Eligibility for licensure is based on a combination of education and experience for which units of credit are awarded on the basis of one unit equal to one year of eligible experience. Your combination of education and experience must total at least 12 units, as determined by the Department. The credit awarded for education determines the number of units of experience required.
Education
Units assigned to each educational category below are the maximum that the Department may grant. After evaluating the degree or courses you successfully completed, the Department may grant less than the maximum number of units. Credit will not be awarded for multiple categories; the highest professional education level attained determines the maximum credit to be awarded. If you completed:
- a Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredited undergraduate program and graduated with a degree from a:
- 4-year program - 8 units
- 5-year program - 9 units
NOTE: Partial credit will be considered for incomplete degree-granting LAAB accredited programs based on review of transcripts (2 units per year for a maximum of 6 units).
- a graduate degree in landscape architecture AND an LAAB accredited undergraduate program and graduated with a degree from a:
- 4-year program - 9 units
- 5-year program - 10 units
- a 4-year non-landscape architecture degree AND a degree from an LAAB accredited graduate program.
- - 8 units
- a degree in landscape architecture from an undergraduate or graduate curriculum that is NOT ASLA accredited1
- - 7 units (maximum)
- an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited civil engineering program or National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited architecture program
- - 6 units (maximum)
- a 2-year landscape architecture-related technical program1, you will be awarded one unit for each year successfully completed (or the equivalent in course credit)
- - 4 units (maximum)
- a non-landscape architecture program (other than above) and have earned:
- an Associate's Degree - 2 units
- a Bachelor's Degree or higher - 4 units
- a certificate of study or individual courses in landscape architecture, design or technology
- - 0 units
1 The New York State Board for Landscape Architecture will consider credit for non-LAAB accredited programs only if they are directly related to the practice of landscape architecture. Credit will be determined by the Board after reviewing, on a case-by-case basis, transcripts and any other supporting documentation.
Professional Experience
Full-time diversified general practice in landscape architecture of a scope and nature satisfactory to the State Board for Landscape Architecture is needed to meet the experience requirement for licensure.
You must complete at least two years of your professional experience requirement directly under the supervision of a lawfully practicing landscape architect. In order to meet this two year requirement, and if your experience to be considered in this category occurred while working for a landscape architectural firm located in New York or for an out of state entity offering landscape architectural services in New York, please be advised that only certain entities that have current filings may lawfully offer landscape architectural services in New York. These include:
- Sole proprietorship, where the sole proprietor is a registered landscape architect in New York
- Professional partnership, where all Partners are registered landscape architects in New York
- Professional Service Corporation (PC)
- Design Professional Service Corporation (DPC)
- Professional Service Limited Liability Company (PLLC)
- Registered Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
- Grandfathered Corporations
With few exceptions, these are the only entities authorized to provide, or offer to provide, landscape architectural services in New York. General Business Corporations, Domestic Limited Liability Companies, Professional Associations (PA), and Limited Companies (LTD) are not permitted to offer landscape architectural services in New York. Please see this document for more detail on permissible corporate entities.
Experience obtained concurrent with full-time education, including vacation time, nights, and weekends, will not be considered for credit. However, some credit may be awarded if the time taken to complete the program was extended.
The Board will review and determine credit for other training, education, teaching or practical experience of a professional nature including:
- Employment under the direct supervision of a lawfully practicing architect or engineer up to a maximum of two years when, in the opinion of the Board, your work is clearly related to the scope of landscape architectural practice.
- - 2 units (maximum)
- Teaching of landscape architecture courses in an LAAB accredited landscape architecture program and/or structured research in landscape architecture culminating in publication. One full year of your experience will be considered the equivalent of one-half year of full-time professional experience, but no more than two units of credit toward the professional experience requirement will be given for such experience.
- - 2 units (maximum)
- Employment by planning firms, government agencies, landscape contractors and general contractors, in work directly related to landscape architectural construction, may be substituted for professional experience as defined above. One full year of such experience will be considered the equivalent of one-half year of full-time professional experience, but no more than two units of credit toward the professional experience requirement will be given for such experience.
- - 2 units (maximum)