BS Landscape Architecture (Pre)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Purdue University West Lafayette

Program Overview

Purdue University’s Landscape Architecture (Pre) program introduces students to the creative, technical, environmental, and professional dimensions of landscape architecture, preparing them to design communities, parks, public spaces, and other outdoor environments through the integration of art, engineering, sustainable systems, and site design. Students begin in Pre-Landscape Architecture and, after successfully completing the first year, can progress into Purdue’s Professional Landscape Architecture program, where the curriculum develops advanced design, planting, site systems, technology, and professional practice skills.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 – Pre-Landscape Architecture: The first year builds the foundation for professional landscape architecture through introductory design and communication work, including LA 101 – Survey of Landscape Architecture and LA 116 – Graphic Communication for Students of Landscape Architecture and Design, alongside design, biological science, mathematics/statistics, and communication coursework. Students who successfully complete the year with a 2.5 overall GPA and 3.0 GPA in landscape architecture courses can advance to the Professional Landscape Architecture program.

Year 2 – Design, Plants & Site Systems: Students move into professional-level work such as LA 226 – Landscape Architectural Design II, LA 227 – Planting Design I, and LA 246 – Site Systems I, developing their ability to organize outdoor space while understanding plants and site conditions. Coursework also includes LA 117 – Computer Technology in Design, LA 166 – History and Theory of Landscape Architecture, and surveying, strengthening the technical and historical foundation of landscape design.

Year 3 – Advanced Design & Site Development: Students progress through LA 316 – Landscape Architectural Design III, LA 325 – Planting Design II, and LA 346 – Site Systems II, applying design thinking to increasingly complex landscape projects. LA 356 – Site Systems III and HORT 317 – Landscape Contracting and Management further develop knowledge of site systems, construction-related processes, and professional project delivery.

Year 4 – Integrated Professional Practice: Advanced study includes LA 326 – Landscape Architectural Design IV, LA 356 – Site Systems III, and HORT 317 – Landscape Contracting and Management, bringing design, technical site knowledge, planting, and professional management together. Purdue also incorporates a cooperative internship into the degree structure, with the program describing approximately 40 weeks of paid professional experience before completion of the degree.

Cooperative Internship: Purdue officially describes the BSLA as a five-year time-to-degree program, comprising four years of academic, on-campus study plus approximately one year of cooperative internship experience. The department reports that 86% of seniors return for their final year with job offers from their co-op firm, providing a direct connection between academic preparation and professional landscape architecture practice.

Focus areas

Landscape design, sustainable design, urban environments, planting design, site systems, site engineering, landscape construction, landscape technology, environmental sustainability, professional practice, and community engagement.

Learning outcomes

Creative design, landscape representation, technology, site analysis and development, planting design, sustainable systems, professional skills, research, problem-solving, and the integration of environmental, economic, and social considerations. Purdue states that its student-achievement assessment encompasses 77 skills and abilities based on the ASLA Body of Knowledge and the program’s mission.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

Accreditation: The Purdue Landscape Architecture program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA) is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), with its next review scheduled for Fall 2028.

Reputation (employability rankings)

Industry recognition: Purdue states that its Landscape Architecture program is consistently ranked in the Top 10 nationally by DesignIntelligence. The department also reports a 95.3% five-year average rate of graduates seeking/finding employment in landscape architecture or allied positions or pursuing graduate education after completing the Purdue BSLA.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BS Landscape Architecture at Purdue University combines design, technology, environmental systems, and professional practice, with students developing practical skills through landscape architecture studios, site design, and technical coursework. The program has a distinctive professional component: students in the professional Landscape Architecture program complete an integrated co-operative internship year, gaining approximately 40 weeks of paid experience on real projects before graduation.

