Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
College of Design and Engineering (CDE) adopted a new undergraduate curriculum structure for students enrolled in the academic year starting in August 2025. Students should read a total of 160 units (or the equivalent of 40 courses) comprising:
1. Common Curriculum: 40 units (or the equivalent of 10 courses)
2. Primary Major: 80 units (or the equivalent of 20 courses)
3. Unrestricted Electives: 40 units (or the equivalent of 10 courses)
These aim to provide CDE students with a comprehensive and well-rounded education, preparing them for success in their chosen careers and beyond.
 |
The Common Curriculum consists of 10 carefully curated pillars to give a solid foundation in interdisciplinary skills. We emphasise instilling lifelong skills in data and digital literacy, design thinking, and critical thinking via the following pillars:
1. Design Thinking
2. Maker Space
3. Artificial Intelligence
4. Project Management
5. Data Literacy
6. Digital Literacy
7. Critique and Expression
8. Cultures and Connections
9. Singapore Studies
10. Communities and Engagement
 |
Curriculum Overview
In the first year, students are introduced to foundational concepts in design: ways of sensing, reading, understanding, and interpreting fundamental landscape elements in forms, structures, materiality, and functions. A basic grounding in the first year includes introduction of landscape architecture, history and theory, and essential landscape representation techniques.
In the second and third years, students progress to acquire more advanced skills in site representation, site analysis, design representation specialised software, and spatial analytical tools. Students begin to synthesize landscape forms, structures, processes and functions with more specialised knowledge in planting design, landscape engineering, and advanced water sensitive urban design.
In the fourth year, students decide how to utilise their unrestricted elective space. Those who wish can choose between two specialisations,: one in Landscape Studies and another in Landscape Practice. Both of which are recognised by the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects for accreditation.
Upon completion of the four-year programme, students will receive the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and are eligible to apply for the MLA programme with direct admission into the second year of MLA if they fulfil the necessary criteria for advanced placement credits (APCs).
List of Courses Required to Graduate
FOR COHORTS JOINING IN AY25/26 AND AFTER
| LAD1001A Design 1 (8 units) | |
| LAD1003 Introduction to Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD1005 Design 2 (8 units) | |
| LAD2003 Landscape Construction I (4 units) | |
| LAD2004 Planting Design and Horticulture (4 units) | |
| LAD2005 Introductory GIS for Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD2006 Design 3 (8 units) | |
| LAD2007 Design 4 (8 units) | |
| LAD2008 Landscape Representation (4 units) | |
| LAD2009 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD2010 Landscape Ecology (4 units) | |
| LAD3001 Design 5 (8 units) | |
| LAD3002 Design 6 (8 units) | |
| 1 BLA Recognized elective (4 units) |
Total Core Courses: 80 units
List of BLA Recognized Electives
*Subject to offer by respective departments
Landscape Architecture
| LAD3005 Landscape Architecture Internship Programme | |
| LAD3006 Basics of Ecology | |
| LAD4005 Topics in Landscape Architecture |
| DTK2234 Advanced Design Thinking (4 units) | |
| EG1311BE Design and Make (4 units) | |
| CDE2212 AI for Design (4 units) | |
| PF1101A Project Management and Finance (4 units) |
Total Common Curriculum: 16 units
| AR2524 Spatial Computational Thinking (4 units) | |
| CDE2501 Sustainable Systems for Liveable Cities (4 units) | |
| GEA1000 Quantitative Reasoning with Data (4 units) |
Other GE course (4 units)
Other GE course (4 units)
Other GE course (4 units)
Total General Education: 24 units
Total: 40 units (10 courses) available to create 2 specializations:
| Common to both: | |
| LAD4008 Design 7 (8 units) | |
| Landscape Practice track (12 units): | |
| LAD4010 Design 8 (8 units) | |
| LAD4003 Landscape Construction II (4 units) | |
| Landscape Studies track (Choose 3 – 12 units): | |
| AR5301 Introduction to GIS (4 units) | |
| LAD4006 Digital Techniques in Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD4007 Political Ecology and Landscapes (4 units) | |
| LAD4012 Urban Greening: Technology and Techniques (4 units) | |
| LA5222 Urban Ecology and Design (4 units) | |
| LA5901 Special Topics in Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
List of BLA Recognized Electives
| LAD3003 Professional Practice (4 units) | |
| LAD3005 Landscape Architecture Internship Programme (4 units) | |
