If you are the kind of person who enjoys designing large-scale projects, gardening, and appreciating architecture, then you might be interested in landscape design. To choose the best landscape design courses, you should consider your aspirations. Individuals who are interested in picking up some skills that they can apply to their own property might want to take some free or inexpensive landscape design courses that enable them to learn some basic principles. Individuals who would like to become professional landscapers, on the other hand, should take courses that help them to earn academic degrees and prepare for proficiency exams.
Landscape design is the practice of redesigning land to be more aesthetically pleasing. In many cases, landscape design also should result in land that is practical. For example, if a landscape designer is hired to work on the grounds surrounding an estate, he or she might concentrate on planting attractive flowers, altering land contours, and creating paths, though residents and visitors also should find it easy to move through landscaped regions.
A person who believes that he or she might be interested in landscape design can start off with some unaccredited landscape design courses. While online courses can be inexpensive and flexible, it might be a good idea to get some hands-on training. By learning in a conventional classroom, you can benefit from using landscape tools and meeting others with similar interests. Colleges and community education centers might offer these kinds of courses.
Aspiring professionals need to enter academic programs where they take accredited landscape design courses. The best kind of program is one that has strong offerings in the kind of landscape design in which you are interested. For example, if you are interested in urban development, then you probably should take courses in a program that is located in a major city and which may even be associated with local urban development organizations where you can participate in internships.
To practice as a professional landscaper, it is usually essential to receive a professional license. Qualification for licenses vary by location, though in most cases, it is necessary to pass a proficiency exam. While an undergraduate education might help you to prepare for this exam, some people do find that extra landscape design courses can help them to review prior to sitting for a test. In these cases, the best courses are those taught by instructors who are familiar with exam material.