Degree: B.S.

Coordinator: David Tulloch (dtulloch@crssa.rutgers.edu)

This curriculum provides a broad educational experience emphasizing an understanding of planning and design as they relate to the physical environment and the management of that environment. Particular attention is given to the interaction of natural and social systems. The curriculum includes four options: Environmental Geomatics, Environmental Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Landscape Industry.

Environmental Geomatics. Environmental geomatics synthesizes a number of concepts and techniques, including remote sensing, spatial analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), and global positioning systems (GPS) that are used to improve the planning and management of natural resource systems. These techniques include the development of complex spatial databases from a wide range of data sources and the application of this information to solve environmental problems. The option is intended for students interested in pursuing professional careers in environmental planning/management, remote sensing, and geomatics, and provides a basis for graduate and professional studies. An environmental geomatics certificate program also is available for students in other programs of study. (See the Minor and Certificate Programs section at the end of this chapter.)

Environmental Planning. Environmental planning requires the integration of environmental information into the planning process and is concerned with the protection and enhancement of environmental systems while meeting demands for growth and development. This option is intended for students who are interested in pursuing professional careers in environmental planning and related areas. It also provides a basis for graduate and professional studies. An environmental planning certificate program also is available for students in other programs of study. (See the Minor and Certificate Programs section at the end of this chapter.)

Landscape Architecture. Landscape architecture is concerned with the harmonious integration of people and nature in the creation of outdoor spaces for a variety of purposes. Emphasis is on sensitive site design using both social and environmental information. Issues addressed by landscape architects range from the design of parks, housing sites, and gardens to the planning, design, and management of entire regions. This option is intended for students who are interested in employment with landscape architecture, architecture, engineering, and planning firms and government agencies concerned with parks, recreation, environmental resources, and urban planning. Landscape architecture is a professional curriculum nationally accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Entrance into the upper level (junior year) is competitive, based on an evaluation of the student's performance at the beginning level (sophomore year).

Landscape Industry. This option provides students with a broad-based education in preparation for careers in landscape-related industries such as contracting, maintenance, nursery production, and garden-center operations.

I. College Mission: Interdisciplinary Critical Analysis (5-6 credits)

  11:015:101  Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment (2)

  11:015:400  Junior/Senior Colloquium (3) 

II. Introductory Life and Physical Sciences

A. Life Sciences (4 credits)

  01:119:103  Principles of Biology (4) or equivalent

B. Physical Sciences (3 credits)

  01:460:101  Introductory Geology I: Physical (3)

Students who have completed another course in the list of physical sciences courses in the Degree Requirements chapter may substitute a course in physical geography.

III. Humanities and the Arts (6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

IV. Multicultural and International Studies (6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

V. Human Behavior, Economic Systems, and Political Processes (9 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter. Microeconomics is recommended for students in the Landscape Industry option.

VI. Oral and Written Communication (6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

VII. Experience-Based Education (0-3 credits)

Students in the landscape architecture option fulfill this requirement by way of applied problem-solving projects in upper-level courses.

Students in the environmental geomatics, environmental planning, and landscape industry options may complete the requirement without formal credit through option-related summer employment or volunteer service with an appropriate public agency, private industry, or nonprofit organization. If a student elects to meet this requirement without applying for credit, then it is the student's responsibility to provide his or her academic adviser with written documentation of work experience for approval prior to graduation. Students also may fulfill the experience-based education requirement by completing at least 3 credits from the following courses:

  11:015:497,498  George H. Cook Scholars Program (BA,BA)

  11:199:___  Cooperative Education

  11:300:487  Student Teaching (9)

  11:372:493,494  Special Problems in Environmental Resources (BA,BA)

  11:704:483,484  Research Problems in Applied Ecology (BA,BA)

VIII. Proficiency in Environmental Planning and Design (57-81 credits)

A. REQUIRED COURSES (15)

Quantitative Skills (4)

  01:640:115  Precalculus College Mathematics (4) or equivalent

Computer and Information Technology Competence

Computer applications are integral to all aspects of environmental planning and design.

