Online Landscape Design Degrees
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The craft of landscape design involves planning an outdoor space that is inviting to be in, and artistically pleasing to the eye. Landscape design is a great choice for students who want a profession that combines a love of nature, exceptional spatial skills, and an artistic sensibility. This discipline requires a vast knowledge of plant life and the ability to draw up plans, either by hand or with the use of CAD software.
Working in the landscape design field often means running your own business. There are opportunities for employment pretty much anywhere that someone has a backyard, or an outdoor space in need of artistry and care. Interacting with people in this profession is just as important as picking out the right plants, for there is often quite a bit of customer service and management of employees.
While it is not necessary to obtain a specific degree in landscape design to enter into this industry, many people pursue some level of education and training, becoming educated in the fields of soil sciences, botany, and horticulture. A firm grasp of drafting software is also common, as it is becoming more common for landscape designers to utilize computers during the planning process. Different levels of education are available to someone interested in landscape design. Some schools offer an associate degree in this field. There are also colleges that provide a BA in horticulture and landscape design, as well as others that offer a Master of Science in landscape design.
Featured Accredited Schools Offering Online Landscape Design Degrees
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Learn more about Penn Foster Career School - Vocational Programs
What are some of the specializations within this degree program?
- Sustainable Landscape Design: Recently, the idea of sustainably within landscaping has become very popular. Many landscape designers choose to focus on working with nature and the environment to create a garden or outdoor space that is both beautiful and takes less energy to maintain.
- Landscape Design History: Some people choose to study how cultures throughout history created gardens and landscaping of amazing artistry. This knowledge can greatly inform contemporary designs and trends.
- Topiary: The art of shaping plants, specifically trees and shrubbery, is a time-honored tradition within landscaping, and was made even more famous by the movie "Edward Scissorhands." Learning more about this artistic expression can be a huge asset to any landscape designer.
- Aquatic Gardening: Adding a water feature to a garden or outdoor space requires a great deal of planning. Extra training regarding aquatic life, fountains, and aquatic plant life can be necessary to ensure success.
What degree levels are available?
- Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
- Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
- Master's Degree: 2 years to complete
What are the educational and certification requirements?
There is not a specific educational and certification requirement for entering into the landscape design field; however, a certain level of training and proficiency in areas such as horticulture, soil maintenance, and design are assumed. Also, if pesticides will be handled, a special license is required by most states. Some landscape designers eventually desire certification by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, which requires a body of work, and a certain number of years of experience.
What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?
While classes will vary for each degree program, here are some of the common classes for the landscape design field:
- Botany: The study of plant life is very important for this industry. Learning about different plants, and their individual requirements to thrive, is necessary for any landscape designer.
- Horticulture: Similar to botany, horticulture is the study of plant cultivation. This educational field also focuses in the needs of plants, but more in relation to humans and how we have grown and adapted them over the years.
- Soil Science: This area teaches how soil management is crucial for the maintenance of plant life. Students learn about soil fertility and different classifications of Earth.
- History: Learning about the history of landscaping can help inspire and inform current designers. Archaeology, the more specific study of human history, can give students a vivid picture of what life was like hundreds and thousands of years ago.
- Drafting: Whether drawing up plans by hand, or using a computer, landscape designers will need proper math and spatial skills for all the planning stages of their designs. Since people often rely on computer software to streamline drafting, classes in computer science can be very helpful.
If I pursue this program online, will I be required to complete any on-site training?
The ratio of on-site training to online courses can vary greatly for each program. For example, some courses can be entirely over the computer, and some could be a mixture of in person training and online tests and classes. However, since landscape design is such a physical, hands-on industry, there is usually the expectation of some real-world experience as part of one's training.
What are some other degrees that are related to this program?
- Landscape Architecture: Very similar to landscape design, this field often requires more education and certification. The profession can range from planning city parks to civil infrastructure.
- Civil Engineering: This profession deals with the planning of larger structures. This is a great field for someone who loves math, and the implementation of useful, real-world creations such as roads and subways.
- Interior Design: Similar to landscape design in that it involves planning an artistically pleasing social space, this discipline focuses more on the inside of a home or building, rather than the land surrounding it. This requires more education about fabrics and the structural design of a house, and less about plant life.
- CAD: Computer-aided drafting degrees can be very helpful with landscape design, but there is a wide range of other specialties and professions that utilize these specific computer skills.
- Culinary Arts: Like landscape design, a career in the culinary arts requires a strict attention to how different elements work together to create something that is both artistic, and functional. Often, people who pursue a degree in culinary arts have excellent customer service skills and a love of creativity.
