Do yourself a HUGE favor...bite the bullet, deal with your impatience, enroll in U of Guelph, and earn your MLA. I'm new around here, thus the late response...but I feel I'm qualified to give you some career advice. I'm a managing partner/owner (and RLA) in a Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering firm. I'll be very frank with my response...my hope is that you'll take it seriously and not be offended. If I were to get a resume from you with the MLD from Conway as your highest level of education (along with your BA History of course), I wouldn't give you a second thought. With a promising cover letter, I MIGHT peruse your info to find out more about the Conway education but you would not be a candidate for any job openings. With the current massive layoffs in the industry, you will be up against some of the top talent in the field...believe me - I've already laid them off or seen their recently brushed off resumes. To sit for the LARE, in MOST states/provinces you'll have to ALREADY have completed 2+ years of apprenticeship under a licensed landscape architect. On top of that you'll be required to have a BLA or MLA from a CLARB accredited school (schools have to renew their accredidation with CLARB every few years and that in itself is no cakewalk for the institution). There are sometimes (depending on state/province) ways around the education part, and you could very well qualify with your work experience...BUT... And then of course is the test...I worked with a person who sat for it numerous times during a 15+ year career before passing (wasn't good with the grading and construction sections but was a great conceptual designer). And that's just the licensing part. Reading your posts, I believe you're ready to go into a MLA program...and I recommend and encourage you to do so if you're serious about this: "primary interest is along the lines of large scale design, subdivisions, parks, resorts etc." You will never do that type work without being a LICENSED/REGISTERED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. The profession is so much broader and truly design-based than plants, patios, and pergolas. I think you've realized that whether you know it or not. When I was in school, we students had an inside joke...we thought it was easier to get a degree in landscape archtecture than it was to quadruple-major in art, horticulture, engineering, and ecology. And for some perspective, you mention "2 of the 3 projects are on a scale that far exceeds garden design or even residential layouts..." In my BLA program (and I'm sure is the same across the board), we would do 4-6 projects on a scale that far exceeds garden design or even residential layouts in one class (each semester)...and that was only our studio course, which was on top of a couple of lecture classes and/or core-related electives. I could go on and on with reasons why you should get your MLA over the Conway certificate, but I don't want to wear my fingers out typing (I've got a little sketching to do tomorrow)...just do yourself, your significant other, and future family a favor and complete your education to prepare you for what (I think) you truly want to do. A few final and perhaps random thoughts: - You mention putting a time constraint on what you want to achieve...with the time constraint you'll never achieve your goal of designing subdivisions, resorts, parks, etc. - Listen to DD when he talks about the rules...they are in place and you have to play by them. - The Univ. of Guelph will prepare you for a great career in Landscape Architecture...my best employee (who I've unfortunately had to lay off) is a graduate and is an extremely talented designer who understands the design process and is effective at commuunicating his design intent, which is always very well thought out. Of all my employees, I think his education prepared him better than most. - You've got to quit equating "landscaping" and "landscape design" with "landscape architecture"...they are two totally different things and are on very different levels. You must embrace that fact. - And on plantings, planting design, and the horticulture end of our profession... There's currently great debate regarding how plants and planting design fit into our profession and if it is or isn't being given it's proper attention. I'm of the opinion that unfortunately it's on its way to being a lost art. IMO, it's our greatest medium, but too many don't appreciate and understand plants as well as they should; and many RLAs deal very minimally with plants and focus instead on other aspects and scales of the profession where individual plants don't come into play . Plantings are VERY IMPORTANT to my designs, but only about 10% of the work I do actually involves plantings...the rest is planning (at varying scales and phases), rezoning, grading/drainage design, hardscape design, construction administration/observation, coordination of plans and designs with other consultants, water quality strategy with my PEs, etc, etc. - Pick up a few books to see if they peak your interest...if so, enroll in Guelph...try these: Landscape Architecture: A Manual of Site Planning and Design by John O. Simonds Site Analysis: Linking Program and Concept in Land Planning and Design by James A. LaGro Jr Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces by William H. Whyte Those are a few...there are many more. Good Luck!

