Department of Landscape Architecture
Accreditation Information
Program Accreditation
Accreditation is a non-governmental, voluntary system of self-regulation. Its core is the concept of self-evaluation. The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) accreditation process evaluates each program on the basis of its stated objectives and compliance to externally mandated minimum standards. The program conducts a self-study to evaluate how well it is meeting its educational goals. LAAB then provides an independent assessment, which determines if a program meets accreditation requirements. Programs leading to first professional degrees at the bachelor’s or master’s levels in the United States are eligible to apply for accreditation from LAAB.
The Department of Landscape Architectures’ BLA and MLA programs received renewal of their accreditation in Spring 2012. The next reaccreditation review will be in Spring of 2018.
Student Achievement
Employment
Each year, ESF conducts a survey of recent graduates to determine how many begin their
careers immediately after graduation and how many have entered graduate school. The
data collection for this survey begins before students have actually graduated and
continues for twelve months beyond graduation. Each class is comprised of degree recipients
at both the undergraduate and graduate levels from December, May and August.
2013 BLA Graduating Student Survey (38 of 41 responding, 92.7% response)
| Employment Type | Students | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Employed Full time: | 23 | 60.5% |
| Employed Part time: | 3 | 7.9% |
| Not Employed-Still Seeking Employment: | 12 | 31.6% |
Of those responding, 60% of employed students obtained their positions before graduating.
The average salary reported by Landscape Architecture Undergrads was $40,643 with a range between $20,000 and $70,000.
Graduating students found positions in NY, MA, PA, CA, VT, TX, NJ, ME, and FL.
2013 MLA and MS Graduating Student Survey (9 of 10 MLA responding, 90% response, 3 of 3 MS responding, 100%)
| Employment Type | Students | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Employed Full time: | 8 | 67% |
| Continuing additional graduate school full time | 2 | 7% |
| Employed Part time: | 1 | 8% |
| Not Employed-Still Seeking Employment: | 1 | 8% |
Cost of Attending
Tuition and Fees
DLA Program Expenses
In addition to the normal college expenses, students must plan for special expenses such as studio equipment and materials, field trips, and the off-campus semester.
- Studio equipment and materials—In a design studio, students normally incur costs for expendable supplies rather than books as they will for a lecture course. The cost of equipment, printing, and materials for studio courses is typically between $350 and $500 each semester. While projects are normally returned, they may be retained temporarily for display or permanently kept as part of the archives.
- Field trips—Landscape architecture students may be required to participate in a field trip as part of their studio courses. These trips are used to acquaint students with the exemplary works of landscape architecture found in Boston, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington, D.C., or other cities in the Northeast. The typical cost of transportation, meals and lodging for field trips range between $350 and $500.
- Off-campus semester—This is a self-designed and student-budgeted program. If a student plans well, there is no need for this semester to cost any more than one spent in Syracuse. Typical expenses for the off-campus semester during the previous academic year, including tuition and travel to and from the study site, were between $9,000 and $10,000. However, a few students had higher expenses because of the study location they chose and the extracurricular opportunities they enjoyed while abroad. Student financial aid is available to assist with a portion of the costs associated with the off-campus semester program.
- Computers—Proficiency with computers and associated design software is essential to the success of students in the landscape architecture curriculum. Students are required to purchase a laptop computer with appropriate software by the beginning of the fall semester of the sophomore year and are expected to carry them to studio. Equipment guidelines are available from the Department of Landscape Architecture. Anticipated costs for computing equipment (hardware and software) may be between $2,000 and $3,000 over the course of the student’s tenure at ESF.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
A number of forms of financial aid are available to students at ESF. For college financial aid, please review the information provided by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. In addition alumni and friends of the department of Landscape Architecture have established a number of scholarships awarded by the department through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.