Landscape Architecture
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Landscape Architecture
Requirements and Core Courses
Academic Facilities
Careers in Landscape Architecture
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Campus Organizations and Activities
Contact Information
Landscape Architecture
Landscape architecture is the art and science of analyzing, planning, designing, and managing land—from gardens to cities to countrysides. Site planning, park design, landscape preservation, resource management, and ecological planning are examples of the range of activities in which a landscape architect participates in the process of solving problems concerning the human use and conservation of outdoor space and land.
• Offered at WSU: Bachelor of landscape architecture, master of science in landscape architecture, doctor of design
• Available at: Pullman, Spokane
Requirements and Core Courses
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree
The first three years of the program are located on the main campus in Pullman, providing exposure to a wide range of courses in the arts, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. This part of the curriculum emphasizes study in botany, chemistry, ecology, horticulture, and other sciences with a focus on design applications. The fourth year of the curriculum is taken at WSU Spokane, where the emphasis is on interdisciplinary problem solving.
Landscape architecture, architecture, and interior design students work in teams on design problems in an urban setting. In the fifth year, students may chose to remain in Spokane or return to Pullman, depending on their own specific educational objectives. Also in the fifth year, students complete a senior creative project of their own choice to further develop an area of specialized expertise.
NOTE: Students should consult the General Catalog for course planning and must meet course requirements as outlined in the General Catalog in order to graduate.
PROGRAM OF COURSEWORK
• First Year (Fall Semester):
GEN ED 110—World Civilization
ENG 101—Intro to Writing
ES/RP 150—Science and the Environment
BOT 120—Intro to Biology
Math proficiency
• First Year (Spring Semester):
GEN ED 111—World Civilization
LA 202—The Built Environment
CHEM 101—Intro to Chemistry
FA 101—Introduction to Fine Arts
or FA 201—Art History
or HD 205—Human Relations Communications
• Second Year (Fall Semester):
LA 101—Landscape Architecture Graphics
HORT 231—Landscape Plant Materials I
LA 260—History of Landscape Architecture
LA 262—Landscape Architectural Design I
Intercultural Studies
• Second Year (Spring Semester):
Graphics elective
HORT 232—Landscape Plant Materials II
LA 263—Landscape Architectural Design II
LA 365—Landscape Architectural Construction I
LA 102—Intro to Computer-Aided Design in Landscape Architecture
• Third Year (Fall Semester):
LA 362—Landscape Architectural Design III
LA 366—Landscape Architectural Construction II
BIOL 372—General Ecology
or Ecology elective
BOT 462—Community Ecology
or NATRS 300—Natural Resource Ecology
or LA 380—Ecological Applications in Design
SOILS 201—Intro to Soils
HORT 331—Plant Installation and Management
Complete writing portfolio
• Third Year (Spring Semester):
LA 363—Landscape Architectural Design IV
LA 367—Landscape Architectural Construction III
AG M 346—Irrigation and Drainage
SOILS 374—Remote Sensing
Arts & Humanities or Social Sciences elective
• Fourth Year (Fall Semester):
LA 450—Principles and Practices of Planning
LA 460—Interdisciplinary Design
LA 480—Professional Practice
LA 425—Design Theory
Arts & Humanities elective
• Fourth Year (Spring Semester):
LA 467—Regional Landscape Inventory and Analysis
LA 470—Landscape Architectural Design V
LA 475—Senior Project Proposal
Social Sciences elective
Additional elective
• Fifth Year (Fall Semester):
LA 485—Senior Creative Project I
Electives
• Fifth Year (Spring Semester):
LA 486—Senior Creative Project II
Tier III Capstone
Electives
GRADUATE PROGRAM
You may find information on the graduate program in landscape architecture by visiting this Web site.
HONORS COLLEGE
The Honors College offers international education opportunities, small classes with top faculty and highly motivated peers, and challenging interdisciplinary studies. Participation in the Honors College is a way to fulfill graduation requirements, and the four-year core curriculum works with any major. Students complete a substantial original project in their junior year. Contact the Honors College to discuss eligibility at 509-335-4505.
Academic Facilities
Washington State University’s dynamic learning environment offers lecture rooms that adjoin studios with individual drafting stations. These work stations provide access to drafting and graphic equipment, as well as a microcomputer laboratory with an extensive library of sophisticated graphic software.
In the fourth year of the program, students study in Spokane at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute, which is located on the newly constructed Riverpoint Campus. The Design Institute provides modern studio facilities and state-of-the-art computer labs, which support CAD and GIS applications in design and planning. The city of Spokane serves as an excellent living laboratory of studies in urban design and planning.
Resources from the University of Idaho, which is just eight miles away from the Pullman campus, broaden and enhance the learning experiences of our students. Several classes are taught jointly for credit, and specialists from both institutions share their knowledge on a regular basis. The Department also offers a Master of Science of Landscape Architecture degree.
Careers in Landscape Architecture
Graduates of the landscape architecture program at Washington State University are prepared to pursue a variety of careers dedicated to solving sensitive land use and design problems in close association with both public and private clients. Work may include providing private consulting with landscape architecture design firms, engineering companies, architects, planning consultants, and environmental management companies. Landscape design industry careers include landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Public agency employers include local and regional parks and planning departments, highway departments, environmental agencies, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Scholarships are available through the national Landscape Architecture Foundation.
• The College of Agriculture and Home Economics awards $50,000 in scholarships through an annual program.
• Departmental scholarships are available through associations such as the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs and the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association. Individuals and other private sources also provide departmental scholarships. The deadline for submitting departmental scholarship applications is usually mid-January.
• University scholarship and financial aid funds are available to entering freshmen as well as students already in residence.
Campus Organizations and Activities
• Many of the program’s students are active in the Washington State University Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Members participate in community service projects, exhibit their work, and enjoy social events. The chapter also sponsors visits by local and regional practitioners who participate in informal discussions. Once a year, students compete for national awards through ASLA and receive specialty awards for their designs through the Washington Chapter of ASLA.
• Through the Washington State University Landscape Architecture Alumni Association, students and faculty obtain information on professional activities and employment opportunities from alumni working in the field. Hort & LA News, the department’s alumni newsletter, is an important communication link. Alumni gatherings enable current and former students to become acquainted.
Contact Information
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Sciences
Johnson Hall, Room 149
PO Box 646414
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-6414
509-335-9502
hobart@wsu.edu
holdenk@wsu.edu
Landscape Architecture at WSU Spokane
Visit Department Web Page
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Watch a Video about this program
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Strengths of the Program
- WSU’s landscape architecture program is fully accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects.
- Gain a professionally-oriented foundation in landscape design, construction, and planning that emphasizes ecologically- and socially-sound design.
- WSU's faculty members have worked in private industry and public agencies nationally and internationally, working on community design, farmland protection, park design, and campus planning.
- Learn from recognized experts in design implementation, computer applications, and the integration of ecology and behavioral sciences in design and planning.
- Develop practical applications of landscape construction, facilities design, social sciences, computer technology, plant science, and land-use analysis.
- Students work on a progression of projects that express personal solutions and help them learn to interact with clients in a professional manner.
- Engage in valuable small-group experiences.