Apart from in-person university level landscape design classes
Landscaping is more than trimming and mowing, and it certainly involves more than just plant selection and flower arrangement. As a matter of fact, it is the coming together of the spaces and elements to elevate the outdoor living space.
If you aspire to be a landscape designer, open your big-shot firm, then you can always go for a full-time landscape design degree online from a reputed university. But then there are those of us, who haven’t thought of that far and belong to the DIY(er) category. Those who are born talented with landscape designing skills but wish to learn a thing or two from experts.
Whichever category you may belong, we have the selection of best online landscape design courses suited for both of you.
These courses have been carefully selected on the basis of their lessons, ratings, enrollments, flexibility, course provider reputation, and up to datedness.
Best Online Landscape Design Degree: Career Diploma In Landscape Design
This is our top recommendation for you. This degree program will take you through the subject via online landscape design classes that are self-paced.
Why else choose this course?
- It is a comprehensive course yet takes just 4-months to complete. But, for your ease you can take up to a year to finish it.
- You need no background to take this course
- You learn job-ready skills after course completion
- You get access to textbooks to supplement your learning. You won’t have to search here and there for learning materials
- Even after you graduate, you get access to the college toolkit. It is the treasure for resumes samples, cover letters and more. It will aid to you start your career.
All in all it is an amazing opportunity. We will discuss about this course in detail in the coming section, but first let’s have a look at the other course options we have.
Learn Landscape Design: Other Courses and Classes Meant for You
- Fundamentals of Garden Design – [Udemy]
- Landscape Design – [Ashworth College]
- A Business Approach to Sustainable Landscape Restoration – Offered by Erasmus University Rotterdam – [Coursera]
- Landscape Architecture – [UCLA Extension]
- Landscaping Technology – [Penn Foster]
- Landscape Design Course Online – [New York Institute of Art and Design]
- Master Gardener Series: Sustainable Landscape Design – [Oregon State University]
7 Online Landscape Design Courses
In addition to our recommendation above, we have a selection of six other courses that help you become a landscaper designer. Let’s get into the details of all these courses one by one.
1. Fundamentals of Garden Design – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.5 |
| Enrolled | 11,750 students |
| Duration | 6.5 hours of on-demand video |
| Paid | Yes |
| Do you get a landscape design certificate online? | Yes |
| Certification | Yes |
| Instructor | Rob Littlepage |
| Return or refund policy | There are two options:
|
| Cons | Instead of teaching landscape design, the course focuses on communicating with the customers. Of course, that is necessary, but that is not what most students may be enrolling in the course for. |
On top of our list is Udemy’s one of the top-selling online landscape design courses. The course is full of resources, making it comprehensive. There are 54 downloadable resources and 74 lectures having a lifetime guarantee. You can go back to review and revise as and when you want.
However, please remember that it does not discuss the planting design. Of course, the instructor will take you through using plants in the landscape, but there will be no detailing on any individual plant species, their use, or placement. So, if that is what you wish to learn about specific plant types, give this a skip.
Once you complete this course, you earn a landscape design certificate online But, remember this is not a computer-aided design course. You learn via pen, ink, and paper. Lastly, it is a hands-on, conceptual course wherein the instructor takes you through everything from starting a design project to refining a plan before preparing construction design, beginning a discussion, and more.
Learning Outcomes
As part of this course, you will bag access to the contract examples and the bid sheets to help with estimation. In addition these are the best online landscape design classes to learn:
- To prepare a conceptual landscape plan
- To use different design approaches and give more continuity and interest to the designs
- To perform a site survey of a property and present it on paper
- Understand how Planes of Enclosure can make the designs better
- To color the plan for display and presentation
- Ideas to grow your design company
- Selecting a design approach
- Interviewing the client
- Drafting to scale
- Conducting site surveys
Prerequisites
For this course, you need basic math skills.
Who should take this course?
It is one of the best online landscape design courses for beginner/intermediate level students interested in Design and Architecture. Further, this course will help:
- Designers
- Landscape contractors
- Gardeners
- Students who aspire to better their design capabilities
- Anyone interested in elementary differential elevation surveys and site surveys
Review by April C. :
This course is perfect for someone who is looking to learn about landscaping and gardens. The instructor did an incredible job of covering the basics.
