Cal Poly Pomona vs Cal Poly SLO - Landscape Architecture major

College Search & Selection
1

Hi I got accepted by Calpoly Pomona, CPP and Calpoly SLO on Landscape Architecture major
Any suggestion which school I should pick? I am living very close to CPP and may save some living cost however, school ranking SLO is higher.
CPP:
4 years program
accredited school
Bachelor of science in LA

Calpoly SLO:
5 years program
accredited school
Bachelor in LA

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What is the difference in the CPP 4 year program vs 5 years at SLO other than an extra year of tuition and housing costs?

Not familiar with the programs but also not one for making decision based on rankings.

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I am not sure but I believe 5 years program in Calpoly SLO may have more designs or technical aspects and this school is ranking # 1 from hired from schools of designintelligence.

4

If both schools are affordable, then SLO seems a logical choice. You cannot go wrong with either school. (This from a CPP alumni).

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A post was split to a new thread: Information about CPP Engineering

6

You may check the scam folder. Sometimes, it is there. If no rejected email, it means you still have hope. To me, studying in PCC may save a lot money. It may save more than $70k for the degree but I think Calploy SLO is a better school even CPP is not bad …very hard decision.

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I don’t know the programs but, the college town experience weighs heavily in SLOs favor. Not sure its worth an extra year but, if could spend an extra year anywhere, SLO would be near the top of my list.

Congrats and good luck

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8

Cal Poly Pomona offers a B.S. in Landscape Architecture whereas Cal Poly SLO offers the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture. Both programs are accredited by the American Association of Landscape Architects and both would work for California’s Landscape Architects Technical Committee of its Architecture Board (i.e. getting licensed in California). On the FAQ page there it does say,

“Candidates should be aware that although California accepts the education and training/experience as outlined in law, the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) and other state licensing boards may not recognize the same education and training/experience. This can make obtaining CLARB Certification and reciprocity licensure difficult for those who deviate from the traditional method of acquiring education and training/experience for licensure.”

Based on what I’ve learned from architecture, a Bachelor’s of Architecture or a Master’s of Architecture is the national standard for licensure. So if a student gets a B.S. in Architecture (rather than a Bachelor of Architecture) they then need to go on to get their Master of Architecture. The architecture accreditation board doesn’t provide accreditation for the B.S. in Architecture programs though, and Landscape Architecture obviously does. My guess would be that some states require a B. LA or M. LA for licensure and that’s the caveat that California is putting in its licensing FAQ. Obviously, the best way of verifying this is to talk with the California board and with the national one (and/or practicing landscape architects).

Thus, I would assume that SLO would fulfill the educational requirements for licensure anywhere in the U.S., but Pomona’s B.S. degree would only fulfill educational requirements in California or in the states with similar standards. But again, verify with someone who knows for sure.

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9

Thanks for your info

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10

Yes, I agree what you said too.

11

I believe I have high chance to stay in CA for the license. After getting the LA license, then it should be reciprocal with other states based on the LA license, not education anymore. It means I may concern the program of both schools how good is more than the accreditation issue.

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Not all states have a reciprocity agreement with California probably, at least in part, due to this educational requirement. That’s why I included the quote from the California board above. Pay attention to the part that I bolded below.

ETA: Just did a quick search on reciprocity with California. I didn’t find any specific links on the subject, but one of the first links that popped up was for Arkansas’ reciprocity policy

Reciprocal Registration Standards

An applicant who holds a current and valid record issued by CLARB and submits satisfactory evidence of such record to the board can be registered, provided the applicant meets the following requirements.

  1. An applicant must be of good moral character, as verified by employers and other references.
  2. An applicant must hold a professional degree in landscape architecture from a degree program that has been accredited by LAAB.
    (5 other requirements, emphasis added)

Some states are just using the term “a degree” that’s accredited by LAAB. But if they’re saying “professional degree” then I’m 99% sure that means B. or M. Landscape Architecture, not B.S. And this is for a reciprocity license, not the initial one.

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Thank you so much for your reply. Yeah properly I would go Calpoly SLO for BLA. I believe I pay what I get. 5 years BLA program means one year extra learning and preparation for my future comparing with 4 years Bsc LA program. Even I have to pay more, it is investing for future. Thanks a lot for your help.

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