Professional Ethics

Ethical aspects of environmental planning and design are incorporated into several upper-level courses through the use of case studies and applied problems.

Additional Requirements (11)

  11:372:231  Fundamentals of Environmental Planning (3)

  11:372:232  Fundamentals of Environmental Geomatics (3)

  11:372:233  Fundamentals of Environmental Geomatics Laboratory (1)

  11:704:351  Principles of Ecology (4) or 11:704:332 Plant Ecology (4)

B. OPTIONS (43.5-59)

1. Environmental Geomatics (42-66)

Required courses (28.5-32)

  11:372:362  Intermediate Environmental Geomatics (3)

  11:372:369  Analytical Methods for Environmental Geomatics (3)

  11:372:371  Air-Photo Interpretation (3)

  11:372:374  Global Positioning Systems (1.5) or 01:450: 355 Principles of Cartography (4) or 11:372:322 Land Measurement and Mapping

  11:372:442  Applied Principles of Hydrology (3)

  11:372:462  Advanced Environmental Geomatics (3)

  11:372:474  Advanced Remote Sensing (3)

  11:375:102  Soils and Society (3) or 11:375:360 Soils and Water (4) or  11:776:404 Soil Management for Sports and Landscape Applications (3)

  11:670:202  Elements of Climatology (3) or 11:670: 306 Weather, Climate, and Environmental Design (3)

  01:960:401  Basic Statistics for Research (3) or equivalent

An additional concentration, minor, or certificate program selected from the following (15-27):

Concentration in Landscape Architecture (18-21)

  Courses selected from the landscape architecture-option requirements (see VIII B4 below).

Approved Certificate Programs (15-24)

Environmental Planning (21)

Historic Preservation (15)

International Agriculture/Environment (21-23)

Real Estate Development (24)

Social Strategies for Environmental Protection (24)

Urban Planning (24)

Approved Minor Programs (18-27)

Agroecology (21-24)

Entomology (19-26)

Environmental and Business Economics (21-23)

Environmental Policy, Institutions, and  Behavior (18)

Geography (18)

Marine Sciences (18)

Meteorology (18)

Natural Resource Management (20-25)

Plant Science (18-20)

Science and Agriculture Teacher Education (24-27)

Individualized 18-24 credit concentrations may be developed with the approval of the student's adviser. Students must obtain adviser approval for individualized concentrations during the first term of the junior year.

2. Environmental Planning (55-64)

Required courses (22-24)

  11:372:381  Introduction to Systems Thinking and the Systems Approach (3)

  11:372:442  Applied Principles of Hydrology (3)

  11:375:102  Soils and Society (3) or 11:375:360 Soils and Water (4) or 11:776:404 Soil Management for Sports and Landscape Applications (3)

  11:550:231  Introduction to Environmental Design I (5)

  11:550:232  Introduction to Environmental Design II (5) or two of the following courses (6): 11:550:230 Environmental Design Analysis (3); 11:550:330 History of Landscape Architecture (3); 10:975:316 Urban Design and Site Planning (3)

  11:670:202  Elements of Climatology (3) or 11:670: 306 Weather, Climate, and Environmental Design (3)

Electives (33-40)

 Five additional courses from the following (15):

  11:372:409  New Jersey Planning Practice (3)

  11:372:411  Environmental Planning and the Development Process (3)

  11:375:351  Land Planning and Utilization (3)

  10:975:250  Introduction to Urban Housing (3)

  10:975:305  U.S. Urban Policy (3)

  10:975:306  Introduction to Urban and Environmental Planning (3)

  10:975:315  Theory and Methods of Land-Use Planning (3)

  10:975:316  Urban Design and Site Planning (3)

  10:975:335  Administrative Issues in Environment and Land-Use Planning (3)

  10:975:420  Computers in Planning and Management (3)

  10:975:444  American Land (3)

  10:975:474  Tourism Planning (3)

  10:975:478  History of Planning Thought (3)

  10:975:481  Housing and Economic Analysis (3)

Adviser-approved course(s) in planning

An additional concentration, minor, or certificate program selected from the following (18-25):

 Concentration in Landscape Architecture (18-21)

  Courses selected from the landscape architecture-  option requirements (see VIII B4 below), in addition to 11:550:231.

