University of New South Wales Architecture

Landscape Architecture is a design profession that combines art and science and is a powerful discipline. Studying Landscape Architecture will give you the skills that will lead to you having an impact on people and their activity and can transform significant economic and cultural needs.

What is the role of a Landscape Architect?

As a Landscape Architect you will work on shared and private outdoor spaces where we live, work, play and interact.

• Do you want to plant a forest in a city?
• Do you want to reclaim mines and landfill?
• Do you want to work on a Barrangaroo or create a masterplan for the city of Gosford?
• Do you think green walls and green roofs are the key to the survival of the human race?
• Or do you think environmental waste can be used to create a sustainable Badgerys Creek airport?

Then Landscape Architecture is for you.

“I chose the UNSW Built Environment landscape architecture program as it is highly regarded and recognised in the industry.”

Alumnus Elke Haege, owner of Elke Haege Landscape Architects

Why study Landscape Architecture at UNSW Built Environment?

• Your degree and hence your skills will carry a prestige that has global impact
• You’ll leave UNSW with unparalleled skills and knowledge that will make you employable anywhere in Australia, anywhere in the world
• You can work in private practice, in federal, state and local governments or in universities
• Most of our teachers have been, or still are, in private practice. That is how we translate ground-breaking theories into up-to-the-minute work practices that make you employable
• Your degree has a built in honours component adding prestige and research expertise to your qualification
• Undertake a design research project
• Demonstrate your design capabilities
• Complete a design research investigation
• You will work while you study, making you employable upon graduation.

Gain unique practical work experience

An important component of the UNSW Landscape Architecture degree is the four months mandatory work experience.

This exposes you to the real world needs of a community, a client or a business and provides you with the opportunity to gain further practical and theoretical knowledge. Most importantly, you’ll be surrounded by industry colleagues who can help shape your ideas and your skills so that you can deliver impactful, real life outcomes.

It’s great to know where you want to be, studying at UNSW Built Environment gets you there.

Don’t wait to graduate to have a real impact

Recent students have worked on real and complex urban projects such as a masterplan for the City of Gosford, a new city to accomodate Sydney's second airport at Badgerey’s Creek and an infill development at the Bay's Precinct in Sydney Harbour.

UNSW Built Environment gives you the opportunity to have a real impact on environments that actually exist while you are studying.

History + Innovation = Prestige

Innovation is in the UNSW Landscape Architecture DNA. In 1974 UNSW was the first Australian university to offer a course in landscape architecture.

Over the last 40 years, many of our graduates have become industry leaders, and collectively won dozens of awards. Many others have pursued careers overseas, or extended their studies by pursuing a post-graduate degree.

Today, UNSW has the only four year Landscape Architecture degree in NSW accredited by the internationally recognised Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA). Once you graduate and complete work experience, you may qualify to become a registered Landscape Architect.

Your career opportunities

Studying Landscape Architecture at UNSW Built Environment means you will gain every skill conceivable for an impactful career.

From plant knowledge to communicating design ideas, understanding innovative materials and ground breaking technologies, environmental legislation and landscape management to legal issues, contracts, ethics and tendering, our course engages you in the theory and the practical giving you the opportunity to work in many career streams such as:

• Start your own practice, planning new developments or private estates
• Planning, designing and managing parks and public infrastructure
• Designing green roofs and vertical gardens for sustainable buildings
• Designing and building recreation facilities such as golf courses, sports grounds, playgrounds and theme parks
• Planning subdivisions and town centres
• Creating urban designs such as public squares, waterfronts, pedestrian paths and cycleways
• Ecological design that minimises environmental stress.

​Be trained for a global career that has an impact

The emphasis of the UNSW Landscape Architecture program is on creative landscape design inspired by and responsive to Australian conditions. This is an approach that prepares you to work anywhere in the world.

• Spend approximately one third of your time in design studios either working on solo projects or in a group
• Spend approximately two thirds of your time learning diverse skills such as communication, technology, construction and history
• Learn from experienced practitioners and academics
• Extend your design skills through modelling, experimentation, digital technologies, and exposure to best practice
• Connect with professionals and consolidate your knowledge and skills with four months of mandatory work experience
• Undertake an independent design prject of regional significance.

This is why our course will make you immediately employable and this is why industry so often recruits from our graduates.

UNSW can kick start your global impact

During your study with UNSW Built Environment you will have the opportunity to go on an international exchange program. UNSW has over 200 exchange partners from 39 countries so you literally have the world at your disposal. Once you have gained practical local knowledge and international experience while studying, the only question left is…which city in which country do I want to change? Click here for international ooportunities.