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can i be a landscape architect with a degree in architecture?

I am pursuing a 5 year degree plan in architecture and was wondering if i could use this degree to get a job in landscape architecture should i not be able to find a normal architecture job. i know landscape architects specialize more in ecology and plant types, but i should be able to switch over job-wise right? ......or do i have to be certified in landscape architecture?

Public Comments

1. You can be a landscape architect with any degree. Some, like architecture, are more applicable than others.
2. Yes! That's what I'm majoring in and what I want to become. Good Luck :)
3. You do not need any particular certification to work in the field of landscape architecture, but doing meaningful work will require specialized knowledge, and ultimately you must be licensed to call yourself a Landscape Architect. In the USA that means you would need to pass a series of exams (not unlike those required to earn an architect's license) that are specific to the field and probably not covered in your architecture studies: grading and drainage, plants and ecology, business practices, etc. Eligibility for those exams varies from state to state, but probably includes a degree in landscape (not building) architecture, and an "apprenticeship" with a licensed landscape architect. Although the disciplines are related and often collaborate, landscape architecture is a specialty (not to mention a smaller field than building architecture). Even though you may have relevant skills such as CAD and project management, you would be competing against plenty of job-seekers with landscape architecture experience, degrees and portfolios. Obviously your work will speak for itself, and your chances depend on variables such as your skills, the needs of a given firm at a given time, the overall economy, etc.; but if you can't find a job in building architecture even with a degree, I wouldn't count on being able to "switch over" to landscape architecture.