Approved Certificate Programs (18-24)

Environmental Geomatics (18)

Historic Preservation (15)

International Agriculture/Environment (21-23)

Real Estate Development (24)

Social Strategies for Environmental Protection (24)

Urban Planning (24)

Approved Minor Programs (18-25)

Agroecology (21-24)

Environmental and Business Economics (21-23)

Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior (18)

Geography (18)

Marine Sciences (18)

Meteorology (19)

Natural Resource Management (20-25)

Plant Science (18-20)

Individualized 18-24 credit concentrations may be developed with the approval of the student's adviser. Students must obtain adviser approval for individualized concentrations during the first term of the junior year.

3. Landscape Architecture (65-66)

  11:372:322  Land Measurement and Mapping (3)

  11:550:231, 232  Introduction to Environmental Design I,II (5,5)

  11:550:233-234  Landscape Plants I,II (3,3)

  11:550:250  Computer-Aided Design for Landscape Architects (3)

  11:550:330  History of Landscape Architecture (3)

  11:550:331, 332  Intermediate Landscape Architecture I,II (5,5)

  11:550:337  Design Communication (3)

  11:550:340  Planting Design (4)

  11:550:341  Landscape Architecture Construction I: Site Engineering (4)

  11:550:342  Landscape Architecture Construction II: Materials and Structures (3)

  11:550:431, 432  Advanced Landscape Architecture I,II (5,5)

  11:550:433  Architectural Design (3)

  11:550:441  Construction Implementation and Practice (4)

  11:776:202  Applied Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)

Two of the following science courses (6-8):

11:372:442 Applied Principles of Hydrology (3)

11:375:102 Soils and Society (3)

11:375:360 Soils and Water (4)

11:704:403 Urban Forestry (3)

11:776:202 Applied Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)

11:776:304 Turfgrass Management (4)

11:776:404  Soil Management for Sports and Landscape Applications (3)

An adviser-approved substitute

4. Landscape Industry (48-52)

Required courses (30)

  11:372:322  Land Measurement and Mapping (3)

  11:550:231  Introduction to Environmental Design I (5)

  11:550:233-234  Landscape Plants I,II (3,3)

  11:550:235  Herbaceous Plants and Landscape (3)

  11:550:238  Landscape Management and Maintenance (3)

  11:550:239  Planning and Planting the Residential Environment (3)

  11:550:340  Planting Design (4)

  11:776:211  Introduction to Horticulture (3)

Electives (18-22)

Two of the following courses (6-7):

  11:370:350  Agricultural Entomology and Pest Management (3)

  11:770:301  General Plant Pathology (3)

  11:770:391  Diseases of Urban and Forest Trees (1.5)

  11:776:200  Modern Crop Production (3)

  11:776:210  Principles of Botany (4)

  11:776:242  Plant Science (3)

  11:776:310  Plant Propagation (3)

  11:776:401  Postharvest Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)

  11:776:439  Nursery Crop Production (3)

Two of the following science courses (6-8):

  11:372:442  Applied Principles of Hydrology (3)

  11:375:102  Soils and Society (3)

  11:375:360  Soils and Water (4)

  11:704:403  Urban Forestry (3)

  11:776:202  Applied Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)

  11:776:304  Turfgrass Management (4)

  11:776:404   Soil Management for Sports and Landscape Applications (3)

  An adviser-approved substitute science course

Two of the following courses (6):

  33:010:272  Introduction to Financial Accounting I (3)

  11:373:231  Agribusiness Marketing (3)

  11:373:361  Land Economics (3) or 11:373:241 Agribusiness Management (3)

  10:975:440  Introduction to Real Estate (3)

  An adviser-approved substitute business course

IX. Unspecified Electives (5-32 credits)