| LAD4005 Topics in Landscape Architecture (4 units) |
FOR COHORTS JOINING IN AY24/25 AND BEFORE
| LAD1001 Design 1 (4 units) | |
| LAD1003 Introduction to Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD1004 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD1005 Design 2 (8 units) | |
| LAD2003 Landscape Construction I (4 units) | |
| LAD2004 Planting Design and Horticulture (4 units) | |
| LAD2005 Introduction to GIS for Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD2006 Design 3 (8 units) | |
| LAD2007 Design 4 (8 units) | |
| LAD3001 Design 5 (8 units) | |
| 1 BLA Recognized elective (4 units) |
Total Essential Courses: 60 units
List of BLA Recognized Electives
*Subject to offer by respective departments
Landscape Architecture
| LAD3005 Landscape Architecture Internship Programme | |
| LAD3006 Basics of Ecology | |
| LAD4005 Topics in Landscape Architecture | |
| LA5901 Special Topics in Landscape Architecture |
Department of Architecture
AR3233 Introduction to Urbanism
CDE
CDE2502 Cities for All
CDE2503 Cities in Nature
Department of Geography
GE2101 Methods and Practices in Geography
GE2102 Politics, Economies And Space
GE2103 Our Planet: an Earth Systems Science Perspective
GE2215 Introduction to GIS
GE2231 Living Space: Introducing Social and Cultural Geography
GE3204 Cities and Regions: Planning for Change
GE3206 Gender, Space and Place
GE3226 Tourism Development
GE3230A Field Studies in Geography: Southeast Asia
GE3235 Geographies of Development
GE3236 Transport and Communications
GE3238 GIS Design and Practices
GE3240 Geographical Research: Developing Ideas
GE3241 Geographies of Social Life
GE3249 Geographies of Life and Death
GE3250 Nature and Society
GE3252 Cartography and Geovisualization
GE3253 Weather and Climate
GE3254 Energy Futures: Environment and Sustainability
GE3255 Aquatic, Riparian and Coastal Systems
GE3256 Earth Surface Processes, Landforms and Ecosystems
GE3210 Natural Resources: Policy and Practice
GE3216 Applications of GIS & Remote Sensing
GE3251 Southeast Asia
GE3231 Natural Hazards
Department of Biological Sciences
LSM2251 Ecology and Environment
LSM2252 Biodiversity
LSM3254 Ecology of Aquatic Environments
LSM3255 Ecology of Terrestrial Environments
LSM3256 Tropical Horticulture
LSM3258 Comparative Botany
LSM4262 Tropical Conservation Biology
Department of Real Estate
RE1701 Urban Land Use and Development
RE1901 Real Estate Wealth Management
RE2701 Urban Planning
RE3903 GIS for Real Estate
School of Business
BSN3703 Entrepreneurial Strategy
TR3008 Technological Innovation
MNO3715 Leading Groups and Teams
| CDE2000 Creating Narratives (4 units) | |
| CDE2212 AI for Design (4 units) | |
| DTK1234A Design Thinking (4 units) | |
| EG1311 Design and Make (4 units) | |
| CDE2501 Liveable Cities (4 units) | |
| IE2141 Systems Thinking and Dynamics (4 units) | |
| PF1101 Fundamentals of Project Management (4 units) | |
| LAD3002 Design 6 (Integrated Project/Studio) (8 units) |
Total Common Curriculum: 36 units
| AR2524 Spatial Computational Thinking (4 units) | |
| GEA1000 Quantitative Reasoning with Data (4 units) |
Other GE course (4 units)
Other GE course (4 units)
Other GE course (4 units)
Other GE course (4 units)
Total General Education: 24 units
Total: 40 units (10 courses) available to create 2 specializations:
| Common to both: | |
| LAD4008 Design 7 (8 units) |
Landscape Practice track (12 units):
| LAD4010 Design 8 (8 units) | |
| LAD4003 Landscape Construction II (4 units) |
Landscape Studies track (Choose 3 – 12 units):
| LAD4004 Geodesign (4 units) | |
| LAD4006 Digital Techniques in Landscape Architecture (4 units) | |
| LAD4007 Political Ecology and Landscapes (4 units) | |
| LAD4012 Urban Greening: Technology and Techniques (4 units) | |
| LA5222 Urban Ecology and Design (4 units) | |
| LA5901 Special Topics in Landscape Architecture (4 units) |
BLA Courses offered in AY26/27
| LAD1001A Design 1 | |
| LAD1003 Intro to Landscape Arch | |
| DTK2234 Advanced Design Thinking | |
| LAD2005 Introductory GIS for LA | |
| LAD2006 Design 3 | |
| LAD2004 Planting Design & Hort | |
| LAD3001 Design 5 | |
| LAD4008 Design 7 | |
| AR5301 Introduction to GIS | |
| LAD4006 Digital Techniques in Landscape Architecture | |
| LAD4007 Political Ecology and Landscapes | |
| LA5222 Urban Ecology and Design |
*For other courses please consult NUSMods and EduRec.
| LAD1005 Design 2 | |
| LAD2003 Landscape Construction I | |
| LAD2008 Landscape Representation | |
| LAD2010 Landscape Ecology | |
| LAD2007 Design 4 | |
| LAD2009 History & Theory of LA | |
| LAD3002 Design 6 | |
| LAD3003 Professional Practice | |
| LAD3005 Internship (Special Term) | |
| LAD4010 Design 8 | |
| LAD4003 Landscape Construction II | |
| LAD4012 Urban Greening: Technology and Techniques | |
| LA5901 Special Topics in Landscape Architecture |
*For other courses please consult NUSMods and EduRec.