Why should you consider a career in Landscape Architecture?
You’ll work across many different settings—cities, rural areas, and natural environments—on projects at various scales, from small to large.
Landscape Architecture as a Career
Where can my MLA career can take me?
If you choose to study Landscape Architecture, you’ll blend humanities, science, design and creativity to shape outdoor spaces that matter. You’ll learn how to employ nature-based solutions to care for the land and build stronger, more resilient communities.
Your role could include:
- Planning large regional landscapes
- Designing parks, public spaces, and green infrastructures
- Managing stormwater and creating smart street designs
- Helping reclaim and regenerate industrial or unused land
- Crafting beautiful gardens or outdoor art installations
- No matter the project size, your goal will be to protect healthy habitats and create places where people feel connected and welcome
You’ll collaborate with experts like engineers, architects, planners, and scientists to deliver well-rounded projects.
As cities grow and land gets used more intensively, your skills in creating sustainable social and ecological spaces will be in great demand.
You will design with natural elements such as plants, soil, water, and landforms, combining them with architectural materials while considering environmental and human impacts.
Your career can be with a small studio, a large firm, government, or even your own practice.
LAND612F24 Rundle Rock Quarry
Landscape Architecture fieldwork
What can your career look like?
You might become a:
- Landscape Architect or Designer
- Urban or Regional Planner with a focus on Landscape Systems
- Ecological Restoration Specialist
- Project Manager or Team Leader
- Expert in Green Infrastructure or Stormwater Management Solutions
What will your employers expect of you?
They’re looking for you to:
- Have a multifaced knowledge bridging natural sciences, socio-cultural studies, and design
- Bring creative, nature-based solutions to real problems
- Communicate clearly and work well with others
- Follow ethical guidelines and act responsibly towards communities and the environment
How will our MLA program help you get there?
- You’ll learn by doing—with studio projects, collaborative group work, and real-world experiential learning.
- We teach you to think broadly and design sustainably.
- You’ll gain experience tackling climate change, social equity, and ecological health through your designs.
Choose Landscape Architecture
Build a career that lets you make a real difference—combining creativity, science, and social impact to design the future of places where people and nature thrive.
Come design the future with us.
And change the world from the heart of the city.
In January 2026, we moved to a vibrant downtown location to enhance the educational journeys of our students and researchers while fostering collaboration with our professional community, the City of Calgary, and beyond.