The landscape architecture program at LSU is one of the oldest and strongest in the region, with a tradition of more than 50 years of preparing students for careers in the field. Landscape architecture combines art, natural sciences, and social and cultural disciplines with a strong design and conceptual base. Concern for the environment and the quality of life in our urban and rural surroundings is at the heart of the profession's purpose. The curriculum uses the Lower Mississippi Valley as a laboratory for study of the roles of nature, culture, and individuals in shaping the built environment through design.  Investigations include how and why landscapes evolve and the relationship of the landscape architect to change in natural environments and human settlements. Course formats include studios, seminars, lectures, and field study. Independent study is encouraged.]

The school offers graduate work to students with degrees in other fields and students with undergraduate degrees in landscape architecture who want to enhance their professional development through advanced study. Both programs lead to the Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree and blend professional design knowledge with specialization in an area of the student's choice, culminating in a thesis.  The program for students with an undergraduate degree in landscape architecture requires 30 semester hours of graduate-level course work and six hours of thesis research. The program for students without a background in landscape architecture consists of a maximum of an additional 37 hours of background preparation courses, 30 hours of graduate-level course work, and six hours of thesis research. Students with prior experience or appropriate academic background may receive advanced standing credit. This sequence usually takes three years to complete.]

First Year. A field study course takes students on fullday visits to various types of landscapes in the region. Relationships between geology, hydrology, vegetation, and cultural forces are studied in order to "read the landscape" for clues to its origins and development over time. An intensive design and graphics sequence presents the creative process and three-dimensional composition, mechanical and freehand drawing, and computer skills. A contemporary landscape history course introduces the major movements and designers in the field, and readings cover the personal philosophies and design processes of major designers. Courses in site planning, site engineering, plant materials, and research methods make up the second semester.]

Second Year. The second year design sequence typically begins with a week-long field trip to an out-of-state site that is the subject of the first studio project in the fall. This advanced site planning course is followed in the spring by a studio in regional planning. Students work in teams to tackle analysis of the economic, cultural, and natural systems, as well as development and conservation opportunities, in preparing a study of a regional landscape.  A two-semester landscape implementation sequence covers materials, small structures, and advanced site engineering. Planting design rounds out the year, and students are encouraged to take electives outside the school in topical areas related to their thesis project.]

Third Year. The third year is the year for synthesis and personal realization. Along with an intense studio course in urban design—using a local project and client—students pursue research and work on the thesis project, taking relevant elective courses and working with a major professor and a faculty thesis committee. A course in professional practice prepares students for entry into the professional world and for the licensing examination. The three-year course of study culminates in an individual presentation of the student's thesis to the faculty and student body.]

[ landscape architecture courses ]