Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture

Students in Cornell University’s Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture gain practical experience through an intensive sequence of project-based design studios, where they work with faculty on real sites, materials, ecological systems, and increasingly complex design problems. Studio learning combines field trips, demonstrations, precedent studies, guest presentations, one-on-one instruction, and group discussions, while Cornell’s dedicated landscape architecture facilities provide professional software, digital fabrication equipment, physical model-making tools, and dedicated studio space. Students can also pursue directed studies, internships, study abroad, and hands-on research and design activities connected to landscape architecture practice.

Students can put this studio-based learning into practice through:

• Design Studios: The BSLA is built around sequential, project-based design studios that develop skills in landform, plants, water, engineering, construction, ecological practices, and technological applications. Studio projects increase in complexity as students progress through the degree.

• Field Trips: Studio courses incorporate field trips, site-based investigation, demonstrations, precedent studies, and guest presentations, allowing students to connect design concepts with actual landscapes and sites.

• Real-World Projects: Students work on projects involving site inventory and analysis, conceptual design, spatial planning, natural and built systems, and increasingly complex site-design problems. Some studios incorporate meetings and charrettes with real clients and/or community engagement.

• Group Work: The studio format supports small-group interaction, group discourse, peer exchange, and collaborative design activities alongside one-on-one faculty instruction.

• Digital Software: The Landscape Architecture Computer Lab provides ArcGIS, ArcScene, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Lumion, Revit, and Rhinoceros 3D for GIS, drafting, 3D modeling, visualization, rendering, animation, and presentation work.

• Advanced Digital Tools: Coursework can involve ArcGIS Pro, Rhino, Grasshopper, LiDAR scanning, FLIR One thermal imaging, iPad-based tools, and After Effects for site documentation, spatial analysis, 3D modeling, environmental analysis, and animated representation.

• Fabrication Laboratory: The dedicated Fabrication Lab in Kennedy Hall provides Epilog Fusion Edge laser cutters, Bambu Lab X1C, UltraCraft Reflex Resin, and Ultimaker S3/S5 3D printers, together with a tool library and water table for physical modeling, prototyping, material research, and simulation of surface-water dynamics.

• Dedicated Studio: The department’s Kennedy Hall studio contains more than 100 dedicated studio desks and provides 24/7 departmental access, giving students a permanent workspace for design development, model making, reviews, and collaboration.

• Computer Laboratory: The dedicated computer lab has 15 PC workstations and two 42-inch large-format plotters, with 24/7 in-person access and remote-access options for individual computers.

• Internships: Cornell’s landscape architecture career services support students with job and internship searching, alumni networking, and application materials. The department also has the Professor Marvin I. Adleman Fund for Practical Experiential Learning, which can help support eligible summer internships, including travel, housing, or compensation for low- or unpaid internships.

• Directed Study: Through LA 4030 Directed Study, BSLA students can define a personal area of interest within landscape architecture or explore landscape dimensions of another field, with at least 10 credits of directed-study work beyond the department’s standard requirements.

• Study Abroad: Undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to study abroad, typically during the spring semester of junior year. Partner opportunities include Copenhagen University in Denmark, SLU in Sweden, Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and the National University of Singapore, with studio courses designed to keep students on track for graduation.

• Libraries: Students have access to Mui Ho Fine Arts Library, which holds landscape architecture materials and undergraduate and graduate landscape theses, as well as Mann Library and Cornell’s broader library collections.

• Research & Public Engagement: Cornell’s Department of Landscape Architecture connects students with research and public-engagement activities addressing issues such as flooding, water scarcity, environmental justice, cultural heritage, and climate-related challenges.

• Professional Preparation: The curriculum includes professional-practice preparation and technical coursework, while Cornell’s CALS career services provide resources for networking, job searches, internships, and professional materials.

The B.S. in Landscape Architecture at Cornell prepares graduates for professional practice across landscape design, urban development, conservation, ecological design, planning, and public-sector work. Its license-qualifying professional curriculum combines intensive design studios with technical, ecological, and communication skills, while Cornell’s alumni have progressed into private practice, government, academia, and emerging fields such as climate-change consulting.

Typical career roles: Landscape Designer, Landscape Architect Associate, Junior Designer, Project Manager.

Career development and professional opportunities include:

• CALS Career Development & Experiential Learning: Students receive personalized career advising, specialized workshops, experiential-learning support, resume and cover-letter reviews, employer information, and access to jobs and internships through Handshake.
• Landscape Architecture Job Resources: CALS specifically directs students toward landscape-architecture employment opportunities, including the American Society of Landscape Architects job listings.
• Internship Experience: Cornell offers LA 4960 – Internship in Landscape Architecture, an undergraduate experiential-learning course where students gain exposure to design phases from conception through implementation while working with mentors or professional teams.
• Employer Access: Cornell’s Handshake platform allows students to find internships and full-time positions, attend employer events and career fairs, and participate in employer interviews.
• Industry Connections: Cornell reports alumni leadership roles at firms and organizations including James Corner Field Operations, HOK, Sasaki Associates, SCAPE, Snøhetta, SWA Group, Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates, and Peter Walker and Partners.
• Public-Sector Opportunities: Alumni have held positions with organizations including the National Park Service, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Transportation, Trust for Public Land, and U.S. Forest Service.
• Employment Outcomes: Cornell CALS provides an official Undergraduate Career Outcomes Dashboard covering graduate destinations, employers, job titles, industries, geographic locations, and graduate-program enrollment. Cornell does not publish a BSLA-specific employment percentage or salary figure on the official pages reviewed, so a program-specific salary number is not stated.
• CALS Internship Reach: Across CALS undergraduate programs, Cornell reports that 80% of students complete one or more internships, with 3,000+ industry experts in its alumni mentorship program and 360 employers conducting on-campus recruiting; these figures are college-wide rather than BSLA-specific.
• Professional Accreditation: The BSLA complies with requirements of the New York State Education Department (NYSED), Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards (CLARB), and Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB). Cornell identifies the degree as a license-qualifying, first professional degree, providing long-term professional value for students pursuing landscape architecture practice.
• Graduate Outcomes: Cornell landscape architecture alumni have also progressed into academia and research, with alumni teaching or holding leadership roles at institutions including Harvard GSD, Penn State, University of Pennsylvania, RISD, University of Oregon, and Cornell.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BSLA, students can continue at Cornell through the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), with Cornell noting that students with undergraduate degrees in landscape architecture may receive advanced standing in the two-year MLA track. They can also pursue the one-year Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Landscape Architecture, which is specifically described as suitable for BSLA/BLA graduates seeking further design-research study; Cornell also offers a dual MLA/MRP in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning for students seeking advanced study combining landscape architecture and regional planning.