2023-2024 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
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 Return to: College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Department Head: Keith Christensen
Location: Fine Arts Visual 230
Phone: (435) 797-0500
FAX: (435) 797-0503
WWW: laep.usu.edu/
Undergraduate Advisement:
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Student Services Center, Deandra Harps, AGRS 417, (435) 797-9245, deandra.harps@usu.edu
Graduate Program Director:
Carlos Licon, Fine Arts Visual 256, (435) 797-3978, carlos.licon@usu.edu
Graduate Program Questions:
Carlos Licon, Fine Arts Visual 256, (435) 797-3978, carlos.licon@usu.edu
Degrees offered: Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning (BsEP) and Master of Science in Environmental Planning (MsEP), Combined Bachelor and Master of Landscape Architecture (B+MLA), Combined Bachelor and Master of Environmental Planning (BLA+EP), and Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (PhD). BLA and first professional MLA programs are fully accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Certificates in Landscape Architecture, Environmental Planning, and Advanced Design, Geospatial, and Visualization Technologies.
Department Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning is to prepare and inform exceptional practitioners, scholars, leaders, and citizens to address the challenges of landscapes and communities across the globe. We do so to empower individuals and communities to make aesthetically, ecologically, and socially responsible landscape planning and design decisions in support of people and the environment.
Undergraduate Programs
Admission and Graduation Requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning (BsEP) degree program is an intensive four-year course of study. Any student admitted to USU is eligible for enrollment in the program, but must maintain a 2.5 institutional GPA to remain in good standing.
The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) degree program is an intensive four-year studio-based course of study, fully accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Accreditation standards require the department to maintain a reasonable faculty/student ratio. Space in the program is restricted by available facilities and faculty size. Admission to the upper division is limited to students who are determined by the faculty to have the best potential for academic success. Up to 30 students may be matriculated into the upper division of the BLA program.
Matriculation Requirements
Students applying for matriculation must have:
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- LAEP 2500 - Landscape Materials 2
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- Submission of an application to matriculate consisting of:
- A letter of intent
- A portfolio demonstrating evidence of core competencies and visual/graphic communication ability
Portfolios and letters of intent are to be submitted by the last Monday in March. The final selection of students to matriculate to the upper division is a decision of the LAEP faculty. The review of students for matriculation will take place during the week following spring semester final exams, and students will be notified as soon as possible thereafter.
Students who have had LAEP courses waived or covered by articulation from another institution will have their GPA calculated only on the basis of LAEP grades actually earned at USU.
Transfer students from other programs of landscape architecture who have completed the equivalent of the lower-division USU LAEP coursework may apply for admission to the upper division of the program by submitting the following:
- A portfolio
- Letter of intent
- Transcription of grades
- Description of landscape architecture courses taken
Computer Requirements
Computer competency is essential in the contemporary professional environment. Appropriate computer skills are required for most entry-level opportunities in landscape architecture and environmental planning.
Course content increasingly relies on computer skills and personal access to computers with the appropriate software.
All students in the BLA program (beginning with LAEP 1300 ) must purchase, lease, or otherwise obtain continuing and uninterrupted access to a personal computer, preferably a laptop, which meets the configuration requirements specified by the LAEP Department.
Recommended High School Courses
High school students planning to major in landscape architecture may enhance their preparation with courses in art, natural sciences, social sciences, horticulture, computer applications, and math through college algebra.
Sample Four-year Plan for Landscape Architecture Major
A semester-by-semester four-year plan for students working toward a Landscape Architecture - BLA or an Environmental Planning BsEP degree can be found on the department website and in the online catalog.
Students should consult with the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences student advisor to develop a plan of study tailored to their individual needs and interests.
Study Abroad
The department supports a longstanding cooperative agreement with the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia where students can study for a semester. Approved courses of study in design and planning programs offered by other institutions may count toward the travel requirement; however, course substitutions are subject to faculty approval.
Students can also travel to Germany to study for a semester at the University of Anhalt in Bernburg, Germany.
Faculty-Sponsored Field Study Travel
The department has a long tradition of a professionally oriented, faculty-led “Spring Break” trip, which is required for undergraduate BLA students under LAEP 4350. Recent trips have included San Francisco, Israel, Portugal, Paris, Japan, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, Washington, DC, and New York.
Individual Travel
Undergraduate students desiring to count profesionally oriented individual travel toward their degree will need to enroll in LAEP 4350 - Travel Course . Prior to enrollment, students must submit and have approved a proposal for individual travel/study to the LAEP Travel Coordinator faculty for review. The content, objectives, and outcomes of the proposal will be evaluated for parity with the educational objectives of the travel program. See the LAEP website for details.
University Honors Program
The University Honors Program offers students in all colleges and majors the unique opportunity to deepen their educational experience with hands-on practical applications of their academic knowledge. The Honors Program admits incoming, transfer, and existing USU students based on application. High achieving students with at least one year remaining are encouraged to apply. See the University Honors Program catalog entry and website (honors.usu.edu) for more information.
Additional Information
For detailed information about requirements for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture or the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning degrees, see the department website.
Internships and Cooperative Education
Many students take advantage of the practical learning opportunities available through internships and cooperative education programs. The student, in cooperation with the department and government agency or private firm, makes the necessary arrangements. Internships and cooperative education experiences are not required for degree completion.
Financial Assistance
The application deadlines for scholarships and financial assistance vary. For current application deadline information, contact the LAEP Department, the USU Financial Aid Office, and the School of Graduate Studies. Acceptance to pursue graduate study does not guarantee the student financial assistance.
