landscape architecture is required to receive their certification. There are two undergraduate professional degrees available: Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA). The program is extensive, and for the duration of four to five years. There are two types of graduate degree programs available for receiving the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA). Undergraduates in landscape architecture can earn their MLA in two years, whereas those who are from different undergraduate streams, complete their MLA in three years.

The programs include many subjects such as history of landscape architecture, landscape design and construction, surveying, landscape ecology, plant and soil science, site design, and urban and regional planning, geology, etc. Soft skills of professional practice and general management are also taught. Students of these programs, receive hands-on valuable experience, as part of their curriculum. The design studios assign real time projects to students, who work on actual sites and implement all they have learned to design, plan and create viable and functional landscaping projects, under the guidance of established and experienced landscape architects.

Technical Qualification: A landscape architect requires strong visual, artistic and analytical skills, to make good explanatory presentations of their ideas. They must be well-versed with drafting and designing using CAD software. Besides CAD, they should be familiar with word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, etc. A basic understanding of other team member's work can prove to be very useful, during designing and planning.

Qualified and licensed landscape architects can diversify into many different jobs such as construction supervisors, land or environmental planners, or landscape consultants and are absorbed in many architectural, engineering, construction and planning related services. Landscape architects earn anywhere between $50,000 and $70,000 annually, which keeps increasing as the experience and the number of better projects done. According to government agencies, number of landscape architect jobs is expected to grow faster than all other careers by 2016.