Lincoln University

What you'll study

This graduate-entry bachelor's concentrates on core landscape architecture disciplines delivered through intensive design studios, technical workshops and field-based learning. Typical subjects include site analysis and landscape planning, landscape design studios at multiple scales, planting design and vegetation science, construction detailing and materials, landscape history and theory, environmental assessment and sustainability, GIS and digital visualisation, and professional practice and ethics.

• Design Studio: iterative studio projects emphasising conceptual development, client briefs, and technical resolution from site to urban scale.
• Planting and Ecology: plant selection, native restoration, ecosystem services and how plant communities inform design decisions.
• Technical and Construction: materials, detailing, grading, drainage, and the documentation required for implementation.
• Landscape Planning and Policy: resource management, consenting processes, and integrating landscape considerations into planning frameworks.
• Digital Tools and Representation: CAD, GIS, 3D modelling and visualisation techniques used to analyse sites and communicate proposals.
• Professional Practice: project management, contracts, ethics, collaboration with other disciplines and preparation for professional registration pathways.
• Research Methods: methods for applied research, critical enquiry and a capstone or final design project that demonstrates a synthesis of technical, ecological and design thinking.

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a recognised bachelor’s degree or equivalent tertiary qualification. Admissions are competitive and the programme typically expects a good academic record and evidence of relevant potential for design study. Applicants are usually required to provide a portfolio of creative work or other evidence of design or drawing ability, a personal statement outlining motivations for studying landscape architecture, and references.

Prior study or experience in fields such as horticulture, environmental science, architecture, planning, geography, or design can be advantageous but is not always mandatory. International applicants will need to meet the university’s English language requirements.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for careers as landscape architects in private practice, local and regional government, environmental and engineering consultancies, parks and recreation authorities, urban design firms, iwi and community organisations, and infrastructure developers. Typical roles include landscape architect, urban designer, landscape planner, project manager, restoration ecologist, and design consultant.

The programme provides a pathway towards professional recognition and registration processes for practicing landscape architects, and also prepares graduates for postgraduate study and research in landscape architecture and related fields.

Why study at Lincoln University

Lincoln University is New Zealand’s specialist land-based university, with a long tradition of teaching and research in landscape, agriculture and environmental management. The landscape architecture programme combines hands-on studio teaching with fieldwork across the university’s living campus and the varied environments of the Canterbury region. Students benefit from close industry connections, frequent professional engagement and internship opportunities with local practices and agencies.

The programme emphasises a balance of artistic design and technical competence, preparing graduates to work across ecological, cultural and urban contexts. Facilities include dedicated design studios, workshops and digital labs, and teaching is delivered by staff active in professional practice and research.