A 2012 HESA survey of 2011 graduates indicates that six months after graduation just over 60% of landscape and garden design graduates were in employment. Almost a further 6% were combining work and study.

Of those going into work, just over half entered professional and technical occupations. On graduating, most went to work in design practices, private or public, or for other environmental and development-related organisations.

Just over 7% went into commercial, industrial or public sector management roles. A large number of landscape and garden design graduates, like graduates in other subjects, also went into stop-gap jobs, presumably to gain experience or earn money before travelling.

Where are the jobs?

According to Lantra: The Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Sector , £3billion is contributed to the UK economy by the landscaping industry. Around 96% of businesses are micro-businesses that employ fewer than ten people.  

Work in bigger organisations is available, though, including voluntary organisations, such as Groundwork , public sector bodies, such as the Forestry Commission , and large engineering and construction firms.

Landscape architects may choose to specialise in design or landscape management, landscape planning or landscape science, depending on their skills, experience and personal interests. After developing their expertise and building a reputation, they may choose to be employed or self-employed as consultants.

For an insight into employment areas with your landscape and garden design degree, see:

• property and construction - considers the wide range of opportunities in the construction sector for graduates, routes in and how the sector is developing;
• environment and agriculture - explores a range of career possibilities in the environment and rural sector, looking at future trends and developments and routes in;
• public sector - opportunities available in government bodies at all levels.

For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors. 

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?