Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)

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Program Coordinator/Contact

Don Burger, Associate Professor
School of Design
Horticulture and Forestry 102A
605-688-6704

Program Information

Landscape Architecture is the art of design, planning, and management of outdoor spaces for human use and habitation. Cultural and scientific knowledge are applied to the use and arrangement of natural and man-made elements with concern for resource conservation, stewardship, and the environment. Graduates work in a wide variety of areas in the landscape industry, as designers and planners in public and private practice, and as environmental designers and managers.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the Landscape Architecture program shall be able to:

demonstrate critical thinking skills and the ability to explore ideas and synthesize information both independently and as a part of a design team.
integrate social, cultural, ecological and technical factors in solving design and planning problems in a variety of rural and urban contexts.
demonstrate advanced communication skills in graphic, written, and verbal formats.
demonstrate an understanding of materials and their thoughtful use in the design process.

Academic Requirements

Landscape Architecture students must maintain at least a major GPA of 2.6 and an overall GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the duration of the program. A grade of a “C” or better is required in all ART, ARTE, ARTH, GDES, DSGN, LA, ARCH, ID and technical elective course requirements.

Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure

The Landscape Architecture Program is currently seeking initial accreditation from the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB). A full accreditation review is scheduled for fall 2019. Students seeking Certification and Licensure should contact their advisor and refer to www.clarb.org.

Course Delivery Format

The program provides coursework through hands-on and face-to-face learning in lecture, studio, and field-based settings.

Requirements for Landscape Architecture Major: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication:
ENGL 101
and
ENGL 201
Credits: 6
Goal #2 Oral Communication:
SPCM 101
Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences/Diversity
: PSYC 101 and SGR #3 Elective Credits: 6
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities/Diversity
: ART 121 and SGR #4 Elective Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics:
MATH 102
Credits: 3
Goal #6 Natural Sciences
:
BIOL 101-101L
and SGR #6 Elective Credits: 6

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Requirements: 3

AHSS 111 - Introduction to Global Citizenship and Diversity Credits: 3
Capstone course in the major discipline
Upper division coursework Credits: 33

System General Education and/or major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Consult program advisor for details. See the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences for additional information about Bachelor of Landscape Architecture specifications.

School of Design Requirements

ART 121 - Design I 2D (COM) [SGR #4] Credits: 3 (SGR 4)
DSGN 110 - Creative Thinking Credits: 3
DSGN 152 - Design Fundamentals II Credits: 3
School of Design Elective Credits: 3
Students are required to take an elective in another School of Design discipline (other than their major discipline). Contact the School of Design advisor for the approved list of courses. This counts toward both the School of Design Requirements and the Technical Electives Requirements.

Major Requirements

DSGN 140 - Successful Design Student Practices Credits: 2
LA 101 - Introduction to Landscape Architecture Credits: 3
LA 231 - Computer Applications in Landscape Architecture I Credits: 2
LA 232 - Computer Applications in Landscape Architecture II Credits: 2
LA 242 - History of Landscape Architecture Credits: 3
LA 251 - Site Inventory and Analysis Credits: 4
LA 252 - Site Planning and Design Credits: 4
LA 331 - Landscape Site Engineering Credits: 3
LA 332 - Landscape Materials, Methods and Detailing Credits: 3
LA 341 - Planning Public Grounds Credits: 3
LA 342 - City Planning Credits: 3
LA 351 - Residential Design Studio Credits: 4
LA 352 - Planting Design Studio Credits: 4
LA 389 - International Experience in Landscape Architecture Credits: 3
or LA 494 - Internship (COM) Credits: 1-12 (3 credits required)
or LA 498 - Undergraduate Research/Scholarship (COM) Credits: 1-3 (3 credits required)
LA 431-431L - Construction Documentation and Practicum and Lab Credits: 2,1
LA 432 - Project Bidding, Estimating and Management Credits: 3
LA 441 - Recreation Design Credits: 3
LA 442 - Professional Development Credits: 2
LA 451 - Urban Design Studio Credits: 4
LA 452 - Capstone Studio Credits: 4 (Capstone)

Technical Electives

Students shall select a minimum of 9 credits from the below list of Technical Electives. One course must be a 200-level or higher studio taken from the School of Design as the required “School of Design Elective,” which includes ART, GDES, ARTH, ARCH, ID, and DSGN (approved courses denoted with an *). Credits: 9