Career Opportunities
The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning provides education for careers in landscape architectural site planning, design, environmental planning, and management, with special consideration for conditions in the Intermountain West. Graduates are employed by local, state, and federal agencies, as well as by private sector professional firms. LAEP graduates also find employment in academia at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a three-year, first professional degree for students with a bachelor’s degree in any area of study. This option allows students having a wide range of undergraduate experience to obtain an accredited degree in landscape architecture that fulfills the educational requirement for professional registration and allows entrance into the field of landscape architecture.
The program for the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) emphasizes both traditional site planning and design, as well as broader areas of the profession, such as large-scale regional landscape analysis and planning, open space conservation, historic landscape preservation, and sustainable design. The MLA first professional degree is fully accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
The Master of Landscape Architecture program is designed to prepare the student for the landscape architect’s challenging role of providing a holistic approach to environmental planning and design. In order for landscape architects to contribute effectively to an interdisciplinary effort, they must be competent in the fundamentals of landscape architecture and also have an understanding of the subject matter of other professions. Landscape architects must master the communication skills necessary to achieve meaningful collaboration. In support of this philosophy, the following are the major objectives of the MLA program.
- To provide a well-structured curriculum in fundamental professional knowledge and skills.
- To research, analyze, and resolve land use and design issues related specifically to the Intermountain West. The scope of the program examines national, regional, and local issues; and their impact on the visual, physical, and cultural setting of the Intermountain West.
- To integrate field experience and research into major graduate studio courses structured around real-world projects.
- To provide opportunities for each student for exploration and development of an area of concentration as noted elsewhere.
- To draw upon the regional, national, and international relationships of Utah State University to facilitate a program of academic and professional excellence which will allow the student to achieve eminence in practice, research, or education.
Admission Requirements
The application deadline for consideration in the first round of reviews is March 15. Applications received later than March 15 will be considered as space availability allows.
Computer Requirement
Computer competency is essential in the contemporary professional environment. Appropriate computer skills are required for most entry-level opportunities in landscape architecture and environmental planning. Therefore, course content increasingly relies on computer skills and personal access to computers with the appropriate software.
All students entering the MLA program must purchase, lease, or otherwise obtain continuing and uninterrupted access to a personal computer, preferably a laptop, which meets the configuration requirements specified by the LAEP Department. Consult the departmental website for current specifications.
Course of Study
The graduate program director oversees academic advising of all incoming students until they have selected a thesis topic. A major professor whose interests are closely aligned to those of the student then supervises thesis work. All courses require a minimum grade of C or higher. A total of 80 credits are required for this program.
The MLA-Advanced Professional degree is a two-year accredited program of study. Applicants must hold baccalaureate degrees in landscape architecture from accredited programs. The advanced degree allows outstanding students to expand their knowledge in areas of special interest under the supervision of a major professor and supervisory committee.
The Graduate Program Director advises all incoming students until they have selected a thesis topic. Once a thesis topic has been identified, it is the students responsibility to seek a major professor and committee members from within the LAEP Department faculty.
Informed planning and management of natural resources and systems supersede individual disciplines, requiring an interdisciplinary approach for the successful resolution of environmental issues. The intent of this program’s curriculum is to integrate the biophysical disciplines more closely while also addressing the social and political sciences. This degree program is offered by the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
Course of Study
This two-year MS program is comprised of an interdisciplinary core of courses and faculty for addressing complex issues in the areas of bioregional planning and management. Emphasis is placed on four problematic content areas: biophysical, social/demographic, economic, and public policy. The spatial focus is on the planning for large landscape areas with dispersed populations with a primary economic base in agriculture, energy development, tourism/recreation, retirement communities, and natural resources.
The program requires a minimum of 41 graduate-level credits, including 5 credits of work on a thesis or paper/project. Three of the required credits may be in an area of concentration. These credits are to be negotiated with the candidate’s major professor and supervisory committee.
The accelerated Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture (BLA+MLA) program allows advanced Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) undergraduates the opportunity to pursue a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program within an accelerated time frame.
The mission of the accelerated BLA+MLA program is to prepare future professionals to address the dynamic issues and scales of landscapes across the Intermountain West and around the world and engage in creative intellectual work that contributes to the theory and practice of landscape architecture.
To be accepted into the combined BLA+MLA program, students must apply for the Master’s of Landscape Architecture Degree during their junior year. If accepted, they begin taking graduate-level courses during their senior year. Students only pay graduate-level tuition during their fifth year of study.
The accelerated Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science in Environmental Planning (BLA+EP) program allows advanced Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) undergraduates the opportunity to pursue a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program within an accelerated time frame.
The mission of the accelerated BLA+EP program is to prepare future professionals to recognize the reciprocal relationship between the biophysical attributes of a region and the human dimensions of settlement and culture; build expertise in landscape level analysis and planning, and how to prepare to serve as leaders within a transdisciplinary environment to develop better alternatives for land-use decisions and policy. This mission will be accomplished through a core set of undergraduate and graduate landscape architecture and environmental planning courses and experiences.
To be accepted into the combined BLA+EP program, students must apply to the Environmental Planning Master’s Degree via during their junior year. If accepted, they begin taking graduate level courses during their senior year. Students only pay graduate level tuition during their fifth year of study.
The interdisciplinary Doctor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning prepares leaders and future faculty in landscape architecture by engaging in creative intellectual work that contributes to the theory and practice of landscape architecture. Candidates apply critical theories and methods in landscape architecture to address the dynamic issues and scales of natural and built landscapes in the context of human systems. All courses require a minimum grade of C or higher. A total of 60 credits are required for this program.
FACULTY - College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Return to: College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
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