Bachelor's Degree (BS) in Landscape Architecture

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Kentucky

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture at the University of Kentucky combines design, environmental science, and land stewardship to prepare students to create sustainable, functional, and socially relevant outdoor environments such as parks, campuses, streetscapes, and public spaces. It suits students who want to blend creative design with technical skills, plant knowledge, site planning, digital representation, and environmental problem-solving through studio-based and field-focused learning.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their foundation through LA 105 Introduction to Landscape Architecture, PLS 220 Introduction to Plant Identification, and LA 121 Landscape Architecture Design Studio I. They develop creative problem-solving, understand the profession and its societal role, learn plant-identification techniques, and begin applying design thinking, observation, communication, and critique to landscape problems; LA 161 Graphics I introduces freehand sketching, plans, sections, and perspectives.

Year 2: Students progress into LA 222 Landscape Architecture Design Studio II, LA 162 Digital Representation I, and PLS 366 Fundamentals of Soil Science, connecting landscape design with place and regional landscapes while developing computer-aided site-design skills. LA 223 Landscape Architecture Design Studio III and LA 271 Design Implementation I then introduce site programming, landscape analysis, site planning, grading, drainage, road alignment, and stormwater management.

Year 3: Students undertake more complex work through LA 324 Landscape Architecture Design Studio IV, focusing on site selection and programmatic analysis for landscape master planning, while LA 372 Design Implementation II develops knowledge of construction materials, working drawings, and specifications. LA 373 Design Implementation III requires students to produce comprehensive schematic design and construction drawings, while LA 398 Professional Development I introduces professional work opportunities and graduate-study pathways.

Year 4: Students complete advanced studies through LA 425 Landscape Architecture Design Studio V, emphasizing urban design, development, and associated public spaces, followed by LA 426 Landscape Architecture Design Studio VI, which addresses landscape architecture at different scales with emphasis on form generation, community engagement, and communication. LA 345 Design with Plants develops the functional and aesthetic use of plant materials, while LA 400 Professional Development II covers licensure, certification, professional practice, ethics, business structures, and career planning.

Focus Areas

Landscape design, site planning, urban design, landscape master planning, digital representation, graphics, plant identification, soil science, design implementation, construction documentation, stormwater management, community engagement, ecological design, professional practice, GIS, cultural landscape preservation, regional land-use planning.

Learning Outcomes

Creative problem-solving, landscape analysis, site planning, digital design representation, plant selection, soil and environmental understanding, grading and drainage design, construction documentation, urban design, community engagement, professional communication, and preparation for landscape architecture practice and licensure.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

LAAB accreditation: The University of Kentucky's Landscape Architecture program has been accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) since 1978, with its current accreditation effective through 2027. The university states that the BS in Landscape Architecture meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Employment outcomes: The university's current accreditation information reports that 8 of 9 graduates were employed in landscape architecture in 2025, with one graduate listed as unknown. For the preceding years, the reported figures were 9 of 12 in 2024, 8 of 10 in 2023, 12 of 14 in 2022, and 10 of 10 in 2021.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BS in Landscape Architecture at the University of Kentucky emphasizes learning by doing, with students applying design concepts through studio projects, community engagement, field study, internships, and hands-on technical work. Students work in the Gray Design Building, a 100,000-square-foot interdisciplinary facility with open studios and fabrication laboratories, while the surrounding Bluegrass region provides a living laboratory for studying natural and built landscapes.

Students gain practical experience through these program-specific opportunities:

