Professional Criteria for the Accreditation of Studies in Landscape Architecture

2nd edition (1st English edition)

ASAP Association for the Recognition of Studies in Architecture and Planning

Contents 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2 3 3.1 3.2 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3 3.2.4 3.2.5 Guidelines References to national and international standards Professional qualification and accreditation status International dimension of landscape-architectural studies Reciprocal, transnational recognition of university qualifications Creating university profiles General educational goals Contents and curricular structure of the educational programme Requirements according to EFLA Accreditation criteria for programme contents Specific knowledge/skills and competence of the landscape architect Theory related to professional practice Social competence Presentation, co-ordination and mediation Overview: requirements profile of landscape-architectural education Degrees / Diplomas Bachelors / Masters programmes Diploma programmes Immatriculation criteria Course modules and ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) Practical training Practical training prior to Bachelors studies Practical training in between terms Training on the job Further education and training Study excursions Research and teaching Faculty Structures Professors Assistant professors / lecturers Visiting professors and other external lecturers Infrastructure Usable floor space Drafting studios/Student work spaces Workshops, laboratories, dp pools

4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6 7 7.1 7.2 7.3 8 8.1 8.2 8.3

8.4 8.5 8.6 9 10 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5

Library Research laboratories Spaces for communication and presentations Funding / Third-party Funding Quality control Interaction between the profession and society Interdisciplinarity Educational credits Presentations Publications

Appendix: Further applicable documents

Guidelines

In this manual, ASAP has formulated the revised professional criteria for the ac creditation of study programmes in landscape architecture (which complement the interdisciplinary standards of accreditation applied by agencies like ZEvA, ASIIN and ACQUIN. Parallel to these criteria, ASAP is also publishing the accreditation criteria relating to studies in architecture, interior design and urban/regional planning in their second German-language editions. It is of special significance that, for the first time in the history of architectural and landscapearchitectural education, the accreditation association of ASAP has gathered representatives from the different professional fields and the academic world with a view to introducing quality improvement and controls procedures into the different educational programmes. In view of the rich variety of studies offered by landscape-architectural education programmesas it exists already or is anticipated for the time after the deregulation of universitiesthis will create a reference framework for accreditation designed to ensure both the national and international compatibility of educational programmes and to promote the different individual or regional profiles of accredited universities. The expert committee on landscape architecture is aware of the fact that these criteria must be adapted and up-dated regularly and therefore sees itself as a forum for fruitful discussions about how to educate future landscape architects. The study programmes in landscape architecturestill traditionally also called landscape conservation or land planningprepare students for careers in a broad range of professions active in land and nature conservation, regional planning, landscape design, or the care of historic gardens. The aim of the educational programmes is to make it possible for graduates, after two or three years of practice (depending on the number of years stipulated by the respective states laws), to be registered by the different architects chambers as licensed landscape and garden architects. Not every study programme necessarily offers this chance. However, all should aim to offer a core programme that complies with the qualifications required by architects chambers and with the educational goals and contents of EFLAs (European Foundation for Landscape Architecture) Education Policy Documents of October 1998.

1.1

References to national and international standards

The education of landscape architects holds a special place in the academic world in so far as it prepares students for a profession that is protected by the architects laws of the different federal German states. Prerequisite for practising the profession are full-time studies and curricula which comply with the following national and international framework conditions:

national: the German university framework legislation of 19 January 1999 the Joint federal states structural directive according to 9.2 University Framework Law (HRG) for the accreditation of Bachelors and Masters curric ula (resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Culture and Education of 10 October 2003) international: the European directives on the accreditation of university degrees (89/48/EEC) and the recognition of professional qualification certificates (92/51/EEC), that is the future EU guidelines on the recognition of professional qualifications the EFLA Education Policy Document in its June 1998 version. The UNESCO/UIA Charter for Architectural Education and the UIA Accord on Recommended International Standards of Professionalism in Architectural Practice apply to architecture, but may alsocorrespondinglyserve as a guide for curricula in landscape architecture. The following framework conditions for education programmes in landscape architecture are derived from the fact that they are subject to the abovementioned directives and laws: A Masters degree in landscape architecture presupposes that curricula leading up to it teach a sufficient number of the subjects listed in para 3. In analogy to the UIA Accord, a consecutive full-time five-year study period should be the aim; the minimum permissible period is four years exclusive of the necessary periods of practical training in between terms (see also para 5.2). In the case of part-time studies parallel to professional practice, the stipulated study periods are extended accordingly. Accreditation by ASAP is designed not only to fix minimum standards, but also to guarantee high-quality education.

1.2

Professional qualification and accreditation status

The following list of qualification criteria reflects the fact that every university course in landscape architecture is geared to qualifying students for professional practice. In Germany, this generally also means for registration by the respective professional chamber. Due to the European directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC, parallel to consecutive study programmes, diploma study courses are also accredited. Based on the different quality stages of curricula and the degrees they lead to, ASAP will specify its accreditation accordingly.

Model 1 (study programmes 6 and 4) Accreditation for the new five-year consecutive studies (three years for a Bachelors degree in landscape architecture, immediately followed by a two-year Masters course) as well as existing diploma programmes meet the criteria formulated in ASAP manuals. This means that Masters are qualified to work as landscape architects are generally eligible for senior civil service positions have also qualified to work abroad, as Masters study modules are internationally compatible. Accreditation is granted with the addendum: Qualifies for professional activities as a landscape architect in Germany, in compliance with professional chamber legislation and with EU directives 89/48 and 92/51.

Model 2 (study programmes 8 and 2) Deviations from Model 1 must be specially justified. Accreditation for shortened, four-year, study programmes follows the European directive for diploma degrees and the respective professional chamber legislation. This means that during the four-year course, bachelors acquire all the knowledge and skills indispensable for professional work

 bachelors have obtained qualifications enabling them to work as landscape architects landscape architects with bachelor degrees are recognized throughout Europe according to EU Directives 89/48 and 92/51 an additional two-term Masters course is only possibleand accreditableas a theoretical or design specialization which enhances and extends a landscape architects professional performance. This course is consecutive, i.e. it follows on from a bachelors programme and generally opens the way to higher civil service and/or to further academic work for a PhD. Accreditation is granted with the addendum: Qualifies for professional activities as a landscape architect in Germany, in compliance with professional chamber legislation and with EU directives 89/48 and 92/51.

Diagram: Consecutive study programmes in landscape architecture

Model 1 Entitles gradu- M a s t e r ates to do a 2 years PhD, possible higher civil service Dipl.-Ing. Universitt degree 10.th Semester

Master 1 year specialization

Modell 2 EG directive Entitles graduates to do a PhD, possible higher civil service

9. th Semester

8.th Semester D i p l . - I n g . Bachelor diploma 7.th Semester engineer univerity of applied sci6.th Semester ences Bachelor 3 years main diploma course 5.th Semester 4 years Modell 2 EU directive, higher civil service

no chamber redistration higher civil service

4.th Semester

3.rd Semester

intermediate diploma course

2. nd Semester

1.st Semester

This diagram also applies to academies, depending on their statusuniversity or university of applied sciences With its accreditation, ASAP certifies that models 1 or 2 comply with the ac creditation criteria and the grade levels obtained. ASAP runs and publishes a list of accredited courses for both models and registers them with the different architects chambers. Following the joint declaration of the Conferences of Interior Ministers and of Ministers of Culture and Education, ASAP accreditation must also confirm whether a certain Masters degree certifies the qualifications necessary for higher civil service positions. In such cases, on application, the accreditation committee may include a representative of the respective state government. The committee will examine the educational institutes ability to train students in scientific work and the methods of the art; its success in teaching theory and analytical thinking and in promoting intellectual and social competence. The accreditation certificate will possibly contain the following addendum: The Masters degree qualifies for higher civil service positions. Every applicant university must include its accreditation status in the diploma supplements and certificates and has to publish it with its curriculum and ex amination regulations. Course advisors must explain the differences between Models 1 and 2 to university applicants.

