Blossoming trees, curved paths and artistically designed gardens – in parks and gardens we find a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The landscape architects are responsible for ensuring that it is so beautifully green and blooming there.

Her areas of work include not only the design of parks and gardens, but also sports facilities, amusement parks and local recreation areas . You plan the aesthetic implementation and the optimal use of paths, benches and plants.

Landscape architects are not only creative: Another field of work in addition to open space planning in urban areas is landscape planning . This is primarily about preserving and protecting natural spaces and landscapes, including the plant and animal species that occur in them.

Landscape architecture major

Aspiring landscape architects should definitely have a love of nature and enjoy working with plants. However, an interest in natural science subjects and mathematics is also required for the course. In addition, the future landscape architects should bring a portion of creativity and spatial imagination with them if they want to be successful in their careers later on.

In Germany, landscape architecture is offered at both universities and technical colleges. Anyone who would like to gain further qualifications after completing the six to eight semester bachelor’s degree can follow up with a master’s degree. At most universities there is the option of setting further priorities within the master’s program. Possible topics include garden monuments or environmental planning .

Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture

In the study of landscape architecture, the basics of open space and landscape planning are taught first. In subjects such as ecology and botany, students acquire their first botanical knowledge. But engineering subjects such as civil engineering , or mathematics are on the schedule. In addition, the students practice designing at an early stage and create their first own plans for landscape areas. The theory is not neglected in subjects such as the history of ideas or environmental planning.

Master’s degree in landscape architecture

In the higher semesters, there is then a specialization in the areas of open space or landscape planning . In open space planning, the focus is on creative design. Subjects such as wood science or green space maintenance are just as important in landscape planning as nature conservation .

According to Usprivateschoolsfinder.com, the students learn what effects landscape management has on the environment and how they can record habitats with the help of geographic information systems. In subjects such as faunistics, animal ecology or species and soil protection, they get to know ecological relationships and learn how they can protect them.

Landscape architecture abroad

As a creative and at the same time technically and scientifically oriented subject , landscape architecture is also mostly assigned to the design and architecture faculties abroad . Under the designation Landscape Architecture , Landscape Management or simply Landscaping, there is a wide range of interesting courses at the Bachelor’s and Master’s level .

In many English-speaking countries such as Australia , England , New Zealand or the USA , the accreditation of landscape architecture courses by a professional association or a national professional association plays an important role.

A semester or study abroad is very exciting, especially in the field of landscape architecture, as the subject moves in the field of tension between cultural influences and geographic-climatic conditions . Vegetation and soil conditions differ from country to country, so that the creation of a park in a region of Australia characterized by drought may have a different meaning and different challenges than in a country with a more moderate climate zone.

In New Zealand, for example, there is the option of taking courses in Indigenous Maori Landscape Design . In this way, international students get to know the cultural differences in landscape architecture . Experiencing these differences in practice and discussing them with fellow students from all over the world opens up new perspectives. They help to question your own approaches or to get new creative impulses.

Advantages of studying abroad

Not only those who want to work abroad later should consider one or more semesters abroad. While studying in another country, you have the unique opportunity to get to know other concepts of open space and landscape planning . In addition, you can improve your foreign language skills during a stay abroad and acquire intercultural skills that will become more and more important for your later professional life, regardless of whether this takes place in Germany or abroad.

Occupational fields

The profession of landscape architect is regulated in Germany . A prerequisite for working as a landscape architect is entry in the list of architects of the relevant chamber of architects. The entry in the list of architects takes place regardless of the place of study – provided that a degree obtained abroad is classified as equivalent to a corresponding German degree in landscape architecture.

There are clear regulations for degrees from EU / EEA countries, and the equivalence check for degrees from other countries is more time-consuming. In order to have planning security, it is necessary to clarify whether an equivalence is given before starting a degree in landscape architecture abroad.

The professional fields of landscape architects differ mainly in terms of the focus. Anyone who specializes in open space planning is primarily active in design and designs open spaces according to the interests of the client. Potential employers in this area are:

• Planning offices
• Engineering offices
• Gardening and landscaping companies
• Cities and communes

Graduates who have specialized in landscape planning record landscapes with the help of GIS and aerial photographs, take soil and water samples and design sustainable concepts for the future use of the planning space. Landscape planners often work in positions on the national and international job market:

• in state and regional planning offices
• on building authorities
• at (nature conservation) authorities and associations
• at international organizations
• for development cooperation institutions