GROW YOUR CAREER WITH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE!
- Work where art and engineering come together, and become a leader in sustainable design.
- Learn to integrate sustainable systems into urban environments.
- Design future places where we work and play.
- Complete a 40-week paid internship, gaining work experience on real projects.
- Be among the majority of our seniors – 86 percent! – who return for their final year at Purdue with job offers from their co-op firm.
- Graduate from one of the few undergraduate programs that industry-respected DesignIntelligence consistently ranks in its top 10.
Purdue Landscape Architecture Ranks in the Top 10 Nationally.
1 in 2 Purdue Horticulture Students Received Scholarships.
Purdue Landscape Architecture Ranks in the Top 10 Nationally.
1 in 2 Purdue Horticulture Students Received Scholarships.
Career Opportunities
- School and college campuses
- Corporate and commercial grounds
- Public gardens and arboreta
- Green roofs
- Historic preservation and restoration
- Hotels, resorts, golf courses
- Hospital and other facility sites
- Interior landscapes
- Land planning
- Landscape art and earth sculpture
- Monument grounds
- Parks and recreation
- Land reclamation and rehabilitation
- Residential sites
- Security design
- Streetscapes and public spaces
- Therapeutic gardens
- Transportation corridors and facilities
- Urban and suburban design
- Water resources
Program Information
- A minimum of two semesters and 24 credit hours must have been completed in the students previous major.
- A minimum Grade Point Average of 2.5 must have been achieved at the conclusion of those two semesters, excluding lower grades for any repeated courses.
- Commencement of studies in Prelandscape Architecture is restricted to the fall academic semester only. An academic advisor interview is required. Completion of LA 101 is strongly encouraged but not required prior to initiating a CODO request.
- Application deadline is the end of the spring semester for admission in the following fall.
Students who have completed some portion of their landscape architectural studies at other institutions may be eligible to transfer directly into the Professional Landscape Architecture program. Applicants will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
- Availability of facilities.
- Evidence of academic credits equivalent to the course content of the Purdue University Prelandscape and Landscape Architecture curriculum and evaluation of grade point average in those courses.
- A portfolio of design and graphic work from courses equivalent to the content of the Purdue University Prelandscape and Landscape Architecture curriculum.
- An essay concerning professional goals.
Transfer students who successfully meet these requirements will be placed accordingly in either the fall or spring semester of the second or third year of study, based on an audit of equivalent landscape architectural coursework completed prior to transfer.
Landscape Architecture at Purdue is program of study leading to a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture degree (BSLA). This program is five years time-to-degree, consisting of four years of academic, on-campus study and one year (approximately) of co-operative internship.
The program is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) and will next be reviewed in Fall 2028.
Students who apply to Purdue and are accepted by the university enter the first year of the program, called Pre-Landscape Architecture. At the conclusion of the year, students who have been academically successful (2.5 GPA overall; 3.0 in Landscape architecture courses) are admitted to Professional Landscape Architecture, up to a maximum of 30 students yearly, for second through fifth year.
MISSION
Educate future professionals
Educate graduates for professional careers in landscape architecture through creative design, technology, and research, contributing to environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
VISION
Lead the future of landscape architecture
Maintain our deep commitment to student-oriented learning and education while strengthening our relationships with communities, professionals, and allied fields. Strategically link research and engagement with our teaching agenda to support students and the profession at large.
Goal 01: Enhance and sustain an ethical climate toward a culture of collegiality supporting the career goals and potential of all members of the program.
Goal 02: Excel in teaching and learning with breadth and depth of curriculum founded on landscape architecture theory and practice, enriched by real-world application of knowledge and skills.
Goal 03: Achieve pre-eminence in discovery and innovation encompassing research, scholarship, and creative activity—contributing to the theory and practice of landscape architecture education and the international profession at-large.
Goal 04: Contribute to improving quality of life through engagement in community enhancement and by educating the public about the role of landscape architecture in society.
STUDENT RETENTION
The majority of students use the Pre-Landscape Architecture year to gain a better insight into the profession of Landscape Architecture. In the 2024-25academic year, 18 students were enrolled in Pre-Landscape Architecture; five of those students later changed their degree objectives to other majors or left the university. This attrition, however, was offset by four who transferred into Landscape Architecture after beginning coursework in another major.
Students who begin their studies at Purdue in a different major may be admitted to Pre-landscape Architecture during the subsequent summer and take the LA 106 Accelerated Foundations Studio to “catch up”. Successful completion of this course (3.0 GPA) allows the student to advance to the Professional Landscape Architecture Program.
Rolling five-year average of pre-landscape architecture students who continue to the professional landscape architecture program: 79.3%
Eight students from the second through fifth years have left the Purdue Landscape Architecture major over the past four years resulting in a 92.2% overall retention rate in the professional program.
THE COST (TUITION AND FEES) FOR A FULL-TIME STUDENT FOR ONE ACADEMIC YEAR.
Estimated tuition costs may be calculated at:
https://www.purdue.edu/bursar/tuition/calculator.php
Estimated on-campus housing costs may be calculated at:
https://www.housing.purdue.edu/my-housing/info/housing-rates.html
The cost of books and materials varies greatly by semester depending on course requirements, studio type, external course books and materials, etc. On average, students should plan for $250-$300 in additional cost each semester.
Costs may be offset by scholarships awarded by the University, College, Department, and the Landscape Architecture Program.
University: https://www.admissions.purdue.edu/costsandfinaid/freshman.php
College: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/oap/scholarships.html
Department and LA Program: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/hla/academics/scholarships.html
In addition to internal scholarships, Landscape Architecture students often receive scholarships supported by outside organizations with allied interests. Some of these opportunities can be found at the department scholarship page (link above).
GRADUATION RATE
The number of BSLA degrees conferred each year for the past five years:
Rolling Five Year Average of degrees conferred: 16.6 degrees granted per year
Rolling Five Year Average of timely (within 6 years) graduation: 96.1%
EMPLOYMENT OF GRADUATES
Of the 15 students who received BSLA degrees in 2024, 12 have reported receiving full-time positions in landscape architecture or are currently pursuing graduate degrees; while two are applying landscape architecture skills in related workplace environments.
Rolling five-year average rate of students finding employment in landscape architecture or allied positions or pursuing graduate education following receipt of Purdue BSLA degree: 98%
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
For the academic year, 2024-25, the demographics of the Purdue Landscape Architecture Program were as follows:
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AS DETERMINED BY THE PROGRAM
The Purdue Landscape Architecture Program measures student achievement based on data generated by our ongoing program of monitoring student outcomes and the metrics necessary to quantify student achievement. Our outcomes and assessment program encompasses 77 distinct skills and abilities as defined by the ASLA’s Body of Knowledge and the Purdue Landscape Architecture Mission Statement.
Exceptional academic performance is recognized and acknowledged with the following award programs: