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School of Architecture

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

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Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Clemson University has one of the best landscape architecture programs in the United States. Founded in 1987, our Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) program is one of the most exciting and satisfying college majors at Clemson. The program is led by an internationally renowned faculty with broad expertise in areas like urban and community design, health and design, ecology and sustainability, and design implementation. Landscape architects are designers and planners that use art and science to help create, manage, and nurture the built and natural environments. Like other design and construction professionals, landscape architects are licensed, well paid, and highly respected. But unlike others, landscape architects are changing the world by enhancing and connecting “in-between spaces.” This means that landscape architects plan and design everything in-between buildings such as streets, parks, amphitheaters, greenways, gardens, trails, zoos, outdoor recreation facilities, extreme sports parks, riverfronts, wetlands, and communities of all sizes.

Alumni Awards
Professor Tom Schurch teaching class

Student Work

Fluid Campus

  • Plan of Study

    The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture is a four-year nationally accredited professional degree program. The program is generalist, meaning it covers the major areas of practice and building from design basics to the advanced design studio experience, such as large-scale landscape planning; parks, recreation and open space planning; and regional, urban and community design. Clemson's program is noted for its special emphasis on the art and science of design. For that reason, the landscape architecture design studio experience is at the center of the program -45 hours of studio are required. Studio experience is supported by other courses inside and outside the landscape architecture curriculum that provide grounding in landscape history; horticulture; social, cultural and environmental issues; as well as aesthetics.

    Students may also choose to focus elective credits on one of three emphasis areas:

    • Cultural issues
    • Environmental issues
    • Professional development

    The program's location in Lee Hall gives students the important opportunity to interact with faculty and other students in the allied areas of city and regional planning, real estate development, architecture, and construction science and management.

    Click here to review our curriculum and program requirements.

    Click here to download the 2020-2021 curriculum sheet.

  • Experiences Beyond the Classroom
    • Our Fluid Campus offers study in Charleston, SC; Genoa, Italy; and Barcelona, Spain cultivating the understanding of diverse urban environments and cultures.

    • You will work closely with faculty and communities as you engage in service learning projects. Recent projects include a playground design for the Greenville Zoo, a mill village revitalization project and a neighborhood park design. 

    • You will have access to our Digital Design Shop and Materials Lab, which is the hub for student and faculty design investigations and experimentation with digital fabrications, cad/cam, and rapid prototyping. 
    • The Clemson School of Architecture’s reputation assures employers that our graduates are prepared and ready to hit the ground running.
  • After Graduation

    Your college decision isn't really about the next four years. We get it. It's about what doors are opened by your degree and whether those opportunities are what you had envisioned for yourself. Here's a snapshot of what life after graduation looks like for some of our most recent students.

    Recent Employers and Job Titles

    • Designer - Kimley-Horn
    • Urban Designer - Metropolitan Nashville Planning Department
    • Park Planner - Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
    • Landscape Architect - HGOR
    • Landscape Designer - Norris Design

    Recent Graduate Schools and Sought Degree Types

    • Master of Landscape Architecture - University of Colorado
    • Master of Science in Real Estate - Johns Hopkins University
    • Master of Urban Design - Harvard University
    • Master of Landscape Architecture - University of Illinois
    • Master of Landscape Architecture - University of Texas
    COMMON CAREER AREAS
    • Private Sector
    • Small Landscape Architecture Practice
    • Design and Build Firms
    • Land Management and Regional Planning
    • Small to Medium Interdisciplinary Firms
    • Large Multidisciplinary Firms
    • Real Estate Developers
    • Public Sector
    • National Park Service
    • U.S. Forest Service
    • Department of Natural Resources
    • Local and State Planning Offices
    • Public Works
    • Local and State Parks and Recreation Offices
    • County and State Park Service
    • Army Corps of Engineers
    • Design and Management
    • Community Design
    • Landscape Design
    • Institutional Landscapes and Campus Planning
    • Project Management
    • Natural Resources Conservation
    • Cultural Landscapes and Historic Preservation
    • Ecological Restoration
    • Real Estate Development
    • Research
    • Memorial and Cemetery Design
    • Brownfields and Industrial Site Reclamation
    • Wilderness Areas and Trails
    • Recreational and Regional Open Space Systems
    • Residential Garden Design
    • Resort Design
    • Theme Parks
    • Urban Design

    Learn more at your path to Landscape Architecture here.

