Bachelors in Landscape Architecture

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Auburn University

Program Overview

Auburn University’s Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) is a four-year, eight-semester, studio-focused professional program that develops students’ ability to imagine, design, and shape landscapes while engaging with contemporary environmental and social challenges. Students begin landscape architecture in their first semester and combine design studios, fieldwork, plants and construction, biological sciences, history, theory, professional practice, and advanced electives.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 – Making & Seeing: Students establish a foundation in landscape design through LAND 1110 Studio I and LAND 1160 Graphic Studies I, learning visual design principles, landscape representation, photography, field sketching, and technical drawing. In the second semester, LAND 1210 Studio II and LAND 1260 Graphic Studies II introduce small-site design and integrated analog-digital workflows including digital modeling, analysis, rendering, photomontage, and diagramming.

Year 2 – Landscape Matter: Students move into the physical and ecological dimensions of landscape through LAND 2110 Plants and Construction Workshop I, LAND 2120 Fieldwork I, and LAND 2140 History, Theory, and Practice I. They work with plants, land, soils, and materials while developing site-reconnaissance skills such as measurement, observation, evaluation, and synthesis, supported by biology coursework and laboratory study.

Year 3 – Systems & Practice: Students advance through LAND 3110 Studio III and LAND 3210 Studio IV, applying design thinking to increasingly complex landscape projects while continuing LAND 3120/3220 Fieldwork III/IV. LAND 3160 Dynamic Systems I and LAND 4240 Professional Practice add systems-based thinking and professional knowledge, connecting design work with the realities of landscape architecture practice.

Year 4 – Synthesis & Professional Preparation: The final year centers on LAND 4110 Studio V and LAND 4210 Studio VI, supported by LAND 4120/4220 Fieldwork V/VI and a selection of directed landscape architecture electives. Students typically participate in Auburn’s Alabama Lab, where the program brings together fieldwork, landscape advocacy, design excellence, and the expanded field in a culminating exploration of critical landscapes within Alabama.

Focus Areas

Fieldwork, landscape advocacy, design thinking, expanded field, plants and construction, landscape systems, community engagement, professional practice, environmental and ecological design.

Learning Outcomes

Design thinking, landscape observation and analysis, site measurement and evaluation, visual and digital representation, planting and material knowledge, construction understanding, systems thinking, professional practice, collaboration, landscape advocacy, and the ability to develop landscape design responses to contemporary social and environmental challenges.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

LAAB accreditation: Auburn states that the undergraduate BLA is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB) and meets the educational requirements needed for professional landscape architecture licensure; additional work experience and licensing examinations are required, depending on jurisdiction. Auburn’s 2026 LAAB public information also states that once accredited, completion of the BLA meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure in all U.S. states and territories, subject to each jurisdiction’s additional requirements.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Program ranking: Auburn’s official CADC source reports that its graduate landscape architecture program was ranked 20th nationally in DesignIntelligence’s 2017–18 America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools; this is a historical ranking for the graduate program and should not be presented as a current ranking of the BLA. Auburn does not state a current QS/Guardian employability ranking specifically for the BLA on its official program pages.

Professional opportunities: Auburn’s CADC provides a dedicated Career Specialist for Landscape Architecture and Design students whose role includes facilitating industry engagement, internships, and full-time employment opportunities.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Auburn University’s Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) gain practical experience through an eight-semester, studio-focused curriculum that starts with landscape architecture coursework in the first year. The program combines design studios with fieldwork, plants and construction workshops, graphic studies, and direct engagement with landscapes and communities, giving students opportunities to test design ideas through observation, measurement, materials, and site analysis. Auburn also provides dedicated design studios, fabrication resources, a library, research spaces, and off-campus learning environments:

