Major in Environmental Horticulture, Landscape Design and Contracting Concentration

Landscape Design and Contracting is an academic program focusing on the profession, art, science and business of landscape design-build. This form of business typically incorporates complete landscape services from design through installation, and often includes maintenance. All facets of the landscape project are delivered by one company through a single contract or through several contracts. The design-build concept makes the construction process an integral part of the design process, allowing streamlined design modifications to happen on site during construction. The designer interacts directly with the various landscape materials and is responsible for their proper installation. Designers who are involved in the construction process find that their creativity is energized by this contact and that there is an improved knowledge of the practicalities of various design options.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, students will be able to:

1. Focus on medium to small scale projects with an emphasis on private residential and commercial sites as opposed to large public spaces.
2. Learn to design decks, patios, retaining walls, barriers, water features and other structures important to garden design.
3. Learn environmental relationships of plants, insects and soils and focus on identification, culture and management of plants in the landscape including woody, herbaceous, and turf grass plants.
4. Strategize verbal communication, technical writing and economics with a focus on accounting, cost estimating and other applied strategies for managing landscape design, construction and maintenance.
5. Develop proficiency with computers and emphasize computer aided design (CAD) for small scale landscape projects and computerized landscape estimating.

Effective Fall 2025

¹

Select from the following subject codes: ACT, AREC, BUS, CIS, FIN, MGT, MKT, or REL; or ECON 240, ECON 335, ECON 340, ECON 346

²

Select enough elective credits to bring the program to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).