DEPARTMENT OF Landscape Architecture
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
Your studio, your community, your profession.
An accredited four-year professional degree that prepares you for a career shaping the outdoor world — parks, urban greenways, ecological restoration, campus design, resilient waterfronts, and more.
Four years, built for practice
Design thinking runs through every year of the BLA. The curriculum builds from foundational skills to independent field research — integrating history, ecology, technology, representation, and community engagement across all four years.
Year 1
Foundation
Core skills in drawing, representation, ecology, and design thinking
Year 2
Exploration
Site design, planting, history, and digital representation
Year 3
Integration
Advanced studios, construction technology, and professional practice
Year 4
Field
Off-campus semester, independent research, and comprehensive design project
Student Work
Landscape Architecture Foundation Studio
Landscape Architecture Studio I
Landscape Architecture Studio III
Landscape Architecture Studio IV
Marshall Hall
One of the finest design and environmental studies facilities in the country, Marshall Hall was purpose-built for creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Students benefit from dedicated studio workspaces, state-of-the-art fabrication labs, immersive visualization technologies, and round-the-clock building access — all within a beautifully restored historic landmark. It’s a place where ideas take shape and future landscapes are designed.
The Off-Campus Program
The Off-Campus Program is a hallmark of the BLA — a full-semester immersion in a landscape far from campus that has defined our curriculum for more than 50 years. Students live and do research in a location selected for its ecological, cultural, or design significance, developing skills no classroom can replicate.
More on the Off-Campus Program Experience →
Where a BLA Takes You
Private Practice
design firms
landscape studios
planning consultancies
Public Agencies
parks departments
DOT / NPS
Army Corps of Engineers
Non-Profits & Advocacy
conservation orgs
community land trusts
equity design
Graduate Outcomes - What our BLA alumni are doing.
89%
Working as designers
(of BLA alumni surveyed 2018-2023)
23%
in LA firms
(20% in engineering firms)
Where they work
Appel Osborne Landscape Architecture; AECOM, Kimley-Horn, Stantec; SWA Group, MKSK, EDR; NYS DOT, NYS Parks, City of Syracuse; Barton & Loguidice, LaBella Associates; and 30+ other firms
Pathway to Licensure
BLA graduates are eligible to sit for the LARE (Landscape Architect Registration Examination). Licensure is the credential that opens the full range of professional practice and project leadership roles. Most states require it for independent design and signing drawings.
We meet LAAB accreditation.
Our degree is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB), demonstrating we meet high-quality industry standards in preparing our graduates for success by providing a strong educational foundation.
Five years. Two Degrees.
For students interested in advanced study, ESF offers a direct pathway from the BLA to the Master of Science in Landscape Architecture. By beginning graduate coursework during your senior year and building on the work you’ve already developed through studios, research, and off-campus experiences, you can move seamlessly into graduate study and complete both degrees in just five years.
4+1
B.L.A. + Master of Science in Landscape Architecture
- Accelerated graduate pathway
- Seamless transition from BLA to MSLA
- Build upon your existing research and design work
- Two degrees in five years
