Study Environmental and Landscape Design in Germany

The courses of study in the field of environmental and landscape design all deal with the design of open spaces, but differ in their approaches:

• Arboriculture: In arboriculture, you learn about tree care in urban areas, specifically, the protection, care, and sustainable development of shrubs and individual trees in cities and communities.
• Landscape conservation: Courses of study in this area focus on protecting open spaces. You will learn how to plan, look after and, above all, conserve these areas, i.e., how to protect them from commercial use.
• Landscape architecture: These courses of study offer the greatest room for aesthetic/artistic expression. You will learn how to plan and create open spaces such as gardens or parks. In addition to the creative aspect, these programmes will also teach you the technical, economic, and scientific basics. You should have artistic talent to be successful in these studies.

More general degree programmes also exist. For this reason, you should always check in advance whether the focus is more on the creative aspect or the conservation aspect. What the programmes all have in common is that they strive for practical relevance, and you can expect to spend a lot of your time in the fresh air during the practical phases.

For degree programmes in this field, you should have an interest in and, above all, in-depth knowledge of the natural sciences. It is also important that you are interested in technical processes and project planning. Especially for courses in the field of landscape architecture, it is advantageous not only to also to have artistic or design talent and to want to express your creativity.

Some universities in Germany want or require their students to complete pre-study internships before beginning their studies. These pre-study internships will not only help you decide whether you like your chosen field of study but also guarantee for the higher education institutions that you already have a certain understanding of the course content. During your studies, you will further develop your practical skillset.

The admission requirements for studying environmental and landscape design vary a lot between higher education institutions. At some, you can study without admission restrictions (here you only have to prove that you have a general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or an equivalent), but sometimes the aforementioned pre-study internship is required.

While some higher education institutions use an NC, i.e. a certain grade point average, as a guideline, it is also possible that work portfolios with creative project proposals or letters of motivation are required as part of the application. The NC for degree programmes in environmental and landscape design in Germany is between 2.0 and 2.9, according to the German grading system.

Depending on the language of your desired course of study, you may be required to provide proof of language certificates.

The standard period of study for degree programmes in this field is six to eight semesters for the Bachelor’s programme. Often, a practical or subject-related semester abroad must be completed in the fifth semester. Master’s degree programmes require four semesters.

In most cases, studying at a public higher education institution in Germany is free of tuition fees. However, a certain amount must be paid per semester for the student union and administrative costs of around 100 to 400 euros. Sometimes this semester contribution covers a ticket for local public transport or you can purchase a discounted ticket. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available.

Rents vary depending on the city you want to study in. In large cities, housing is often scarce and expensive, while in smaller cities it is comparatively affordable. In any case, student halls of residence are usually your cheapest option. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

After graduating, you can choose between roles in a practical or in a planning position. For example, you can work in gardening and landscaping companies or planning offices. You could also establish yourself in public authorities and ministries, in urban planning offices or an advisory capacity.

The goal is to create sustainable and liveable spaces for people. You can coordinate planning and construction processes, handle the planning theory, or work independently as a landscape architect.

The Master’s degree programmes also train you in particular for the environmental and landscape management sector, for example in urban areas.

As an employee in landscape architecture, you can expect a starting salary that is a little lower than what you might earn when you find a job in urban planning or at scientific institutions.

Some technical universities and universities of applied sciences offer dual study programmes in which you can obtain a vocational qualification in addition to your higher education degree. A big advantage of these programmes is that you already receive a salary during your studies.