Making a Career Change to Landscape Architecture

Do you have an appreciation for nature and a passion for working with your hands?

Do you find both art and science compelling?

Are you looking to make a career change? 

Landscape architecture is the design and planning profession that applies both art and science to achieve the best use of land. West Virginia University's Landscape Architecture program prepares students to become effective professionals and citizens. This is achieved by emphasizing a philosophy of responsibility and commitment to ethical standards regarding the natural environment, professional practice, and personal relationships. 

Understanding Landscape Architecture:

Landscape Architecture focuses on environmental design and planning and provides students with the knowledge necessary to develop the skills and abilities in design, planning, and management that are pivotal to their effectiveness and success in the workforce, and that are responsive to the unique qualities of the state and the region.

Students Acquire Practical Application:

Students acquire hand and computer graphic skills, study design theory and site engineering, and apply the knowledge to a series of environmental design projects. The profession, with a special commitment to improving the quality of urban and rural life, ranges from residential to industrial development while providing stewardship for the natural environment. 

The program provides for a three-year course of study for students without a landscape architecture undergraduate degree who wish to pursue graduate studies in landscape architecture. That track provides one year of leveling courses, so students may then pursue advanced studies in their remaining two years. Students pursuing the three-year MLA are then able to engage in the profession of landscape architecture as practicing professionals.

There are twelve credit hours of electives in the curriculum. These allow the student to tailor a series of courses in areas of focus such as community planning and design, environmental restoration, or environmental and natural resource analysis methods including geographic information systems and remote sensing.

Students Develop Knowledge in Other Areas:

The curriculum is flexible for students who may want to develop specialized knowledge in areas such as environmental restoration, community design, or environmental resource analysis methods. A BS or a BA would be the academic pre-requisite for a first-professional MLA degree (65-hour program) and a BSLA, BLA, or bachelor’s degree in a related design field would be the academic pre-requisite for a post-professional MLA degree (40-hour program).

Career Changers Welcome:

Life is too short to waste your time on a career that doesn’t bring you fulfillment, so if you're considering making a career change, WVU is here to help you!

Landscape architecture is one of the many graduate degrees that doesn't require you to have a related bachelor's degree. So for more information on how you can transition into a different filed of study, we invite you to request more information today. 

Positive Career Outlook:

As society becomes increasingly more concerned for the environment, the demand for landscape architects should only increase as the need to design environmentally sound development projects becomes even more pressing.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a landscape architect earns a median salary of $65,760 per year. The profession is projected to grow 6 percent from 2016 to 2026. Planning and developing new commercial, industrial, and residential construction projects and redeveloping existing landscapes is expected to drive employment growth.

Graduates are Prepared for Competitive Entry-level Positions: 

Graduates of the program will be prepared for competitive entry-level positions in private firms and public agencies. In the course of their graduate education, students may pursue one of four options, ranging from a general professional background to a focus on environmental restoration, community design, or environmental and natural resource analysis.

1. A comprehensive education in landscape architecture, environmental design, and planning: Students pursue a program to provide a well-rounded design background suitable for entry into the landscape architecture profession. This option would be most appropriate for students in the first-professional-degree MLA program who do not possess design or technical science undergraduate degrees.
2. Environmental Restoration: Through elective course selection and thesis or professional project selection, students may pursue a course of study focusing on environmental restoration including soils and water restoration, brownfields, mined areas, and wetlands and watersheds. This option allows students to take advantage of the strengths of the Davis College for collaborative in-depth study in many aspects of environmental and community restoration.
3. Community Design and Planning: Building on the existing Community Engagement Lab (CEL) and a number of other allied programs, students will be able to pursue focused studies emphasizing comprehensive community design and planning. This option will provide students with in-depth knowledge in the theory and practice of community-based design, including outreach, public participation, and visioning. The general emphasis will be on small communities that are typical to the Appalachian Region, although studies will be applicable to urban and regional design as well.
4. Environmental and Natural Resource Analysis Methods: With a greater focus on the environmental aspects of landscape architectural practice, this option will permit students to focus on environmental analysis methods including geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, statistical and field survey methods, and the incorporation of these methods into landscape architectural and environmental design projects. This option recognizes the strengths and expertise found in the landscape architecture program as well as other programs in the College and University.

Explore More at WVU:

Here at West Virginia University, we know that choosing a graduate school can be stressful, but that's why we encourage you to request more information — so you can figure out if WVU is the school for you! We can't wait to hear from you!

Are you making plans to switch careers but need some guidance and inspiration? Check out our digital resource — Make the Change: A Comprehensive Guide to Graduate Programs for Career Changers — and let us help you as you navigate the process of changing career fields!