I N T RO D U C T I O N : W H AT I S A L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T ?
to earn a master’s degree or even a Ph.D. The job description for a faculty position often requires candidates to have professional practice (in private or government) but this is less critical if candidates can demonstrate a history of research or scholarly accomplishments. A record of accomplishment can be demonstrated by published work in books or journals and awards. While teaching and research are the primary activities of faculty, they may engage in outside professional practice and some university programs endorse outside practice, particularly if faculty can demonstrate that their practice contributes in a meaningful way to their teaching and scholarly activities. Non-traditional forms of practice have provided fulfilling and productive careers for landscape architecture graduates. The computer and design skills developed in school have led to employment in industry and non-governmental organizations. Landscape graduates have used their computer skills and interest to join municipal and state planning departments or industry, providing geo-spatial or graphic representation capabilities in support of various functions. Landscape graduates have found work in film production, particularly for documentaries or educational markets. The FedEx Corporation at their Memphis, Tennessee, headquarters hired a landscape architect several years ago, based on his design and especially his computer graphic skills. He was hired to produce web-based training manuals as well as assist in the production of marketing media. Another example of a non-traditional track is a student who was hired by the National Trust for Public Lands to assist in assessing potential strategic purchases of properties. Other individuals became public school teachers, ministers, and technical staff for various humanitarian agencies such as Catholic Services. The writing and editing skills of several other graduates have helped them to become editors of popular trade magazines. The knowledge and skills learned in school have enabled graduates shown in these examples to create professional careers limited only by their imagination and resourcefulness, together with a bit of persistence and patience.
Steps to Becoming a Professional Landscape Architect Landscape architecture is recognized as a profession similar to architecture and engineering in most Western, European, and Asian countries. In recent years the profession has gained professional standing in several Latin American countries. The rate of acceptance has met with mixed success in others. Those in the profession see a bright future, particularly as problems of ever-increasing scarcity of resources, environmental degradation and pollution, and rapidly expanding urban growth make achieving more healthy, livable, and sustainable development a priority. Landscape architects, given their education and professional experience, are viewed as contributors to identifying and creating sustainable solutions in a world of expanding urban centers and scarcity of resources, and which is fraught with environmental problems. Many countries have established a path to achieving professional status in the design professions, including landscape architecture. 11
