Landscape Architecture and Landscape Design are often used interchangeably. However, the titles actually refer to two distinct career fields with their own set of career possibilities. At the University of Minnesota, there are a number of ways to become a Landscape Architect or Landscape Designer:

Pre-Landscape Architecture:

This is a “pre-major” in the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (COAFES) for freshman students planning to enroll in the Bachelor of Environmental Design (BED) program in the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (CALA). There are two tracks in the BED program: Planning and Landscape Design. The Planning BED is a pre-professional undergraduate landscape architecture program. Classes taken are from many disciplines, including: architecture, design, ecology, engineering, hydrology, and planning. The Planning BED may be used as preparation for professional study in landscape architecture, related fields at the graduate level, or for employment in the environmental design and planning fields such as city and regional planning. To become a Landscape Architect, you would need to complete your Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree.

Landscape Design:

The joint Landscape Design program between CALA and Environmental Horticulture (EH) is unique in the country. A professional degree, it offers the opportunity to take up to five studio classes during your undergraduate career and exposes you to a dozen design faculty who are experts in their field. Classes cross many disciplines, including: design, biology and plant sciences, business, ecology, horticulture, and landscape design. Upon graduation, you will be well-prepared for a successful career as a Landscape Designer or for pursuing your MLA. As a freshman, you can enroll in the Landscape Design program as either an EH-Landscape Design major in COAFES or as a Pre-Landscape Architecture student planning to eventually transfer to CALA.