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Internships Available
Study Abroad
Scholarships Available
Sustainable Development Goals
- Duration:
- 4 Year(s)
- Next Intake:
- 2024/2025 September
- General Entry Requirements (A-Level)
BBC / BBDD / BCC +
D AS Level- Subject Requirements (Mathematics)
GCSE C /
AS Level D /
A Level E
IB SL 4 / HL 3- Country Specific Entry Requirements:
- Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.
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Curricular information is subject to change.
If you love design, nature and the outdoors, are interested in society and the ways that we live, and want to make a better, more sustainable future for our towns and countryside, then Landscape Architecture is for you. This exciting programme teaches you how to design with nature to improve our environment and the quality of our lives.
Landscape architects work on all sorts of projects, all over the world, designing habitats for humans and non-humans: homes for city birds, playgrounds for children, rooftop gardens, streetscapes, city parks and even cities themselves. They transform urban and rural land, and water-bodies, and advise on countryside matters. Landscape design engages environmentalism, urbanism and culture, teaching important transferable skills that you’ll use wherever you are, whatever you do in the future.
UCD is at the forefront of Landscape Architecture education in Ireland. UCD is currently the only university in Ireland to offer an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture. This course is accredited by the Irish Landscape Institute (ILI) and recognised by the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA).
About this Course
The design studio is central to Landscape Architecture. You’ll spend most of your time in the studio, pursuing individual and small group project work. You’ll learn by doing design projects that allow you to develop creative skills and apply knowledge taught through lectures, seminars, drawing classes, field trips, reviews, readings, individual and group tutorials. In your third year you will also gain professional experience interning in a landscape related company / institution.
Lectures fall into three main categories:
Ecological and Environmental Sciences
- Land Use & the Environment
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Landscape Ecology
- Soils, Biology, Botany, Trees & Shrubs.
Human Sciences, Technology and Culture
- Landscape History & Theory, Archaeology
- Rural & Landscape Planning
- Materials & Construction
- Aesthetics, Drawing and Landscape Representation
- Placemaking
Professional and Managerial Skills
- Professional Practice
- Law
- Research and Writing
A combination of regular studio reviews, reports, as well as end-of-semester written and portfolio examinations, is used to assess your work. The fourth year concludes with a design thesis based on a subject of your own choosing.In year 3 students have the opportunity to undertake an optional 6-8 month internship as part of their degree.
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
Module ID | Module Title | Trimester | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Core Modules | |||
AESC10010 | Land Use and the Environment | Autumn | 5 |
LARC10050 | Landscape Studio 1A | Autumn | 15 |
LARC10110 | Understanding Landscape I | Autumn | 5 |
LARC10120 | Autumn | 5 | |
LARC10090 | Landscape studio 1B | Spring | 15 |
LARC10100 | Understanding Landscape II | Spring | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules | |||
Stage 1 Options | |||
ARCH10050 | Intro archaeology of Ireland | Spring | 5 |
BIOL10030 | Cell and Plant Biology | Spring | 5 |
ENVP10010 | Spring | 5 | |
HORT10020 | Plants and People | Spring | 5 |
Stage 1 Options | |||
Stage 2 Core Modules | |||
BIOL30020 | Landscape Ecology | Autumn | 5 |
HORT30050 | Landscape Plants | Autumn | 5 |
LARC20150 | Landscape Studio 2A | Autumn | 15 |
AESC20070 | Soil Resources | Spring | 5 |
LARC20160 | Landscape Studio 2B | Spring | 15 |
LARC20170 | Landscape Theory and History | Spring | 5 |
Stage 2 Core Modules | |||
Stage 2 Options | |||
PLAN10010 | Introduction to City Planning | Autumn | 5 |
FOR20110 | Forests, Climate and Carbon | Spring | 5 |
Stage 2 Options | |||
Stage 3 Core Modules | |||
ARCT30030 | Autumn | 5 | |
LARC30150 | Landscape Studio 3 A | Autumn | 15 |
Stage 3 Core Modules | |||
Stage 3 Options | |||
LARC30220 | Landscape Architecture Internship - Long | 2 Trimester duration (Spr-Sum) | 30 |
LARC30230 | Landscape Architecture Internship – Short | 2 Trimester duration (Spr-Sum) | 10 |
GEOG40770 | GIS for Environmental Assessment | Autumn | 5 |
LARC30170 | Site Specific Design 1 | Autumn | 5 |
PLAN30020 | Placemaking: Urban and Rural Design | Autumn | 5 |
BOTN30050 | Spring | 5 | |
FOR20110 | Forests, Climate and Carbon | Spring | 5 |
LARC30120 | Landscape Studio 3B | Spring | 15 |
LARC30140 | Site Specific Design 2 | Spring | 5 |
Stage 3 Options | |||
Stage 4 Core Modules | |||
GEOG30860 | Environmental Assessment | Autumn | 5 |
LARC40390 | Landscape Studio 4A | Autumn | 15 |
LARC40420 | Landscape Research 1 | Autumn | 5 |
LARC40360 | Landscape Studio 4 B | Spring | 15 |
PLAN30150 | Planning Law | Spring | 5 |
PLAN40040 | Spring | 5 | |
Stage 4 Core Modules | |||
Stage 4 Options | |||
LARC30170 | Site Specific Design 1 | Autumn | 5 |
LARC40620 | Climate Policy and Politics | Autumn | 5 |
PLAN40030 | Planning, Society and Diversity | Autumn | 5 |
LARC30140 | Site Specific Design 2 | Spring | 5 |
LARC40550 | Building Biodiversity: nature as Builder | Spring | 5 |
Erasmus Exchange and other Non-EU Exchange opportunities exist.