  • Student Organization

    Clemson University student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (CUASLA)

    The Clemson University Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (CUASLA) is an organization geared towards bringing together students studying the discipline of Landscape Architecture. The purpose of our organization is to facilitate meeting new people, both Clemson students as well as professionals, offer educational opportunities to our members through workshops, volunteering opportunities, and extracurricular trips, and to provide fun activities for its members.

  • Contact

    Landscape Architecture
    3-112 Lee Hall, Box 340512
    Clemson University
    Clemson, SC 29634-0512
    Phone: 864-656-3926

    Director of Landscape Architecture and Undergraduate Coordinator 
    Associate Professor

    Matthew Powers, Ph.D., ASLA
    E-mail: powers8@clemson.edu

    Graduate Coordinator of Landscape Architecture
    Associate Professor

    Paul Russell, ASLA
    E-mail: russel5@clemson.edu

    Administrative Coordinator
    Michelle Marchesse
    E-mail: marches@clemson.edu

    Who signs forms? 

    • Study abroad form, course to be taken elsewhere form or course substitution form, change of major form: Matt Powers
    • Grade change form: Please see the professor teaching the class to initiate the grade change process. In addition to your professor, the form must also be signed by Matt Powers. Michelle Marchesse helps to coordinate this process. 

    Who schedules classes (including drop/add)?

    Who are the advisors for undergraduate majors?

    Who are the advisors for graduate programs?

    • All new MLA students are advised by the Director of Landscape Architecture Graduate Programs, Paul Russell. After the first year, each MLA student will select an advisor. 

    Who is the SC ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Club Advisor? 

  • Accreditation
    PUBLIC INFORMATION POLICY LAAB
    Programs that are accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) are required to provide reliable information to the public. Programs must report on accreditation status and its performance. This information is to help potential students make informed application decisions.

    Clemson University offers two landscape architecture degrees. The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA).

    The BLA received its initial accreditation in 1994. The BLA and MLA program was most recently awarded re-accreditation for six years in April 2019.

    Click here for access to Clemson University's Public information. 
    Click here for access to our BLA and MLA Self-Evaluation Report.
  • World Design Studio

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    The World Design Studio is a collaboration between the Landscape Architecture Program, School of Architecture at Clemson University in the United States, the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University in Egypt, and the Department of Landscape Architecture at Huazhong Agricultural University in China. The studio engages students worldwide to address globally important architectural and environmental issues that enrich design education through cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration. The studio is open for enrollment on a semester-by-semester basis to students currently enrolled in architecture and landscape architecture programs worldwide.

    The World Design Studio has achieved the highest level of recognition, reviews, and awards in national and international forums during the past decade. It has received recognition from prestigious organizations and dignitaries such as the Aga Khan Program at MIT, The National Geographic Society, the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Governor of the City of Luxor, and the Prime Minister of Egypt. The studio addresses urban design issues related to sustainable development, preservation, conservation, ecological restoration, rising sea levels, resiliency, mobility, and tourism in global settings.

    World Design Studio Mission: As part of the School of Architecture, the WDS mission fosters transformational design and preservation leadership, shaping the environment of the 21st century for a better future.

    The WDS is dedicated to: 

    • Educating future architects, landscape architects, and urban designers through rigorous and expansive design education, integrating local and global understanding.
    • Generating knowledge that addresses the significant challenges of the time through innovative, interdisciplinary research, practice, and scholarship.
    • Advocating the improvement and preservation of built, natural, and social environments through design activism, public service, and public education.

    For information about Application, Placement, Housing, Visas, and Tuition, please contact: Hala Nassar at hnassar@clemson.edu

    Projects:

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    Faculty:

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    yasser-mansour.jpg ashraf-abd-el-mohsen.jpg mostafa-reffat.jpg

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Sam Bost

“I really enjoy how the BLA program is taught because it allows me to be creative and learn new things about myself. My favorite part about the program is the close knit and collaborative environment. I'm able to work closely with my peers and professors and learn new and exciting views that enhance my projects.”

Sam Bost
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
School of Architecture

Matt Powers, Ph.D., ASLA

Director of Landscape Architecture and Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor

Email: powers8@clemson.edu | Phone: 864-656-4408

About Matt Powers
Matt Powers
School of Architecture
School of Architecture | Lee Hall 3-130, Clemson, South Carolina 29634