Am I taking the right/wrong route? (LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS)
XsnivlemX
First time in this NG and I need to find out some info or get some feedback. I
am currently a senior in college majoring in Geography focusing both on the
natural elements of the world as well as the Urban/Suburban Political geography
of land development and policy. I have recently become interested in Landscape
Architecture but the problem was that my school did not offer this program plus
transfering schools would cause financial as well as time problems (goign to
school for an aaddition 2-3 years). So instead, I took a few classes here and
there on courses pertaining to either L.A. or related areas of interest. My
question is: is it too late to think about a career in Landscape Architecture
even though I will be getting my BA in Geography? Would it still be ok to have
a BA in Geography and go for my Masters in Landscape Architecture? I have been
given advise and suggestions from advisors and such, but I would like to get as
much feedback and recommendations as possible. I was going to focus on the
golf course architecture as well as urban architecture so I do not know if it
would be wise to take an internship before I went for a Masters.
thank you,
Brandon Cota
Florian Drechsel
> Hi all,
>
> First time in this NG and I need to find out some info or get some feedback.
this NG is not very frequented - Landscape architects are not many on
the net, seemingly. Try posting to alt.architecture, too.
> I am currently a senior in college majoring in Geography focusing both on the
> natural elements of the world as well as the Urban/Suburban Political
> geography of land development and policy.
over here in Germany geographers are eyed suspiciously, as they are just
another profession trying to do LArch. There aren't simply not enough
jobs even for LArch Graduates...
> I have recently become interested in Landscape
> Architecture but the problem was that my school did not offer this program
> plus transfering schools would cause financial as well as time problems
> (goign to school for an aaddition 2-3 years).
Well... if You already have Time and money problems, why aiming for a
field wich will cost You enormous amounts of time and won't make You
rich... there are a few threads in alt.architecture dealing with careers
in architecture, and they are all pretty pessimist. It's basically the
same for LArch, but worse.
> So instead, I took a few classes here and
> there on courses pertaining to either L.A. or related areas of interest. My
> question is: is it too late to think about a career in Landscape Architecture
> even though I will be getting my BA in Geography?
There simply isn't such thing as a CAREER in LArch... ;-(
> Would it still be ok to have
> a BA in Geography and go for my Masters in Landscape Architecture? I have
> been given advise and suggestions from advisors and such, but I would like
> to get as much feedback and recommendations as possible. I was going to
> focus on the
> golf course architecture as well as urban architecture so I do not know if it
> would be wise to take an internship before I went for a Masters.
I have no idea how education works over whereever You are, so I can't be
helpful here. In Germany a masters degree is quite hard to earn, I doubt
it would be possible without studying LArch beforehand...
An internship in a LArch office would always be recommended, I guess.
Everyone should try to work in a profession he or she might want to
study before spending several years at univ...
>
> thank you,
>
> Brandon Cota
I'm sorry for sounding a bit pessimist, but I've been studying LArch now
for 6 years, I am currently writing my diploma thesis, and there's still
so much to learn and only very few jobs around - so eventually I'll have
to work on my own. LArch is an enormously wide field, it's totally
fascinating (to me), but it's clearly a thing one chooses out of
idealism. What worked for me was contacting young architects and doing
competitions with them. LArch is always closely related to architecture,
so my suggestion would be to develop an interest in this, and in
urbanism, and such things, and still learn a lot about plants, botany,
gardening even. And garden design history - there is almost no
contemporary theory on LArch, so one should at leats know about the
roots of the trade, wich of course go back to the garden of eden and the
hanging gardens in Babylon...
I think You have to be quite an allrounder to have any "success" - I
doubt You'll be able to earn a living designing golf courses only.
Try hard, try verrrrry hard!
regards and good luck,
Florian from Munich.
Michael
I sure wasn't impressed with Florian's dark response to your situation. Here is
another point of view. An undergraduate degree in geography is completely suited
to a post grad course in L. Arch. Take as many related courses as you can
particularly
in the graphics, computers and GIS, as well as the natural arts, sketching, et al.
I am assuming you are American and so you should look at the many Grad school
options.
The BA should put you into a 2 year MLA in most schools. As for your point of
focus
I think you might be wise to look for some kind of work/internship or co-op or
just
volunteer in an office to see the diversity of work.
The BA is relevant and you might be surprised how much this is true wether in the
course of your grad studies or once you are out in practise.
I am Canadian and attended grad school in Conway Ma. The offer a viable
alternative
in a very different context. You might check it out www.csld.edu
Best of luck,
Michael McGuire, CSLA
Englishla
very well suited to be followed by an MLA course of study. Unlike the
situation that Florian describes in Germany, the US employment prospects are
much better. You should look at the schools that focus on golf course L. Arch
if that is your interest. Internships are almost always helpful in helping you
clarify what it is you want to pursue/study in landscape architecture; if you
were to pursue a BLA an internship would typically be part of the degree
requirements. The BLA is generally viewed as more of the practitioner's degree
and the MLA has been viewed as necessary for those who want to go on to teach
in an academic setting. Some programs, such as U. of Oregon require you (or at
least I think they still do) to earn the BLA prior to earning the MLA and they
have a special track for those BLA students with prior degrees. It's a very
diverse field. Good luck!