2. Landscape Design – [Ashworth College]
Sometimes when you search for landscape design classes near me, isn’t it a disappointment when you get no good options available in the vicinity. Well, not anymore. With this online diploma you get landscape design training from the comfort of your house that too with a certification from a college.
Learning Outcomes
This course covers:
- Design fundamentals
- Hands-on, professional design techniques
- Business concepts and practices to start and progress your landscape design operation
What do you get?
When you enroll in this course, you get access to some landscape design textbooks and other things listed below:
- Textbook: Professional Landscapers Handbook
- Textbook: Plan Graphics for the Landscape Designer
- Textbook: The Essential GardenDesign Book
- Binder™ mobile app to have your learning resources handy on, on-the-go
- ProQuest® digital access to an array of resources
- Learning Resource Center online labs and libraries
- Student Portal dashboard for instant access to support and lessons
- An active online community to clear your doubts
3. A Business Approach to Sustainable Landscape Restoration – Offered by Erasmus University Rotterdam – [Coursera]
| Offered by | Erasmus University Rotterdam |
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Enrolled | 8,274 already enrolled |
| Duration | Approx. 25 hours to complete |
| Paid | Yes, it is one of the paid online landscape design courses |
| Certification | Yes |
| Instructors | Simon W. Moolenaar, Johann Thorsson, Ólafur Arnalds, Steve Kennedy, Asa L. Aradottir, Nicola Favretto, and Rob van Tulder |
| Return or refund policy | 14 days from the date of payment |
| Cons | Some lectures are pretty dull. The instructor should try to make the classes more engaging. |
This course which offers you a landscape design certificate online is presented to you by Coursera. The course emphasizes that to meet the Sustainable Development Goal on Land Degradation Neutrality, the integration of large-scale landscape restoration and landscape management should be a part of every company’s business objective.
Naturally, all business professionals must possess the right vision, knowledge, and skills for landscape design. This is exactly the purpose of this course which brings you some of the best online landscape design classes.
The instructors have designed the course to train business professionals and developers to acknowledge business’ interdependency with healthy landscapes. It also aids in understanding the value of ecosystem resources.
Further, along with landscape design training, the course also tries to enlighten you about landscape degradation – a wicked, global problem resulting in the depletion of the finite resources on the earth.
In addition, the instructors will also give you a solution to the problem – business-driven landscape restoration. So, via the lessons learned in the course, you will be in a position to apply the beneficial skills in your professional life to combat the issue of land degradation and restoration.
Review by PK. :
“The course is very useful to learn about the learn degradation and ecosystem restoration, however, regarding ecosystem services it needs much contents too for to be a successful professional.
4. Landscape Architecture – [UCLA Extension]
Do you wish to design a water-efficient backyard or a national park? If yes, this course is an excellent choice. Knowledge of landscape architecture provides you with the skill and abilities to elevate the places you live, play, or work.
It is a multidisciplinary field that is a combination of sustainability, construction knowledge, and environmental systems.
In addition, it also takes into account water and land conservation to ensure placemaking and build well-designed outdoor living spaces. This one of the top-rated online landscape design courses that covers all of this.
Further, you can finish the program sequence in three years. There are options for both weekend and night landscape design training classes available.
Lastly, it is an approved university extension certificate program by the California Architects Board Landscape Architects Technical Committee. So, it caters to all the requirements by the State of California to sit for the state licensing exam.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, you will learn the following:
- Fundamental principles of design via drawing and modeling
- Artfully combining natural processes and science in landscape design
- Analyzing the problems in terms of physical form and design
- Designing methods and drawing techniques to build landscapes
- History lessons about the practice of landscape design and gardening
- Different dimensions of professional practice, such as professional ethics and management
Prerequisites
For this course, you need:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Time
- Patience
- Desire to learn something new
Who should take this course?