Students also benefit from recently remodeled landscape architecture studios, laboratories, greenhouses, and interdisciplinary facilities across Purdue’s College of Agriculture. The program emphasizes real-world application, research, community engagement, and creative design, giving students multiple ways to connect classroom learning with professional landscape architecture practice:

Design Studios: Students progress through landscape architectural design studios, including advanced work in urban design and a Landscape Architecture Capstone, where they integrate design, technical, and social skills to address professional problems.
Co-op Internship: The professional program includes a 40-week paid cooperative internship, providing extended professional work experience on real landscape architecture projects. Purdue reports that 86% of seniors return for their final year with job offers from their co-op firm.
Landscape Architecture Studios: Students have access to recently remodeled landscape architecture studios designed to support hands-on studio-based learning and design development.
Plant & Greenhouse Facilities: The Horticulture Plant Growth Facility serves Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and includes 25 greenhouse rooms, 17 growth chambers, two air-conditioned growth rooms, a tissue culture laboratory, three teaching laboratories, and headhouse workspace.
GIS & Spatial Analysis: Purdue's Geographic Information Systems Laboratory provides undergraduate and graduate teaching and research facilities with ArcGIS, IMAGINE, ENVI, high-end computers, large-format plotting, color printing, tablets, and image scanning.
Research & Design Technology: Landscape Architecture students can engage with Purdue's broader research environment, including spatial data, GIS, GPS, remote sensing, and related environmental and land-use research facilities.
Community Projects: Purdue landscape architecture students have undertaken team-based projects with campus partners, such as redesigning landscapes around Purdue facilities while considering native plants, pollinators, soil and water conditions, maintenance requirements, budget, and available space.
Capstone Experience: The program's capstone requires students to integrate accumulated knowledge, technical skills, and social skills to identify and solve a problem relevant to professional practice and communicate their results.
Interdisciplinary Learning: Purdue's landscape architecture program works within the College of Agriculture and connects students with areas such as horticulture, forestry and natural resources, plant science, and environmental systems, supporting the program's emphasis on sustainable landscape design.
International Experience: BSLA plans of study include international-understanding requirements that can be fulfilled through study-abroad programs, international travel courses, or international work experiences.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Purdue Landscape Architecture program is designed to move students from foundational study into professional practice through a dedicated co-op year, real-client design work, and career-focused preparation. Purdue reports that the rolling five-year rate of graduates seeking/finding employment in landscape architecture or allied positions or pursuing graduate education is 95.3%, while the College of Agriculture reported an average beginning salary of $59,507 for Horticulture and Landscape Architecture graduates in May 2025.

Typical career directions include Landscape Architect, Land-Use Designer, Urban/Regional Designer, and Landscape Design Professional, with Purdue specifically identifying opportunities in private practice, governmental agencies, land-use design, parks and recreation, urban/suburban design, and other areas.

Career development and professional opportunities:

Co-op Experience: Students complete a minimum 40-week paid co-op between their third and fourth years, working in professional landscape architecture offices; Purdue states that placements have included locations across the U.S., as well as England and Japan.
Employment Connections: The Horticulture & Landscape Architecture HLA Job Board connects students and alumni with employers and provides landscape architecture and related job opportunities.
Career Support: Purdue's HLA Student Success Office supports the co-op program, while department advisors and faculty help students identify internships, research positions, work experiences, and career opportunities.
Graduate Outcomes: For the 2025 graduating class, 9 of 13 BSLA graduates reported full-time positions in landscape architecture or were pursuing graduate degrees; Purdue's five-year average for employment in landscape architecture/allied positions or graduate education is 95.3%.
Salary: Purdue's College of Agriculture reported a $59,507 average beginning salary for Horticulture and Landscape Architecture graduates in May 2025. This figure is departmental and does not represent a salary guarantee for individual graduates.
Industry Engagement: Purdue maintains a professional advisory council for Landscape Architecture that helps evaluate industry skills and technology needs; Purdue reports that the council has helped bring new software into the program and keep the curriculum aligned with professional demands.
Professional Accreditation: The BSLA is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), with the next review scheduled for Fall 2028. This provides professional accreditation value for graduates pursuing landscape architecture careers and further professional study.
Professional Recognition: Purdue's program recognizes student achievement through opportunities including ASLA Certificates of Honor and Merit, the Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholar Program, the Don Molnar Scholarship for outstanding cooperative employment experience, and the Outstanding Senior Capstone Project Award.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BSLA, students can continue into graduate-level study. Purdue's Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture offers the M.S. in Landscape Systems and Design, a 30-credit program combining coursework and research; its curriculum includes contemporary landscape architecture, research methods in landscape systems theory and design, and research credits.