A. English, RLA
engl...@aol.com (A. English)
knox...@mindspring.com
I too have started looking at LA as a new career for me and have found that
most schools are open to BA/BS degrees from varied fields. An MLA for me
would take 3 years where someone with a closer degree to LA would only take
two years. (I have a BA in Religious studies)
I found this site to be a good resource for schools, and I suggest you
contact some of them directly and see what they say. (all this assumes
you're in North America).
http://www.uri.edu/cels/lar/acc_prog.html
Good Luck
Craig Knox
ps. cf. www.asla.com (American Society of Landscape Architects)
http://www.gradschools.com/listings/west/landscape_west.html
"XsnivlemX" <xsni...@aol.comNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:20000809131325...@ng-ch1.aol.com...
> Hi all,
>
> First time in this NG and I need to find out some info or get some
feedback. I
> am currently a senior in college majoring in Geography focusing both on
the
> natural elements of the world as well as the Urban/Suburban Political
geography
> of land development and policy. I have recently become interested in
Landscape
> Architecture but the problem was that my school did not offer this program
plus
> transfering schools would cause financial as well as time problems (goign
to
> school for an aaddition 2-3 years). So instead, I took a few classes here
and
> there on courses pertaining to either L.A. or related areas of interest.
My
> question is: is it too late to think about a career in Landscape
Architecture
> even though I will be getting my BA in Geography? Would it still be ok to
have
> a BA in Geography and go for my Masters in Landscape Architecture? I have
been
> given advise and suggestions from advisors and such, but I would like to
get as
> much feedback and recommendations as possible. I was going to focus on
the
> golf course architecture as well as urban architecture so I do not know if
it
> would be wise to take an internship before I went for a Masters.
>
> thank you,
>
> Brandon Cota
knox...@mindspring.com
The ASLA site is
Sorry,
Craig Knox
<knox...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:8nva1m$1ah$1...@slb3.atl.mindspring.net...
John Moe
Architect. The LA field has great diversity. Our work ranges from botanically
accurate interior landscapes for zoological displays to viewshed analysis for
major power companies.
The important thing about the environmental design fields (Architecture,
Landscape Architecture to name the two most commonly recognized) is they are
creative endeavors. We spend our time building relationships between people and
their environment. Last time I checked, Geography is all about the relationship
between people and the land they inhabit. I'd say you've got a leg up on the
philosophical side.
Perhaps as more practical question would be: Have you had any courses in
Geographic Information Systems? My guess is yes is you've graduated recently.
So... here are a few thoughts.
1. Take your degree in Geography, toss on a suit and tie, and apply for a job
in a Landscape Architecture firm large enough (or specialized enough) to do
regional planning. Larger firms usually employ more than simply Landscape
Architects, in fact, they might employ everyone from Artists to Civil Engineers
to biologists full time. By the way, ASLA puts out a handbook which may be
helpful with listing member firms, although I'm not sure if they go into detail
with firm specialties. The drawback to this strategy: Without experience they
may simply hire you as a GIS technician (the equivalent, I'm told, to a CAD
draftsperson), so make sure there's room for upward mobility in the firm's GIS
staff.
2. Geography degree still in hand, suit and tie still donned, go straight for
the source and apply for a job in a GIS consulting firm. As you interview with
these firms, express your interest in working on projects with Landscape
Architecture and Planning firms. You're still likely to start as a GIS
Technician (all this assuming you have a few GIS classes under your belt) but
would be in a good position to move up to an administrative position, more like
a consultancy level. Then, you could simply make a lateral transfer to a
planning team in a LA or Planning firm.
While ideas 1 and 2 probably wouldn't result in your spending much time drawing
up signature water hazards or sand traps shaped like mickey mouse, they would
certainly provide you with valuable experience. Now on to idea 3.
3. Geography degree ever in hand, but now in corporate casual, seek out a
school that offers the MLA and boldly walk right up to the office (ok call first
and make an appointment). Sit right down with one of the professors in the
Masters program and discuss your every desire. You'll be certain to discover a
few things, one of which may be: the school really likes to see a portfolio for
your work. Also, you may be given the option to take a research track degree,
or a design track degree. You have already alluded to the fact that some
undergraduate level work will be required, so find out if those undergrad
classes you so cleverly chalked up will count toward your MLA work. Most likely
they will, as should a bunch of your Geography classes if your able to custom
design your curriculum. The bottom line with any accredited LA program is; they
should provide you with the basic tools to enable you to pass the license exam
(plus 2 or 3 years working experience in most states).
John Moe
Lance Foster
Joblink.. about 250+ jobs listed there alone... (see Job listing) at:
http://www.asla.org/nonmembers/joblink.cfm
This should give you a good idea of the what's out there and how you might fit
in.. I'd second the post on the potential on GIS.. lots of opportunities there
currently.
Lance
knox...@mindspring.com wrote:
--
Lance Michael Foster
Email: io...@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~ioway
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