ACCT 210 - Principles of Accounting I (COM) Credits: 3
ACCT 211 - Principles of Accounting II (COM) Credits: 3
ARCH 221 - Media Tech I Credits: 1 ^
ARCH 241 - Building History I [SGR #4] Credits: 3
ARCH 382 - Travel Studies Credits: 1
ARCH 461-561 - Shop Credits: 2 ^
ART 111 - Drawing I (COM) [SGR #4] Credits: 3
ART 123 - Three Dimensional Design (COM) [SGR #4] Credits: 3
ART 231 - Painting I (COM) Credits: 3 ^
ART 241 - Sculpture I (COM) Credits: 3 ^
ART 251 - Ceramics I (COM) Credits: 3 ^
ART 281 - Printmaking I (COM) Credits: 3 ^
ART 492-592 - Topics (COM) Credits: 1-9 (3 credits required)
AST 434-434L - Landscape Irrigation and Lab Credits: 3
BIOL 311-311L - Principles of Ecology and Lab (COM) Credits: 3, 1
BLAW 350 - Legal Environment of Business (COM) Credits: 3
BOT 201-201L - General Botany and Lab (COM) [SGR #6] Credits: 3
BOT 419-419L - Plant Ecology and Lab (COM) Credits: 3
ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
FIN 280 - Personal Finance (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 310 - Business Finance (COM) Credits: 3
GDES 101 - Computer Graphics Credits: 3
GDES 203 - Animation Foundations I Credits: 3 ^
GDES 216 - Typography Credits: 3
GEOG 131-131L - Physical Geography: Weather and Climate and Lab (COM) [SGR #6] Credits: 4
GEOG 372-372L - Introduction to GIS and Lab (COM) Credits: 3
GEOG 473-473L/573-573L - GIS: Data Creation and Integration and Lab (COM) Credits: 3
GEOG 474-474L/574-574L - GIS: Vector and Raster Modeling and Lab Credits: 3
HO 210-210L - Turf and Weed Management in Horticulture and Lab Credits: 3
HO 327-327L - Golf Course Design and Management and Lab Credits: 3
HO 413-413L/513-513L - Greenhouse and High Tunnel Management and Lab Credits: 3
HO 414-414L/514-514L - Plant Propagation and Lab Credits: 3
ID 209 - Human Factors and Behavior Credits: 3 ^
ID 215-215L - Materials I and Lab Credits: 3 ^
ID 316-316L - Light and Color and Lab Credits: 3 ^
ID 341 - History of Interiors and Furnishings Credits: 3
ID 377-377L - Design Presentation and Marketing Strategies and Lab Credits: 2
ID 415-415L - Materials II - Detailing and Lab Credits: 2
LA 491 - Independent Study (COM) Credits: 1-2
LA 492 - Topics (COM) Credits: 1-4
LA 494 - Internship (COM) Credits: 1-12
LA 498 - Undergraduate Research/Scholarship (COM) Credits: 1-3
MGMT 334 - Small Business Management (COM) Credits: 3
MGMT 360 - Organization and Management (COM) Credits: 3
MKTG 474 - Personal Selling (COM) Credits: 3
NRM 110 - Introduction to Natural Resource Management Credits: 3
PHIL 220 - Introduction to Ethics (COM) [SGR #4] Credits: 3
PHIL 320 - Professional Ethics (COM) Credits: 3
PLAN 471-571 - Principles of State, Regional and Community Planning Credits: 3
PS 213-213L - Soils and Lab [SGR #6] Credits: 2, 1
PS 243 - Principles of Geology [SGR #6] Credits: 3
PSYC 244 - Environmental Psychology (COM) Credits: 3
RANG 210-210L - Range Plant Identification and Lab Credits: 2
SOC 240 - The Sociology of Rural America (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
SOC 440-540 - Urban Sociology (COM) Credits: 3

Supporting Coursework

HO 111-111L - Introduction to Horticulture and Lab Credits: 2, 1
HO 255-255L - Woody Plants and Lab Credits: 4
HO 311-311L - Herbaceous Plants and Lab Credits: 3

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Total Required Credits: 120

Summary of Program Requirements

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
System General Education Requirements	30 Credit Hours
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements	3 Credit Hours
School of Design Requirements*	12 Credit Hours
Major Requirements	71 Credit Hours
Supporting Coursework	10 Credit Hours
Electives**	0 Credit Hours

*System General Education Requirements, Major Requirements, and Supporting Coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements.
**Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.