Career Exploration Center (CEC)
Explore the next steps in your academic and career journey

Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
At left, Sam Dennis, Jr., associate professor of landscape architecture, describes to nine high school students from Wisconsin’s Ho-Chunk Nation how to combine digital photographs, GPS data and other information to complete a photo-mapping project as the youth gathered near a Native American effigy mound and the Tree of Peace on Observatory Hill at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)

Advising: Contact Debi Griffin (dagriffin@wisc.edu) who will assign a faculty advisor. Debi also provides initial advising to enter the program. Departmental Office: Agriculture Hall Room 1 (608-263-7301) http://www.la.wisc.edu

Field of Study
The study and application of artistic and scientific principles to the research, planning, design and management of both natural and built environments. Addresses problems of natural resources, social and environmental concerns; including urbanization and suburban sprawl, rural land use and landscape preservation.

Possible Careers: Landscape architect; natural resource specialist; land use planner; ecosystem restorationist; cultural resource specialist.

Special Opportunities & Additional Information

  • Many opportunities for internships.
  • Landscape Architecture ASLA Student Chapter.
  • The B.S. Natural Resources major specializes in ecological restoration, natural areas management, environmental impact assessment, cultural resource preservation, analysis of landscape aesthetics and geographic information systems.
  • Students can also choose the B.S. Landscape Architecture major, a professional program with a two step admission process. In year 1, students take six prerequisite courses. Admission into years 2-4 is competitive, based on performance in the prerequisites and a letter of intent. Interested students should see an advisor early for professional program requirements.
Selected Required courses for the B.S. Degree Landscape Architecture Major
  • Intro Biology: Botany 130 or Botany 100 plus another 2 credit approved plant biology course
  • Calculus: Optional: Math 211, 221 or Stats 301
  • General Chemistry: Chem 103, 108, or 109
  • Organic Chemistry: None
  • Physics: None
  • Statistics: Optional: Math 211, 221 or Stats 301