Application Process 

NOTE: When students apply to UC Davis for the Landscape Architecture program, they are accepted as PRE-Landscape Architecture (Pre-LDA) majors. The below application process is only for CURRENT students at UC Davis who meet the criteria listed below:   

Preparation for Application Process:

Transfer students must apply during the Winter Quarter of their first year at UC Davis, whereas Freshmen must apply during the Winter Quarter of their second year. 

Students may not apply to the Landscape Architecture program if they have an incomplete in any of the lower division LDA classes required for application.

There is no appeal process for students who are not admitted to the landscape architecture program. Students can apply the following year if they want to try again. 

You can find more information about last year's LDA application process by reviewing the 2024 Town Hall Question & Answers Document.

Application Components

Acceptance into the LDA major will adhere to the following criteria. Admittance will be based on:

1.  A student’s major GPA, following the winter quarter of their first (transfers) or second (freshmen) year.
2. Statement of Purpose (500 words max)
3. Work Samples (5 max)
4. OPTIONAL - Academic performance Challenges (500 words max)

Details for the application criteria are described below, along with instructions for applying to the LDA major.

1. Major GPA

Student GPA is based on the following courses: LDA 1, 2, 3*, 21, 30, and 70. Transfer students that have received credit for equivalent coursework will be evaluated on UC Davis GPA alone, and their work sample submission will be used to assess mastery of skills associated with equivalent coursework. Admission after the winter quarter is conditional, and final acceptance into the major will occur after the evaluation of students’ GPA following the spring quarter; this includes LDA 3, 50 and 60. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA overall in their LDA coursework to continue.

*LDA 3 may be counted for 2nd year Pre-LDA students. 1st year transfer students will take LDA 3 in Spring, following the submission of their application.

2. Statement of Purpose (500 words max)

Students shall submit a personal essay of up to 500 words, explaining their interest and goals in landscape architecture. Currently registered students who need assistance with their essays should take advantage of the resources at the Student Academic Success Center http://success.ucdavis.edu/.

Specifically, for your Personal Statement, please answer one or more of the following questions:

• Why do you want to pursue the profession of landscape architecture?
• What experiences brought you to this program?
• What inspires you to learn landscape architecture?
• What do you hope to gain from this experience?

3. Work Samples (5 max)

Students shall submit 5 images of coursework or other work samples that demonstrate their mastery of the skills associated with our preparatory classes. We encourage students not to spend too much time crafting a formal portfolio. Instead, they should submit images of key projects. This might include a drawing, a model, or other assignments as they were submitted for their courses, and are not to be re-workings of the project into a composed portfolio page. Images should not exceed 5Mb each and should be accompanied by a one-sentence description.

4. OPTIONAL - Academic Performance Challenges (500 words max)

If you would like to share any challenges or circumstances that may have impacted your academic performance, please do so here. Please note that this is optional. 

Application Process

The 2025 LDA Application link will be posted here closer to the beginning of February 2025.
The LDA application form will open on February 1, 2025 and close at 5pm on February 28, 2025.

Annually, at the end of February, all students who have completed or are enrolled in the required preparatory coursework (or equivalent, in the case of transfer students) may submit their intent to apply for the landscape architecture major. This will be completed through a Google Form that will be shared with eligible students. This form will confirm the student’s intent to pursue the major and will also be the portal to submit work samples and the essay.

All applications will be evaluated according to the following rubric: 50% Major GPA, 25% statement of purpose, and 25% work samples. Additionally, if students have faced any challenges with academic performance, we will take those into consideration.

GPAs of student applicants will be calculated by our LAED program advising staff during the Spring Break week. Students may enroll in LDA 3 and LDA 50 during the normal registration period, but registration for LDA 60 will be pending the conditional admission status. All accepted students will be enrolled in LDA 60 for the Spring quarter.

A Few Tips for Success

We encourage students to prioritize their LDA coursework to help ensure their admission into the major. Following are some tips for success in our courses:

1. Attend class, including discussion sections
2. Read your syllabi; note learning objectives/pedagogical goals; recognize these are the criteria we are considering in evaluating admissions
3. Communicate with instructors, TAs, and/or mentors when there are challenges to your ability to meet learning objectives and/or your overall performance in the class
4. Seek resources to help you address any challenges to your performance within a class

Students with any questions should reach out to the LA+ED Program Director, David de la Peña (dsdelapena@ucdavis.edu).