Design Studios: Courses such as LA 121 Landscape Architecture Design Studio I, LA 223 Landscape Architecture Design Studio III, LA 425 Landscape Architecture Design Studio V, and LA 426 Landscape Architecture Design Studio VI use studio-based projects involving site analysis, site planning, urban design, community engagement, and real-world spaces.
Digital & Graphic Tools: LA 161 Graphics I develops freehand sketching, plan, section and perspective drawing, while LA 262 Graphics II integrates analog and digital media and technologies. The curriculum also provides opportunities to study advanced digital graphics and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
Site Engineering: LA 271 Design Implementation I gives students practical experience with site grading, drainage systems, road alignment, site engineering, and stormwater management; LA 372 Design Implementation II adds construction materials, working drawings, and specifications.
Fabrication & Making: The Gray Design Building Maker’s Suite and fabrication facilities provide a dedicated environment for hands-on design and making, with landscape architecture students learning alongside architecture, interior design, historic preservation, and product design students.
Community Projects: Service-learning studios allow students to work with community partners throughout Kentucky, analyze existing conditions, develop design alternatives, and present recommendations to clients.
Group Projects: Vertical Charettes bring together second-, third-, and fourth-year landscape architecture students in mixed groups to assess local problems and develop solutions during intensive design exercises.
Internships: LA 399 Internship in Landscape Architecture provides academic credit for a pre-approved professional internship of at least eight weeks and 320 hours in a private or public landscape architecture office or related professional setting.
Field Trips: Landscape architecture classes regularly visit sites across the University of Kentucky campus, Lexington, and Central Kentucky, with additional domestic and international travel opportunities. Past domestic study locations include Chicago, New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Nashville, Asheville, and St. Louis.
Living Laboratory: The Bluegrass region surrounding Lexington provides opportunities to study horse farms, small towns, natural landscapes, the Cumberland Plateau, Red River Gorge, and landscapes affected by strip mining as real-world examples for learning and research.
Plant & Soil Laboratories: PLS 220 Introduction to Plant Identification includes laboratory work involving more than 100 plants, while PLS 366 Fundamentals of Soil Science includes a three-hour laboratory examining soil properties, plant growth, land-use management, and soil and water quality.
Research & Innovation: The College of Design supports interdisciplinary research in Digital Fabrication and Simulation and Materials Innovation, with research spanning landscape architecture and other design disciplines.
Professional Development: LA 398 Professional Development I and LA 400 Professional Development II connect students with professional work opportunities, licensure and certification, professional performance rating systems, ethics, business structures, and career planning.
Professional Exposure: Through the American Society of Landscape Architects, students can participate in organized trips, tour professional offices, and visit landscape architecture projects across the United States.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture at the University of Kentucky prepares graduates for professional and related careers by combining design, environmental stewardship, technical implementation, and community-focused planning. Graduates can move into private-sector design practices, public agencies, environmental organizations, or related fields, with UK specifically identifying roles such as landscape architect, urban designer, city planner, GIS analyst, environmental scientist, and landscape construction manager.

Career opportunities include:

Career preparation: The Department of Landscape Architecture connects students with alumni and practicing professionals through its annual Design Career Fair, internships, professional visits, and instruction from paraprofessionals who contribute to studio and technical courses.
Career services: UK’s Stuckert Career Center provides résumé writing, job-search advice, headshots and access to Handshake for employment and internship opportunities; UK also maintains a First Destination Dashboard covering the initial destinations of bachelor’s graduates.
Industry and community partnerships: UK students have worked with Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill on landscape and cultural-resource proposals for its 3,000-acre property, presenting their work alongside design professionals and preservation experts.
Professional practice experience: A 2024 CEDIK community-design fellowship placed nine students from landscape architecture and related disciplines into a 10-week project for Maysville, involving research, site analysis, community engagement, and recommendations for the city.
Research with practitioners: UK Landscape Architecture students have participated in the Town Branch Commons case study with faculty and the Lexington office of multidisciplinary design and engineering firm Gresham Smith, documenting environmental, social, and economic benefits of the project.
Employment outcomes: UK’s LAAB accreditation information reports program graduate counts and outcomes; for example, 2025 recorded 9 graduates, with 8 reported as employed/placed and 1 listed as unknown. The university does not publish a BSLA-specific salary figure on the official program pages reviewed, so a salary range or median is not stated by the university.
Long-term professional value: The BSLA has been LAAB-accredited since 1978, with current accreditation effective through 2027. UK states that the degree meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, although licensure also involves the LARE and, depending on the jurisdiction, supervised experience and other requirements.
Graduation outcomes: UK reports that BSLA graduates enter landscape architecture, graduate education and related fields, with alumni working across areas that use landscape-design and spatial-thinking skills. The program has graduated more than 650 students since its inception.

Further Academic Progression: The BSLA is part of UK’s Accelerated Master’s Pathways (AMP), allowing eligible students who have earned at least 60 undergraduate credits to pursue selected undergraduate and graduate coursework for dual credit, potentially shortening the time and cost of a subsequent master’s degree. Students can also continue into graduate education in landscape architecture or related fields; UK specifically notes graduate study as a progression route for BSLA graduates.