What steps should I take?

[Calico]

Agreed that there will be more than just completing the degree. The combined vows of poverty, stability, chastity, and obedience during the apprenticeship period are tough, particularly when facing student debt.

[Rob Halpern]

So the blood sacrifice has been waived?

[MMT]

Than what should I do?

[Leslie B Wagle]

This is to the “what should I do”? – Again, try and imagine yourself in the “real world” of LA…and realize they do select plants and inspect installations, but rarely to never get involved in the “care taking.” On the other hand, if you go into horticulture, you may not get to design as much or as often, but there are roles that involve design to some extent. I knew a head of grounds at a university who was in a very responsible position but was frustrated that he didn’t get much say in the design because each building included the surrounding landscape as part of the architectural package. Yet he inherited the patchwork of the whole in terms of what it needed to weather the ages and mature into a public space. Was he in the “wrong” field for himself? 

The hybrid path might be to look into which horticulture schools include CAD exposure, often calling their degrees “landscape horticulture” (which more and more are available now). I think it’s fair to say that most of the grads will work on high-end residential design/build but that is a fine creative challenge. There is “nitty gritty” to be learned and practiced on either path in terms of knowing about materials and installation. Horticulture would stress more propagation, disease treatments, etc. and maintenance. LA would stress more architectural history, drafting documents, and communication in various forms. Neither one is all “grand envisioning.”

[Rob Halpern]

I would support what Leslie wrote.

And add three points.

1. Only you can figure out what you should do

2. If you start to study hort. and switch to landscape architecture, the hort. study will make you a better landscape architect. If you do it the other way round the landscape architecture study won’t be a total loss but you may spend alot of time developing skills you’ll have little use for.

3. Get a summer job or internship in some sort of garden and find out whether you like being around plants all day. Maybe the “Idea” of the garden is more attractive than a life in the garden. School may not help you learn that about yourself.

[MMT]

Thanks. I have some idea about what to do now.

[Jason T. Radice]

There are vast differences in Landscape Architecture and landscape design. A Landscape Architect can be a landscape designer, but a landscape designer cannot be a Landscape Architect. Many of us who are LAs really don’t have a great deal to do with the plant side of things except for occasionally specifying them. But day to day, it just really isn’t there for much of the profession. I would suggest more research into many of the allied professions, such as taking landscape design (you don’t need a degree for this, you can get a certificate), horticulturalist, botanist, or even become a Master Gardener (usually through some University extension program). The degreed occupation that closely resembles LA, but is much more plant oriented is Ornamental Horticulture.

But if you are set on getting a degree in Landscape Architecture, go for the MLA. You already have a bachelors, and a 3 year MLA for some reason is generally looked upon more favorably than those of us with a 5 year BLA.

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