This course that awards you a landscape design certificate online is suitable for:
- Anyone who aspires to be a licensed landscape architect
- Individuals passionate about designing for the natural environment
- Anyone who dreams of creating theme parks, trails, parks, or urban landscapes
- Individuals seeking a career working communities through facilitation and engagement
5. Landscaping Technology – [Penn Foster]
Next, we have a course by Penn Foster. Needless to say why is on our list of best online landscape design courses. It is a diploma course of six to ten months, designed with job readiness in mind. This comprehensive program comprises eight courses and 41.3 continuing education units (CEUs).
Further, you will have to submit two projects and appear for twenty-two exams to assess your learning in the course. Following this, you will bag a certification.
Learning Outcomes
To get the landscape design certificate online, you will have to study the following topics:
- Skills required to start your landscape design business or a career in landscaping
- Selecting the correct materials utilized in designs for sustainable landscaping
- Basic marketing skills to boost clientele and promote the business
- Prepare site specifications, plans, and cost estimates
- Practically work in this field
- Details about gardening, horticulture, and plants
- Coordination of the arrangement of proposed and existing land structures and features
- Communicatingwith building architects, clients, and engineers
- Inspection techniques to comply with original plans
6. Landscape Design Course Online – [New York Institute of Art and Design]
It is a detailed course for landscape design training that covers all the design fundamentals. Further, it takes you through professional hands-on techniques.
It brings you 24/7 access to expertly prepared course materials, lessons, and videos. Further, you will receive one-to-one feedback from a professional mentor to help you get better. You can contact the team of advisors via email and phone to get a response to your queries.
It is an online, self-paced course. So, you can finish it in eighteen months. It comes with a 14-day refund policy. So, if you do not like the online landscape design classes, you can request a refund. You also access the online student forum, a community to clear your doubts and share your work. After you finish the course, you will bag a certification.
Learning Outcomes
This course will teach you the following:
- Interpretation of the visual design elements used in the landscape design process
- Knowledge of the graphicand drawing tools used in landscape design
- Learn to visualize the landscape site
- Applying the learned knowledge to personal projects or client’s work
- Designing the space as outdoor rooms
- Applying standard design principles to boost the appearance of commercial or residential outdoor space
- Knowledge of the business-related functions and concepts of the landscaping design process, such as safety and OSHA compliance, generation and interpretation of contracts and specifications, customer service, and human resource management
- Describing the different aspects of winterizing, irritation, or general maintenance for established landscapes
- Identifying different flowers, plants, surface materials, and enclosures to create and boost the exterior design spaces
7. Master Gardener Series: Sustainable Landscape Design – [Oregon State University]
OSU offers you a set of master landscaping online courses on sustainable landscape design. The master program covers a variety of short courses that educate you on gardening fundamentals. You can browse the available topics and pick the one you wish to study about.
- Basic Botany Online Course
- Soils and Compost Online Course
- Vegetable Gardening Online Course
- Introduction to Entomology Online Course
- Plant Pathology Online Course
- Pesticide Safety Online Course
- Herbaceous Ornamental Plants Online Course
- Sustainable Landscape Design Online Course
- Sustainable Landscape Management Online Course
- Integrated Pest Management Online Course
- Woody Landscape Plants Online Course
Once you complete these online landscape design courses, you will be able create sustainable landscape designs.
It will be your call how you decide to learn landscape design, but if you ask us amateurs and beginners should first try their hands on an online course before enrolling in a full time landscape degree program. What happens is, sometimes the inner course coverage in both landscaping degree online or offline is not what we expected it to be. So, better begin small with online landscape design classes.
What Are The Responsibilities of A Landscape Designer?
As a landscape designer, you will design, plan, and head the regeneration, creation, and development of external land areas like recreational areas, gardens, and commercial, industrial, and residential sites. Employing your landscape design training, you will find a balance between your knowledge and artistic skills and help in environment protection and conversation.
You may either work from an office or travel to the site as needed. As a landscape architect, you may specialize in domains like management, design, planning, or science.
