Working without a degree?

It varies by state, but most states you CAN get licensed without the degree. However, many states require a LONG time, like 7 years (!!!) of work experience before you can take the test, verses 2-3 with a degree. You may well find a job, but with the economy still sucking, and a large amount of BSLA. MLA, and experienced designers still looking for work, I would say its worth figuring a way to get those last few credits. Right now, while you may not have the money, if your not currently working, its worth the time it takes- The extra semester in class might save you 4 years of waiting to get licensed.

I know a great LA that never got a degree – came out of engineering, worked in the field for 10 years, easily passed the LARE, became a partner by her late 30’s, so it can be done.
What about a class at a time? I got the impression you only have about a year left??? I know tuitions are ghastly right now.

You might find this article reassuring…

http://blogs.hbr.org/schrage/2010/07/higher-education-is-highly-ove.html

My experience is with small firms – between 6 and 15 employees – as an employee and observer, not an owner.

Job descriptions seem to magically describe someone the owner has met and liked. In a small firm everyone does a little bit of everything, so official job descriptions aren’t very official and don’t appear to be the basis for wage – time spent at the firm and increased project responsibility seem to be the more tangible basis of wage, plus contributing to bringing in the project under budget.

In my experience, yes, the lack of degree until you are licensed is sometimes used as leverage for the employer to pay you less. On the other hand, who wants to work for a firm like that?

In this current economic climate, it’s an employer’s market. They have their pick of the best and the brightest and yes, it does frustrate me to see job listings requiring MLA’s plus, plus, plus……., but, if I were in their position I would be doing the same thing. Not having the MLA or BLA or whatever skills they ask for puts you behind the eight ball and gives them a reason to weed you out. That’s the reality and it sucks.

That’s why I have decided to take the plunge and apply for grad school come August. Will it prove to be a worthwhile investment…probably not. Will I be in six figure debt for years after graduation…very very likely. Will I have better prospects for a better job with higher wages…who knows. It’s crazy, I know, since everything is pointing at what a bad investment this is, I’m still going to do it!

I have to add my financial position is probably a lot better than yours Nick. I graduated with my BLA with no debt and have been saving for Grad school since.

Getting back to the topic of licensing, so according to the LARE, an MLA/BLA is = to 4-5 years of professional work experience….I don’t think I agree with that….

The degree is a demonstration to employers that you can be taught something and maybe more importantly can complete something. My first job I learned tons and my college degree just set the foundation to grow on, but I wouldn’t have got that job with out the degree. I worked with a person with an architecture degree doing landscape architecture jobs because of this, he wasn’t being paid the same and prime jobs would not go to him which are related, why? Inevitably, when talking with clients they want to know, “where’d you go to school?”, once they found out his degree was in architecture, questions come up, is he qualified, why isn’t he working in architecture, why am I even hiring a landscape architect?, the owners didn’t want to put him or themselves in that situation, thus he couldn’t do the same work a person with a degree in LA could do, in clients the eyes, thus they weren’t going to pay him the same. I could see the same scenario, even more so, happening to some one without a degree. Truthfully, junior level staff aren’t going to be the face of the firm to a client, but in the future could hinder advancement.

Its been over 10 years since I graduated and I’m still paying off student loans, but without the loans I couldn’t have the life and career I have now. My financial planner tells me its the best debt to have, its an investment in marketable skills, yourself and its something that can never be repossessed or foreclosed upon.