About Us

The mission of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is to lead, to educate and participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning and artful design of our cultural and natural environments.

ASLA seeks to improve the public understanding of the profession and advance the practice of landscape architecture. ASLA's Government Affairs Department facilitates communication between members and elected officials at the local, state and federal levels and is an active advocate of the profession on issues including professional licensure, livable communities, transportation enhancements and small business issues.

For information on The American Society of Landscape Architects go to:
www.asla.org

Landscape Architecture is the art and science of planning, design and management of our landscape resources. Landscape architects seek to provide engaging active and passive outdoor spaces while preserving the health, safety and welfare of its users and occupants.

The profession of landscape architecture is diverse in practice type, broad in scope of services and varied in project scale. Professional services include:

• Site Planning
• Garden Design
• Environmental Restoration
• Community and Urban Planning
• Regional Design and Planning
• Historic Preservation

Projects that often benefit from the expertise of a landscape architect include:

• Arboreta and Zoos
• Campuses
• Corporate and Institutional Facilities
• Cultural and Historic Sites

• Natural, Environmental and Cultural Sites
• Golf Courses
• Memorials and Sculpture Gardens
• Parks and Public Open Space
• Residences, Estates and Ranches
• Tourism Facilities and Interpretive Centers
• Transportation Systems and Facilities
• Urban Streetscapes, Plazas and Infrastructure
• Waterfronts and Greenways

For career information on Landscape Architecture go to:
www.LAprofession.org

The majority of landscape architects (nearly 80%) work in private practice. More than a third of ASLA's members work for small landscape architectural firms with fewer than ten employees. Twenty percent work in larger landscape architecture firms. Another thirty percent work in larger multi-disciplinary firms employing landscape architects, architects, engineers, ecologists and horticulturalists. Nearly twelve percent of ASLA's members work in the public sector for municipal, state or federal government authorities. Fewer than five percent are full-time educators.

Landscape architects are uniquely qualified to design and manage the built landscape. Before being allowed to practice, landscape architects must complete a comprehensive set of educational, internship and testing requirements to ensure competency and to protect the public's health, safety and welfare. In addition, many states have implemented mandatory continuing education requirements to keep landscape architects up-to-date with current standards and practices.

A bachelor's (BLA or BSLA) or master's (MLA) degree from an accredited university program is usually required for entry into the profession. Accreditation standards are maintained by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The mission of the LAAB is to evaluate, advocate for, and advance the quality of education in landscape architectural programs.

For information on accreditation and accredited programs in landscape architecture go to:
www.asla.org/nonmembers/education.cfm

Currently, 47states require landscape architects to be licensed or registered in order to practice. In the U.S., licensing is the prerogative of individual states under two types of licensure laws. Under provisions of Practice Acts, no unqualified individual may perform the work of a landscape architect. Under the provisions of Title Acts, no person may call themselves a landscape architect without holding a license.

For a map showing states with practice acts and title acts go to:
www.asla.org/members/govtaffairs/licensure/map/mapus/imgmap.htm

In order to obtain a license to practice landscape architecture, candidates must have a degree from an accredited university plus one to four years of working experience (internship) prior to taking a uniform exam. The Landscape Architect Registration Exam (LARE) is a three-day national comprehensive exam which may include a separate state section. The exam is administered and graded by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Board (CLARB).

For information on registration, licensure and the LARE exam go to:
www.clarb.org