Broadly, your scope of work as a landscape designer will be:
- Surveying Sites
- Creating designs, plans, and drawings using CAD software
- Drafting reports
- Sitting down with the clients and discussing requirements
- Sharing your advice on matters related to environmental conservation
- Overseeing the projects through every stage
- Presenting your proposals to the clients for approvals
- Estimating the costs
- Agreeing on time-scales
- Producing the contracts for the clients
- Seeking opinions from businesses, locals, and people on the site
- Liaising with other professionals like town planners, architects, civil engineers, and alike
- Undertaking the maintenance or the construction work with landscape contractors
Is Landscape Design A Good Career?
Landscape design is an excellent career choice for people who enjoy nature and art. There are a host of benefits associated with this career option, making it a good pick. A few of them include:
- It gives you a chance to explore your creativity via your job.
- You will get a chance to work on various projects within different fields.
- Since several challenges are associated with the natural landscape and its design, you will feel constantly driven to be innovative and find a way out.
- You can work towards wildlife conservation.
- The earning potential is massive, and you can earn as much as $50,000-$60,000 yearly.
These are only a few reasons why landscape design is an excellent career. So, why are you thinking? Enroll in any of the above-listed online landscape design classes.
What Jobs Can You Get With a Landscape Design Degree?
You can apply for jobs in various fields with a landscape design degree. A few of them include:
Jobs related to your degree:
- Commercial horticulturist
- Amenity horticulturist
- Horticultural therapist
- Horticultural consultant
- Landscape architect (if you have a advanced degree)
Jobs where your degree will be an incentive:
- Environmental education officer
- Environmental Consultant
- Plant breeder/geneticist
- Nature conservation officer
- Interior and spatial designer
- Field trials officer
- Urban designer
- Planning and development surveyor
How To Choose The Right Landscape Design Course?
We have above shared some of the best online landscape design courses. These are only a few of the many you will find online. Hence, it may often feel daunting for you to select and pick a course above the others. So, how do you choose? What should be the criteria? Here are some tips that can help:
- Accreditation – First things first, you need validation for your newly acquired skills. Beyond validation, having a certificate also amplifies your chances of landing a dream job, especially if the certification is from a reputed university or college. Thus, we recommend opting for the landscape design certificate online.
- Fees – Even though class cost should not be the primary selection parameter, it should be a valid consideration. You do not want to rip your budget for education if you can get a better session at more affordable pricing. So, we have ensured that the courses on our list are easy for your pocket.
- Flexibility – Flexibility comes from the ability to choose when you study. So, if that’s what you like, a self-paced course is better than instructor-led instruction.
- Practical exposure – Theoretical knowledge does not take you far if you do not have the practical knowledge to apply your skills. Thus, we recommend opting for 100% hands-on sessions.
- Course coverage – You do not want to take multiple courses to learn about landscape design. Hence, you want a class that gives you comprehensive knowledge of the subject.
- Garden designer vs. Landscape Designer vs. Landscape Architect – Garden and landscape designer, both work on smaller residential projects, whereas landscape architects take up bigger assignments. Out of the two (garden & landscape designer), garden designers do not cater much to building related aspect of design. They are more focussed toward the beautification of the place with flowers and plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques 1. What software training should I get to be a landscape designer?
Ans. AutoCAD can be the most comprehensive software to get started in the field. But, not mandatory in the beginning.
Ques 2. How long does it take to become a landscape designer?
Ans. You need to dedicate at least two years to becoming a landscape designer.
Ques 3. Who shouldn’t take up landscape design as their career?
Ans. Landscape design is a challenging field that constantly demands you to be innovative and artistic along with a tiny bit of technical knowledge. Often it can be very mentally stimulating. So, if you are not ready for the challenges, you must think of other career paths.
Ques 4. Is this a 100% field job?
Ans. You will perform a mix of both field and desk jobs in this career.
Ques 5. How do I become a landscape designer?
Ans.
- Finish your high school diploma.
- Get a Bachelor’s degree in the related field.
- Find some online landscape design courses to learn about specific domains.
- Work on skills like communication and collaboration.
- Acquire knowledge of the soil and climate, insect population of the area, and rainfall
- Get well-versed with AutoCAD.
- Enroll in internships and get practical experience
- Check if you need a license, and work towards it.
- Acquire a certification.
- Work on some freelance projects.
- Be a part of industry groups.
Here is a detailed instruction on how to become a landscape designer.