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Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/permacultureph Subscribe to our Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/permacultureph PDC 1-13 Nov in Cebu City, Philippines Permaculture Design Certificate Course Held over a period of 12 days, the curriculum for this course is based on subjects covered by Bill Mollison, widely regarded as the father of permaculture, in his book Permaculture: A DesignerÂs Manual. "Though the problems that face the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple." - Bill Mollison, Father of Permaculture The course includes:  Introduction to Permaculture  Methods of design  Pattern understanding  Climate  Trees & their energy transactions  Designing against disaster; fire; drought  Soil  Water  The humid tropics  Dry lands stragies  Humid cool to cold climates  Aquacultures  Earthworking & repair  Effective aid  Right livelihoods  Village development Php37,500 Course Fee DISCOUNT AVAILABLE! Discounts for early payments or early deposit of Php12,000. Reserve your place early and receive a discount on full fee: Receive the following discounts on course fee if deposit or full payment made before- 15 Aug 2010 receive 15% Discount- Php31,875 Total 31 Aug 2010 receives 10% Discount- Php33,750 Total 15 Sep 2010 receives 5% Discount- Php35,625 Total The balance of your course fee is due before the course starts. "It is our collective responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live" - Dalai Lama ABOUT CEBU CEBU was ranked third best island in Asia recently by New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure magazine recently released the results of the survey, which covers hotels, airlines, cruises, islands and cities all over the world. http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010/islands/asia-islands/23 Only a few minutes away from the city are numerous white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, and swaying palms, making Cebu a perfect destination for both business and leisure. Mactan Island is a coral island and famous scuba diving and beach site. It is also the site of the Export Processing Zone. Malapascua Island is endowed with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, and the west coast is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The sleepy little market town of Moalboal was one of the first places where scuba diving caught on in the Philippines. From here, you can dive straight off Panagsama Beach, which is home to an extraordinary array of coral, anemones, sponges, and a swarming host of brightly colored reef fish. Olango Island, 20 minutes from the airport in Cebu supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found in the country. These birds migrating from Russia stop here en route to Australia. See more at http://www.cebucitytourism.com/aboutcebucity.html "What Permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet" Dr. David Takayoshi Suzuki- World renown Japanese-Canadian academic, science broadcaster & environmental activist. ABOUT US Permaculture Action Asia is a brand new non-profit social enterprise focused on Permaculture. We provide free Permaculture courses and distribute seeds and plants to low income beneficiaries. This program will start Jan 2011 Cebu province-wide, and from 2012, is to spread around Region 7, and from 2013, Philippines wide. Permaculture Action Asia manages 8 Permaculture demonstration sites (opening 2011) located around Cebu province. Our flagship demo site, Cebu Eco-Culture Club, showcases the 5 zones of Permaculture in a 64 hectare Cebu City site, and houses 40 beneficiary families as a model eco village. ENROL NOW online! http://www.permacultureph.org/enroll.html Hi there, We are a NGO in Philippines looking for volunteers on our eco farms (permaculture) . The volunteer opportunity is- After a 2 weeks permaculture course/orientation, Volunteers would work on the Permaculture demo sites and with below poverty line beneficiaries on their own sites. Alternatively, also in our head office in admin/clerical, marketing, IT or other capacities depending on skills of volunteers. -- JENSEN GO CHOW B Business/ LLB Executive Director Permaculture Action Asia, Inc. "Solving the World's Problems in a Garden" www.PermaculturePh.org www.facebook.com/permacultureph www.twitter.com/permacultureph www.youtube.com/permacultureph http://www.linkedin.com/companies/permaculture-action-asia-inc.?trk=copro_tab "Permaculture is revolution disguised as organic gardening" Graham Burnett ÂPermaculture  A Beginners Guide Unit 2, Ground Floor, Josepha Arcade, Sergio V. Lim Building General Maxilom Ave, Cebu City 6000, Philippines Phone: +63 (32) 412 4076 Fax: +63 (32) 231 7537

I guess it's time for me to go beyond a general interest in LA and decide what it is I want to do. What stirred my interest and question was the combination of outdoors work, creative work, nature, environment, and the fact that getting into LA with an engineering/geology background might easier than switching to something else "creative" that didn't involve the science/engineering side of LA. As it turns out, I am really less interested in that part though. So maybe LA is not the degree for me or at least overkill. I have since talked to two local industry professionals which has been another eye opener. It seems, the two work at opposite ends of the spectrum. One designs high-end backyard paradises, deals with planting and design. The other has a workload that consists mostly of landscaping the space around his company's architecture projects, and deals with irrigation issues, city codes, turf grass, and sprinkler systems. The latter doesn't sound nearly as much fun as the former. It sounds too much like engineering. The guy was great, almost a life saver, provided a wealth of information, and yet I came away thinking maybe I am peering down the wrong alley here. Maybe I shouldn't try to pursue LA but continue gardening at home. Anyway, I got a number of leads for additional people to talk to, and I will see what they say. I could see myself working on residential projects and even for some municipal department. 99% of the cities I see are in dire need of landscaping and protecting those small and shrinking green interstices. Maybe my green passion for nature and environment would be better spent somewhere else rather than possibly having to go to work for a company that's "landscaping" urban sprawl. I don't mean to offend anyone. I just think much of urban USA is not a nice place to live. Is LA the field for someone wanting to make a difference here, or should I look into urban planning ? Anyone ? I'm confused.

Hey Donna, I think it is wonderful that you know as much as you do. I'm sorry that your community won't have the chance to share in that knowledge. I hope that as new methods and information are developed that you will have the same access that the MGs will have through the updates and continuing education they participate in. One of the things I enjoy most in the program is the notification we get from researchers in contact with the Extension Service as new information is developed. I learned how to propagate plants in test tubes a while back so I could teach other MGs how to do it. I learned how to build and maintain an ornamental pond for our Display Gardens.I also researched and built a greenroof to demonstrate to visitors. I am sure I could have done those projects and others without being a Master Gardener and maybe I could have passed that information on to others but it sure wouldn't have been the dozens and sometime hundreds that I have had a chance to talk to. Yes, I will admit it is marvelous to know all that stuff but being able to pass that info on to others is the real ego boost. Recently I needed to learn a great deal about the Emerald Ash Borer that has invaded this part of the country so I could answer the questions that came in about it. Much of that info came in from other Extension Offices and I was able to answer close to 50 inquiries about that problem that came in on the hotline. I am only one of many who answer those calls so you can multiply what I got by about 10 times. Does that count as worthwhile? When I was asked to teach some of the classes I am sure that I did not perform as well as a professional instructor but I did get better with time. I seriously doubt that the program would be to your taste since you are only interested in what you can get out of it and it sounds like you are more interested in telling others that you don't need to learn any more than finding out what you might not know. To be blunt, I think the program is better off without your participation. Sandy