Development, trends and challenges for the profession

Landscape architecture is facing growing challenges: Climate change, the energy transition and the protection of biodiversity require new solutions and concepts. At the same time, the need for qualified landscape architects is growing, but the shortage of skilled workers is becoming increasingly noticeable. The bdla therefore conducts an annual survey of the number of first-year students and graduates at the 14 universities that offer landscape architecture courses that are eligible for chamber registration. The reported figures provide valuable information on how the profession is developing in terms of personnel. The total figures are now available for the period from 2013 to 2023 inclusive.

The number of first-year Bachelor's students in degree programs eligible for chamber registration has seen a positive overall trend over the last eleven years. Demand peaked in 2020 with a high of 1,099 first-year students. Since then, the numbers have leveled off at around 940 first-year students.

In the area of Master's degree programs, the number of first-year students remained relatively constant at around 422 until 2020, with significant fluctuations only occurring after the coronavirus pandemic. A so-called "catch-up effect" led to a peak of 554 new students in 2020, which was due to delays in administrative processes at the universities. Since then, however, the numbers have been declining again and stand at 426 in 2023, a level that corresponds to the long-term median of 429.

The picture is mixed when it comes to the number of graduates. While the number of Bachelor's graduates has remained relatively stable in recent years, with moderate fluctuations between a low of 519 in 2021 and a high of 625 in 2014, the Master's sector shows a much more positive trend. Since 2013, the number of Master's graduates has increased continuously - from 187 in 2013 to 369 in 2023. The average annual growth is 7%, with the highest figure of 400 graduates reached in 2022.

For some time now, the bdla has been taking a wide range of effective publicity measures to attract young people to the profession of landscape architect and to arouse their interest in studying landscape architecture. The commitment to strengthening and expanding university locations, including an independent landscape architecture course in the Hamburg, Rhineland and Ruhr metropolitan regions, is also a focal point of professional policy.

The detailed overall evaluation on the topic of young talent can be accessed below:

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