Individuals who want to enter the environmental landscaping industry can complete two-year associate degree or four-year bachelor's degree programs. Some schools offer a degree in environmental landscaping, while others -- such as the University of Minnesota -- offer a degree in horticulture with an emphasis on environmental landscaping. These degree programs should not only include classroom instruction but also hands-on labs and field trips that give students exposure to various aspects of this wide-ranging field.
To get into environmental landscaping programs, students must have a high school diploma or GED and submit their transcripts along with an admissions application. Schools such as College of Marin in California also require potential students to complete a college placement test to determine their academic ability. Meanwhile, other schools such as Oregon State University ask students to submit scores from standardized tests such as the American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Some two-year schools allow students to transfer their credits to four-year universities as well.
Environmental landscaping schools cover topics such as computer-aided drafting, plant propagation, plant physiology, applied agriculture chemicals and turf/landscape irrigation design. Students also study ecology, land use planning, water science and principles of marketing, management and accounting. In addition, schools such as Santa Barbara City College in California feature programs that teach American environmental history and even the history of gardens. Degree programs in environmental landscaping feature general education courses such as math and English as well.
While at environmental landscaping schools, students typically must complete supervised internships for credit to gain hands-on work experience in the industry. They can practice at local sites that prepare them to enter careers in arboriculture, environmental planning, landscape design or commercial landscape management. Environmental landscaping schools additionally prepare students to consider jobs in parks supervision, landscape irrigation or even residential/estate maintenance.