Landscape Contracting, B.S.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Pennsylvania State University University Park

Program Overview

The Landscape Contracting, B.S. at Penn State University Park combines horticulture, landscape design, construction, technology, business, and practical engineering to prepare students to design, build, establish, and manage residential and commercial landscapes. It suits hands-on, creative, and entrepreneurial students who want careers in landscape design/build, management, construction, estimating, sales, or business ownership.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students build their foundation in communication, mathematics, art, economics, and science through courses such as ART 20: Introduction to Drawing, MATH 26: Plane Trigonometry and Applications of Trigonometry, and AGBM 101: Economic Principles of Agribusiness Decision Making. These subjects establish the visual, quantitative, and business skills needed for later landscape planning and contracting work.

Second Year: Students move into scientific, business, legal, and communication preparation with courses including BIOL 127: Introduction to Plant Biology, ACCTG 211: Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making, and BLAW 243: Legal Environment of Business. The year develops knowledge of plant science while introducing financial and legal concepts relevant to operating landscape projects and businesses.

Third Year: The program becomes strongly specialized through courses such as HORT 269: Residential Landscape Planning, HORT 220: CAD Applications in Landscape Contracting, and HORT 464: Landscape Construction I. Students develop skills in residential planning, computer-aided landscape design, construction, plant materials, soils, and landscape establishment, with the curriculum combining design and practical implementation.

Fourth Year: Students advance into professional landscape design, construction, estimating, and business through courses including HORT 368: Landscape Planting Design, HORT 466: Landscape Construction II, and HORT 468: Landscape Estimating and Bidding. The final year also includes HORT 410W: Issues in Landscape Contracting and business-oriented coursework, helping students connect technical knowledge with project management and commercial practice.

Focus Areas

Landscape design, landscape construction, plant materials, horticulture, CAD and digital graphics, soils, plant establishment, turfgrass management, pest and weed management, surveying, estimating and bidding, business operations, design/build, landscape management.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to plan and implement landscape projects, use plant and soil knowledge in landscape applications, create 2-D and 3-D landscape plans using current software applications, understand construction and maintenance processes, estimate and bid projects, and apply business and management principles in professional landscape contracting.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Professional accreditation: Penn State’s official Landscape Contracting program and 2026–27 Undergraduate Bulletin do not state a specific external professional accreditation for the B.S. in Landscape Contracting; the program instead identifies professional resources including the National Association of Landscape Professionals and Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

QS employability: Penn State is in the top 6% globally for employer reputation and career outcomes in the QS World University Rankings 2026, and QS gave Penn State a 5-star employability rating. Penn State also ranked No. 89 globally for employer reputation in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. These are university-level indicators rather than rankings specific to the Landscape Contracting B.S.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Penn State’s Landscape Contracting, B.S. gain practical skills by combining plant science, landscape design, construction, technology, and business through classroom and outdoor learning. The program includes design studios and computer classrooms with current software for producing 2-D and 3-D landscape plans, while the Department of Plant Science provides two landscape design studios, extensive greenhouse space, research farms, and other hands-on facilities. Students can also gain professional experience through internships, research, industry engagement, and study-abroad opportunities:

CAD & Design Software: HORT 220, CAD Applications in Landscape Contracting, provides practical experience with AutoCAD and LANDCADD for landscape design and contracting applications.
3-D Landscape Planning: Computer classrooms support the creation of 2-D and 3-D landscape plans, giving students experience with industry-oriented digital design workflows.
Design/Build Projects: The Design/Build option develops skills in planning and implementing landscape projects, with coursework including Landscape Construction, Landscape Planting Design, Residential Landscape Planning, and CAD Applications in Landscape Contracting.
Client-Based Design: Students have opportunities to work with real clients; Penn State describes a HORT 269 project in which a student inventoried a local client's property and developed a landscape design as a final project.
Internships: Students are encouraged to obtain on-the-job experience with landscape maintenance, construction, or related businesses, with academic credit available for internships. Recent opportunities have included arboriculture, landscape design-and-build, landscape maintenance, and marketing/sales.
Research Facilities: The Department of Plant Science provides more than 37,000 square feet of greenhouse space and growth chambers, a 650-acre Agronomy Research Farm, a 100-acre Horticulture Research Farm, and the 26-acre Valentine Research Farm.
Landscape Design Studios: Students have access to two dedicated landscape design studios supporting the design-focused component of the program.
Immersive Digital Learning: Penn State’s PILLAR project develops 360-degree photos and videos, augmented-reality applications, virtual-reality experiences, annotated gardens, and AR client-facing mockups specifically to help landscape contracting students apply professional design principles.
Hands-On Plant Science: The program integrates practical work with plants, soils, construction, planting, landscape maintenance, surveying, turfgrass, and pest management rather than relying solely on classroom instruction.
Industry Engagement: Landscape Contracting students benefit from alumni mentoring and an annual College of Agricultural Sciences career fair, with Penn State reporting strong employer interest in its students and internship opportunities.
Study Abroad: Program opportunities include experiences such as Gardens, Villas, and Landscapes of Northern Italy, allowing students to examine landscapes and design in international settings.
Student Teams: Students can extend practical learning through the Horticulture Club, Soil Judging Team, Flower Judging Team, Turfgrass Club, Weed Science Team, and Woodsmen Teams.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Landscape Contracting, B.S. at Penn State prepares graduates for practical careers in landscape design/build, landscape management, estimating, business operations, and related green-industry sectors. The program combines plant science, design, technology, practical engineering, and business, while Penn State reports that students frequently secure internships that can lead to employment offers.

Typical Career Roles: Account Manager, Landscape Designer/Builder, Landscape Manager, Estimator/Bid Coordinator.

Career Development & Industry Opportunities:

Career Services: Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences provides career resources, while students can also access Stuckeman Career Services for career advising, internship and employment questions, résumé/cover-letter support, portfolio preparation, and professional networking.
Internships: The program encourages students to gain on-the-job experience with landscape maintenance, construction, or related businesses, with academic credit available for an internship. Penn State also reports that companies compete for Landscape Contracting students for summer internships, with some students returning with job offers.
Career Events: Penn State’s Ag Sciences Career Day connects Landscape Contracting students with employers offering full-time and internship positions; participating employers include landscape-industry companies such as Hively Landscapes.
Industry Connections: Penn State maintains strong employer engagement through career events and alumni involvement. Landscape Contracting alumni regularly return to campus to mentor students and identify potential future hires.
Employer Network: The Stuckeman School Career Day has included landscape and design employers such as Kimley-Horn, LandDesign, TBG Partners, RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, Site Design Concepts, and Gordon, providing opportunities for professional networking and recruitment.
Entrepreneurship: The curriculum includes business-oriented preparation, and Penn State specifically highlights graduates who move into leadership positions or establish and operate their own landscape businesses.
Employment Sectors: Graduates can pursue opportunities with landscape management and design/build firms, nurseries, public gardens, park systems, municipalities, golf courses, garden centers, and irrigation companies.
Employment Statistics: Penn State’s official Landscape Contracting program pages do not state a specific program-level employment rate, median salary, or graduate salary figure, so no unsupported salary or employment statistic is provided.
Accreditation/Professional Value: Penn State’s official program information does not identify a separate professional accreditation specifically for the Landscape Contracting B.S.; therefore, no specific accreditation benefit is claimed here.
Graduation Outcomes: The program is designed for direct entry into landscape contracting and management careers, with opportunities spanning design/build companies, landscape management, horticultural businesses, public-sector organizations, parks, golf courses, and related industries.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.S., graduates can pursue graduate study in horticulture, landscape architecture, turfgrass science, ecosystems management, and other related fields.