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Studies & Degrees in Landscape Design

Landscape design is the planning and design of outdoor spaces: gardens, parks, squares, campuses and the land around buildings. It combines design skills with knowledge of plants, soil, water and construction. In its university form the subject is usually called landscape architecture. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the work as designing parks and the outdoor spaces of campuses, recreational facilities, businesses, private homes and other open spaces. The University of Colorado Boulder adds that landscape architects combine art and science to design places that support human well-being, repair ecological systems and mitigate flooding and pollution.

Students work mainly in design studios, on real or realistic sites. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, courses typically include landscape design and construction, landscape ecology and site design, with plant and soil science, history and professional practice alongside. Drawing by hand and with computer-aided design (CAD) software is part of every programme.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees: in the United States there are two undergraduate degrees, the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA), which usually take four to five years. In Germany, the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning at the Technische Universität München (TUM) lasts eight semesters, has 240 ECTS credits and is taught in German.
  • Master's degrees: graduates of another subject can enter a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), which in the United States typically takes three years of full-time study. TUM's Master of Arts in Landscape Architecture has 90 ECTS credits over three semesters and requires German and English.
  • Vocational and college courses: two-year colleges teach landscape design together with horticulture. At Montgomery College in Maryland, the Associate of Applied Science in Environmental Horticulture teaches students to design and draft landscape plans, to install and maintain landscapes and to select plants, with a curriculum that can lean towards contracting or design. In Spain, the higher vocational training (FP) qualification Técnico Superior en Paisajismo y Medio Rural has 2,000 hours and qualifies holders to design garden areas that do not require a formal project.

Landscape design or landscape architecture?

The two terms overlap, but the professional title is regulated in some countries. In the United States all states require landscape architects to be licensed, and candidates usually need a degree from an accredited school, supervised experience and a licensing exam. The American Society of Landscape Architects points students to programmes accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB). Not every design degree counts: CU Boulder states that its Bachelor of Environmental Design will not by itself meet the education requirements for licensure in landscape architecture in any state. In the United Kingdom, the route is a degree recognised by the Landscape Institute, which says it accredits over 20 higher education programmes, or a postgraduate conversion course for graduates of related subjects.

Designing private gardens and planting schemes, and working in landscape contracting, is open to graduates of shorter design and horticulture courses. Anyone who wants to sign off public or large-scale projects should check which qualification the country concerned requires.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 10 active schools for landscape design. Four are in the United States, and there is one each in Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the Philippines. In the United States they include Colorado State University in Fort Collins, which describes landscape architecture as a licensed professional discipline concerned with landscape design, environmental design and environmental planning, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the community colleges Montgomery College and County College of Morris. In Canada, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver has a School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. In Europe, the list includes TUM in Munich, ISAD in Milan, Kadir Has University in Istanbul and the Barcelona Architecture Center, which runs semester programmes in architecture and urbanism for visiting undergraduates.

The language of instruction follows the country: English in North America, German for the TUM bachelor's degree. Some programmes select their students: TUM uses an aptitude assessment for both degrees, so it is worth checking the application period well in advance.

Careers

Graduates work in landscape architecture and design practices, in multidisciplinary planning and engineering firms, for local authorities and parks departments, and in landscape contracting companies. The UK National Careers Service also mentions a two-year Landscape Technician apprenticeship as a way into the profession. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 23,500 jobs for landscape architects in 2025 and projects employment to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Is landscape design the same as landscape architecture?

They cover much of the same ground, but landscape architect is a licensed profession in the United States, where all states require a licence. Shorter landscape design courses prepare for garden design and contracting work and do not lead to that licence on their own.

How long does it take to study landscape design?

A US bachelor's degree in landscape architecture usually takes four to five years and a Master of Landscape Architecture about three years. At TUM in Germany the bachelor's degree lasts eight semesters and the master's three.

Can I study landscape architecture with a degree in another subject?

Yes. In the United States, graduates of other fields can enrol in a Master of Landscape Architecture, and in the United Kingdom graduates of related subjects can take a postgraduate conversion course accredited by the Landscape Institute.

In which language are landscape programmes taught?

Usually in the language of the country. TUM's bachelor's degree requires German, and its master's degree requires German and English. Programmes in the United States and Canada are taught in English.