California is a wonderful state in which to practice landscape architecture and attracts talented professionals from all over the world. While getting a landscape architect license with a foreign landscape architect degree is possible, it does present a few challenges.
This guide will help landscape architect candidates apply their foreign landscape architecture degree towards the experience requirement for the Landscape Architect technical Committee (LATC).
Evaluate Your Foreign Landscape Architect Degree
Although formal landscape architecture education began in the United States, there are many fine landscape architecture degree programs offer in other nations.
In order to qualify for a landscape architect license in the state of California, you need at least one year of formal landscape architect education. If your education is from an American college, your official transcripts are proof of your education. But, foreign education requires an additional step before the LATC can evaluate your transcripts.
How To Establish Exam Eligibility
Foreign-educated students need to prove that their degree is substantially similar to a landscape architecture degree earned in the United States. Here is how you do this. The Landscape Architect Technical Committee (LATC) says that they accept “…a credential evaluation report, which includes information about the applicant’s credential (diploma or degree) and its U.S. equivalent.”
You have to provide the credential evaluation report when you submit your application to take the Landscape architect Registration Examination (LARE) or the California Supplemental Exam (CSE). Since the LATC will not perform the evaluation for you, candidates with foreign education can have an independent third-party company conduct the credential evaluation.
Where To Get A Credential Evaluation Of Foreign Landscape Architect Education
Several companies offer high-quality landscape architect credential evaluation reports for a fee.
These credential evaluation reports are prepared by experts after examining the applicant’s education documentation for accuracy and authenticity.
While these organizations offer several different levels of evaluation, LATC only requires the “general” level of evaluation. This level of evaluation compares your degree with a comparable landscape architect program in the United States. Hopefully, the evaluators agree that your education is roughly equivalent to a degree earned in the United States.
Because each case is different, LATC does not maintain a list of approved foreign programs.
You can find a list of professional credential evaluation services at the National Association of Credential Evaluations Service, Inc. Web site at www.naces.org/members.html or by contacting the LATC at (916) 575-7230.
Final Thoughts
Getting a landscape architect license in California is possible if you were educated in a different country. When you submit your application for licensure, include a copy of your credential evaluation report to show the LATC that your foreign education is substantially similar to a degree earned in the United States. Once LATC accepts your education and experience, the process is the same as for any other domestic landscape architect candidate.
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John is a landscape architect who is currently preparing to take the California Supplemental Exam to become licensed in California. He is currently a licensed professional landscape architect in Georgia and Florida. John graduated from California State University, Pomona with a BSLA degree in landscape architecture in 1997 and has extensive practice experience in residential and commercial landscape design.