The CAHNR program has been re-accredited for four more years by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB)
WB Young building and Horsebarn Hill (Milton Levin/UConn Photo)
The landscape architecture program in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) has been re-accredited for four more years by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), a national accrediting body.
UConn's landscape architecture program is a professional degree program that prepares students to work as landscape architects.
"It's a program that's unique to UConn in that it offers this professionally accredited program," Jill Desimini, director and associate professor of landscape architecture, says. "It means that as an undergraduate, you earn a professional degree, and you can go on to enter the profession without additional study."
To work as a landscape architect, one path is to attend an accredited undergraduate or graduate landscape architecture program. After completing the program, graduates work with a landscape architect in the field before sitting for the exam they must pass to become a licensed landscape architect.
The program at UConn has been accredited since 1998. The accreditation process involves the program submitting a self-evaluation report ahead of a visit from a LAAB team who observes the program and verifies the information provided by the program.
UConn's is one of the few landscape architecture programs in the country that are aligned with a plant science program. At UConn, landscape architecture is part of the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA).
This provides students with the opportunity to learn about both design principles central to landscape architecture, applicable science, and the plant species at their disposal.
"Students come out with a strong understanding of design principles, but also a strong understanding of the underlying science," Desimini says.
UConn's landscape architecture students also have the opportunity to work on experiential learning projects that take advantage of the resources at UConn like the PSLA research farm and UConn Forest. Students also work on service learning projects that benefit Connecticut communities.
"Because it's a land grant institution and is home to UConn Extension, we're able to have more long-term relationships with communities and support work that is happening across the state," Desimini says. "Our students are working on real-world projects and real-world designs with communities, and they can hit the ground running with those skills and that experience."
Many faculty in the landscape architecture program are also active researchers, giving students additional opportunities to gain experience conducting work in the studio, lab, and field. This area will only become more important as landscape architects continue to be confronted with equity and climate change-related challenges, says Desimini.
"Our program is in a new and exciting chapter," Desimini says. "The focus is on work that combines STEM and design for the betterment of our communities and landscapes."
This work relates to CAHNR's Strategic Vision area focused on Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface.
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