The UCD Landscape Architecture degree programme is part of the European Landscape Education Exchange. This Erasmus programme is a landscape architecture education network involving 11 universities in Europe and providing opportunities for staff and student exchange. Students regularly spend time abroad, either on short field trips, or participating in intensive design studios with students from other universities, or opting to spend a semester studying at one of our partner universities.
Opportunities to date have included:
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany
- L’école Nationale Supérieure de la Nature et du Paysage, France
- Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany
- Virginia Tech, Virginia, USA
- Haute ècole de paysage, d’ingénierie et d’architecture de Genève, Switzerland
Students have the opportunity in their third year to study abroad in a partner University in Europe, Australia or the U.S.
See our UCD Global exchanges page for more information
There is an optional 6-8 month internship module in Stage 3 of the BSc Landscape Architecture. Internship employers have included AECOM, Austen Associates, Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects, Murray & Associates, South Dublin County Council, and Summerhill Landscapes(New York).
Graduates of UCD Landscape Architecture work all over the world because of their transferable skills. Our students become professional landscape architects, setting up in business, working in private practice, for governmental bodies or NGOs. Others go onto further academic study in landscape architecture or related subjects and some go onto work in areas such as: Environmental and Ecological Policy-Making, Conservation and Resource Management, Planning or Urban Design.
The majority of our students become professional landscape architects. After two years of approved work experience, graduates sit the Irish Landscape Institute professional exams, which lead to full professional membership of the ILI. (See www.irishlandscapeinstitute.com).
A Master of Landscape Architecture is available for those who wish to pursue the subject at taught graduate level. The School of Architecture also offers related Masters by Research and Doctoral programmes.
Also check out the UCD Career Networks career guide for the College of Engineering & Architecture for details on the career supports available to UCD students.
Non-EU Undergraduate Feeinformation can be foundhere.
UCD offers a number of competitive undergraduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD undergraduate degree programme. For information on Undergraduate Scholarships, please see the UCDInternational Scholarships webpage.
The following advice is for Non-EU applicants. For Irish/EU/UK students, please apply via MyUCD.
The following entry route(s) are available:
BSc Landscape Architecture (LDS2) Undergraduate Degree (Non EU) | Entry in Sep 2024 | Full Time - | Apply from Oct 2023 | Apply |
By joining the UCD College of Engineering and Architecture, you will be part of a vibrant community of students and faculty who are committed to creating a more sustainable and equitable future. The mission of the College of Engineering and Architecture is to affect a just transition to a more sustainable and equitable future through our education of professionals in engineering, architecture, planning and policy, and our research in technology, design, and policy. The College, in our engineers and architects, brings together the technical expertise to deliver and create infrastructure and technologies that can create a more sustainable future and, uniquely, the College, in our planners and environmental policy researchers, also brings together the research and professions required to create the policies and the regulatory environment that supports technological and infrastructure development, and that can also scrutinise and investigate the behavioural changes affected by our technologies.
The programmes at UCD are designed to equip students with the best education in their chosen field, while at the same time embedding the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG’s) in their education where most relevant.
Architecture and Landscape Architecture
UCD Architects and Landscape Architects have the opportunity to contribute positively to many of today’s challenges including climate change, inequality, poverty and urbanisation. UCD architects and landscape architects use innovative design practices to consider sustainable design solutions, energy-efficient buildings, community engagement, life on land to enhance the quality of the lives for whom they are designing for while minimising environmental impacts.
- Clean water and Sanitation (SDG 6)
- Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7)
- Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
- Climate Action (SDG 13)
- Life on Land (SDG 15)
“Ichose to study Landscape Architecture at UCD due to my love of design, nature and the outdoors. I was always interested in society and the way that people live. This course at UCD offers a wide range of exciting modules in various related topics such as land use, the environment, planning, ecology, and urban design. The design studiois central and has prepared me for my future career by allowing me to build on my environmental knowledge, design skills while using technical and technological approaches. This degree has offered me a wide range of exciting opportunities, e.g. a trimester abroad, various class trips around Ireland and Europe and an internship in a Landscape Architecture firm. I completed my exchange at The University of Hong Kong, which proved to be the most exciting and rewarding opportunity of my life.”
Niamh Conlon - Graduate
Related Programmes
- Engineering (NUS1)
- Bachelor of Architectural Science Architecture (ATS4)
Landscape Architecture (DN120/LDS2)
Undergraduate (Level 8 NFQ, Credits 240)
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