Applied to through a college
Cornell says you apply directly to one of its colleges or schools. Cornell Admissions lists Landscape Architecture under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Undergraduate · Cornell CALS
Cornell Landscape Architecture: a license-qualifying first professional degree in CALS
Cornell applicants apply directly to one of its colleges or schools, and Landscape Architecture is a major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The department says the BSLA is a license-qualifying, first professional degree built on a sequence of intensive design studios, which makes it different from the liberal-arts design majors elsewhere. This guide sets out what the page says.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Cornell says about Cornell Landscape Architecture
Taken from the Department of Landscape Architecture's undergraduate page, Cornell Admissions' Majors, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Cornell's pages for the 2028-entry details.
A first professional degree
The department says the curriculum is license-qualifying.
Intensive design studios
One-on-one teaching between student and faculty.
A CALS major
Cornell Admissions lists it under CALS.
The SAT or ACT is required
Cornell has reinstituted standardized testing and requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Official sources
- Cornell Admissions: First-Year Applicantsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: Majorsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell CALS Department of Landscape Architecture: undergraduatelandscape.cals.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: Standardized Testing Policyadmissions.cornell.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Department of Landscape Architecture's undergraduate page, Cornell Admissions' Majors, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The major's curriculum pages, course descriptions, college admission requirements, deadlines and financial aid were not read, and the pages do not mention A-levels or the IB by name and are not stated.
The major
What the college and department pages say the major is
The department's page says the foundation of the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture curriculum is a sequence of intensive design studios, with one-on-one student-faculty teaching and mastery of the media of landscape: landform, plants, water and non-vegetal materials. The curriculum is a broad-based course of study that provides the skills needed for professional practice and is a license-qualifying, first professional degree, alongside university requirements in biological, physical and social sciences. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right major?
Landscape Architecture beside Fashion Design and Architecture
Cornell lists these as separate majors, and the colleges differ, so the choice starts at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
Landscape Architecture fits if
you want a professional design degree focused on landscape, with studio teaching.
Architecture (B.Arch.) fits if
you want the professional architecture route. Avandy's Cornell Architecture guide covers it.
Environmental Engineering fits if
you want engineering for the environment. Avandy's Cornell Environmental Engineering guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A college application and the SAT or ACT
Cornell says you apply directly to one of its colleges or schools, so the college is part of the application; the pages read list Landscape Architecture under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Cornell has reinstituted standardized testing and requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. The pages read do not mention A levels or the IB by name, and Cornell says all students must show a strong command of English. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cornell's.
Do you want a professional, license-qualifying degree?
The department describes one.
Are intensive design studios appealing?
They are the foundation.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Cornell requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Cornell's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Cornell's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cornell has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Cornell for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the major page and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Cornell University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Cornell University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Which Cornell college is Landscape Architecture in?
Cornell Admissions lists it under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Is the degree a first professional degree?
The department says it is license-qualifying.
Which college is it in?
Cornell Admissions lists it under CALS.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Does Cornell name A levels or the IB on these pages?
No. The pages read do not mention them by name.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cornell's wording with no entry-year label. Check Cornell's pages again when Cornell publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cornell Landscape Architecture
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their design portfolio and science subjects, how they weigh a professional degree against other design routes and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.