Landscape Contracting

Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning

Contact: Mike Davidsohn,
Program Coordinator
Office: 106 Hills North
Phone: (413) 545-0969
Email: davidsohn@larp.umass.edu

The landscape contracting industry needs people possessing the ability to design, build, and maintain today’s challenging landscape projects. Theory, knowledge, and practical skills in the areas of horticulture, landscape construction, and small-scale design are essential. In the classroom, the studio, the campus landscape laboratory, as well as on local sites, matters of grading; construction of walls, walks, terraces; the identification and use of woody and herbaceous plants; and the design of small-scale residential and commercial projects are addressed. Men and women graduates are supervising field crews for landscape contracting companies or running their own businesses after obtaining field experience.

Course of Study

First Semester
*ENVIRDES 335 Plants in Landscape (4 cr)
*LANDCONT 112 Introduction to
Landscape Design (4 cr)
PLSOILIN 102 Introductory Botany (4 cr)
PLSOILIN 105 Soils (4 cr)

Second Semester (7 wks)
ENGLISH 120 English Composition
PLSOILIN 101 Insects and Related Forms (2 cr)
*LANDCONT 104 Planting Design
*LANDCONT 198 Internship (4 cr) (April-August)
PLSOILIN 103 Plant Science (1.5 cr)
PLSOILIN 104 Plant Nutrients (1.5 cr)
or
RES-ECON 141 Consumer Marketing (2 cr)

Third Semester
PLSOILIN 109 Insects of Ornamentals
FOREST 332 Principles of Arboriculture
or
PLSOILIN 230 Introductory Turfgrass Management
*LANDCONT 107 Land Form (4 cr)
Math by placement exam (2-3 cr)
PLSOILIN 111 Horticultural Plant Pathology
PLSOILIN 113 Plant Pathology
(Woody Plants) Lab (1 cr)

Fourth Semester
*LANDARCH 294A Construction Materials
LANDARCH 294B Construction Materials Practicum (1 cr)
*LANDARCH 297M Business Concepts of Landscape Contracting
*LANDCONT 213 Small Property Design (4 cr)
PLSOILIN 255 Herbaceous Plants
RES-ECON 140 Managing Your Own Business

* A grade of C or better must be earned in these courses.