LA30900
The design process ends with a built project. The career process ends with a job offer. Both require the same thing: the ability to communicate an idea to someone who needs to be convinced.
LA30900 prepares students for the professional application process through a semester of direct firm exposure, portfolio development, and professional writing. Each semester, practicing design firms connect virtually with the class to present their work, culture, and markets; giving students first-hand knowledge of the offices they will pursue. Students build a complete application package through a structured sequence of checkpoints and both instructor and peer reviews, graduating from the course ready for the annual Spring Career Fair and a year in professional practice.
The reference materials on this site are written for Purdue landscape architecture students but are applicable to any student in the design professions preparing for their first professional position. The content draws on years of employer feedback, career fair data, and direct observation of what separates the students who get hired from those who struggle to communicate their value.
Years Taught
2017 - present
Course Format
Fall Semester: Sixteen-week course covering virtual firm presentations, portfolio development, professional writing, and interview preparation. Enrollment limited to junior-year landscape architecture students pursuing the required co-op year.
Spring Career Fair: Annual Purdue Landscape Architecture Career Fair. Students present completed portfolios and application materials to attending design firms for co-op placement interviews.
Co-op Management: Year-round firm placement coordination, mid-year and final performance reviews, and ongoing student support across the 10–14 month co-op experience.