Design Studios: LAND 1110 Studio I and subsequent studio courses build skills progressively through project-based landscape design, with studios offered throughout all eight semesters.
Fieldwork: LAND 2120/2220 Fieldwork I & II and advanced fieldwork courses require students to conduct site reconnaissance, observe landscapes, gather landscape intelligence, and connect field observations with studio projects.
Field Trips: Beginning in the third year, required field studies include semesterly trips to examine built landscape architecture projects and meet professional firms in other parts of the country.
Plants & Construction: LAND 2110 Plants and Construction Workshop I and LAND 2210 Plants and Construction Workshop II use field- and project-based learning involving plants, land, soils, and materials.
Digital Tools: LAND 1260 Graphic Studies II introduces integrated analog-digital workflows including photomontage, diagramming, presentation assembly, digital modeling, analysis, and rendering.
Graphic Representation: LAND 1160 Graphic Studies I develops photography, field sketching, technical drawing, and mixed-media montage for interpreting and representing landscapes.
Community Engagement: Advanced studios require students to engage community representatives and use site reconnaissance to contextualize design work, connecting landscape design with real communities and cultural contexts.
Away Semester: The fourth-year program includes an Away Semester with an off-campus studio and seminar courses, providing an extended immersive design experience outside Auburn.
International Fieldwork: Auburn’s Fieldwork Abroad program offers optional 2–3 week international trips for BLA and MLA students, providing first-hand experience of landscapes in international settings.
Service Learning: Optional service-learning opportunities allow BLA students to work directly with landscape and community projects; Auburn has documented student work at Graham Farm and Nature Center in Alabama.
Professional Exposure: Auburn CADC has a dedicated Career Specialist serving Landscape Architecture students and organizes industry engagement opportunities designed to support internships and full-time employment.
CADC Fabrication Shop: The Dudley Hall and Commons complex includes a Fabrication Shop supporting hands-on design and making activities within the College of Architecture, Design and Construction.
CADC Research Shop: The 4,000-square-foot CADC Research Shop supports research activities including mass-timber construction and coastal landscape infrastructure, providing an additional research-oriented environment within the college.
CADC Research Commons: The CADC Research Commons provides 8,000 square feet of design studios and teaching and collaboration spaces for research-center coursework.
Rural Studio: Auburn’s Rural Studio is an off-campus design-build program in Hale County, Alabama, providing opportunities to engage with real communities through design and construction.
Library: The Library of Architecture, Design and Construction (LADC) is located in Dudley Commons and provides a dedicated academic resource within the college complex.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) at Auburn University prepares graduates for professional landscape architecture and related design careers, with the curriculum focused on designing and planning built and natural environments such as parks, campuses, streetscapes, trails, and plazas. The program is designed as a pathway toward professional licensure, and Auburn also offers an accredited Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) for students who want to continue their education.

Typical career roles: Landscape Architect, Landscape Designer, Urban Designer, Project Designer.

Career support:

Dedicated Career Specialist: CADC Career Services has a dedicated specialist serving Landscape Architecture and Design students, with services focused on industry engagement, internships, and full-time employment.
Career + Internship Fair: Auburn’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture holds an annual Career + Internship Fair connecting students with employers for internship, part-time, and full-time opportunities. The 2024 fair brought 81 industry partners together with more than 250 APLA students.
Industry access: The APLA fair provides direct interaction with local, regional, and national architecture, planning, and landscape architecture firms, including opportunities for networking and interviews.
Professional network: Students can participate in Auburn’s American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) student chapter, providing a connection to the profession and its professional community.
Graduate outcomes: Auburn’s BLA graduates have progressed into professional practice; one documented alumnus, Ron Huffman ’83 ’84, became Senior Principal/Vice President at WSP and was named a WSP Technical Fellow.
Employment statistics: Auburn publishes university career-outcome information through its First Destination Survey, but an official BLA-specific employment rate or salary figure was not stated in the sources reviewed; therefore, no salary or employment percentage is provided here.
Professional accreditation: Auburn states that the BLA is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB) and that the degree meets the educational requirements for professional licensure, with additional experience and examination requirements determined by the relevant licensing jurisdiction.
Licensure value: Auburn’s LAAB public information states that completion of the accredited BLA meets the educational requirement to apply for landscape architecture licensure in U.S. states and territories, subject to jurisdiction-specific requirements.
Research and practice: Auburn’s Landscape Infrastructure Design Lab works on issues including coastal resilience, nature-based infrastructure, and Gulf Coast communities, giving the broader landscape architecture community exposure to applied research addressing real environmental challenges.
Community engagement: The program emphasizes fieldwork, landscape advocacy, and direct engagement with landscapes and communities outside the university, helping students connect design work with real-world places and public needs.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BLA, students can continue into Auburn’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), a typically three-year graduate program focused on fieldwork, landscape advocacy, design research, and the Alabama Lab. The MLA is LAAB-accredited and provides an additional pathway for advanced professional and research-oriented landscape architecture study.