1.3

International dimension of landscape-architectural studies

The globalizing trend in the different fields of landscape architecture creates new potentials, but also new problems. Traditional professional ways now come together with different political, economic developments and environmental fac tors, and these changes in the field have repercussions for the universities, influencing the debate about educational goals and contents. Every university must aim increasingly to enable graduates from accredited study programmes to take up jobs abroad. The transnational recognition of professional qualifications and educational programmesbeyond former separate national responsibilitiesis a new factor that should be fostered with a view to greater mobility of both students and professionals.

Such increased mobility makes it necessary to teach future landscape architects to respect, analyze and protect different cultural backgrounds and to prepare them for taking social responsibility and responding to local contexts and identities in their future fields of activity.

1.4

Reciprocal, transnational recognition of university qualifications

The principle of reciprocity demands that universities and educational institutions recognize other study programmes of the same accredited levels with all their academic facets. This means, in particular, the recognition of study certificates obtained at other universities if the latter have been accredited according to the standards listed in para 1.1. This recognition does not mean that each and every qualification or grade from accredited programmes must be recognized. Every university is autonomous and entitled to recognize or reject qualifications according to its own capabilities or criteria. If, however, a university recognizes certificates from another university accredited to the above mentioned criteria, it must also accept the achieved academic level of proficiency. The principle of reciprocity has been adopted to encourage exchanges of ex perience between students and teachers, and between universities offering ac credited curricula.

1.5

Creating university profiles

Bachelors and Masters programmes are special academic-profiling instruments as they allow universities to set specialization priorities within the framework of their research-and-practice-oriented educational programmes.

General educational goals

University courses in landscape architecture must prepare students for assuming societal tasks in their professional field. The universities should therefore aim to establish landscape architectural educational profiles that comprise the creative artistic, as well as the scientific, technical, social, economic and ecological aspects of landscaping. This requires a broad interdisciplinary educational approach which refers to natural processes and processes influenced/controlled by man.

The general goals for educating landscape architects are: providing an overview of the professional profile and field of the landscape architect as an autonomous planning discipline but complementing the other disciplines with regard to the specific problems and requirements arising in connection with plants, landscape, nature and ecology. The educational programmes should impart the necessary knowledge and skills required in professional practice encouraging, in particular, the acquisition of the theoretical knowledge and practical skills which will enable graduates to plan, design and preserve urban structures and rural areas according to human needs and taking into ac count the needs of nature, of landscapes and mans cultural heritage imparting basic knowledge in all technical, scientific, economic and social matters relating to landscaping which will enable graduates to assess the potential repercussions of their planning projects (and whether the intended developments resulting from them will actually happen), to implement plans and co-ordinate projects enabling graduates to shape their own project processes, to work with interdisciplinary teams, to assume leadership in interdisciplinary working groups and to control planning processes (mediation and co-ordination) fostering capabilities for deployments abroad teaching planning theory and how to apply different planning methods training the specific new media skills needed in professional practice

The university education of landscape architects must comprise two basic strands: qualifying competent, creative and critical experts in planning and building, and developing intellectually mature, ecologically sensitive, economically astute and socially responsible personalities.

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Landscape architecture is a discipline marked by interdisciplinarity comprising a number of important subject elements from the humanities, social and natural sciences, technology and art. 3 3.1 Contents and curricular structure of the educational programme Requirements according to EFLA

The EFLA Education Policy Document for landscape-architectural studies lists the following essential subjects, academic qualifications and practical skills designing and planning in landscape architecture theoretical knowledge skills man, society and the environment history and theory of landscape architecture history of art and architecture, history of urban planning, landscape and garden architecture, planning of urban parklands natural foundations and land use requirements ecology (flora and fauna, soil, water, climate, etc.) land use requirements (agriculture, urban development/building, industry, mining, traffic, recreation and tourism) technology and management data processing contract laws, construction technology, engineering sciences project management and economics landscape and nature conservation, gardening

3.2

Accreditation criteria for programme contents

The accreditation committee will check whether the list of subjects offered by applicant universities complies with both the basic, more general, and the specific qualifications mentioned below as required for the practice of landscape architecture. Accreditors will assess possible combinations of compulsory and facultative subjects/compulsory subject choice or study modules, rather than individual courses and, in doing so, judge the percentage of effective teaching and studying methods like interactive learning or self-motivated student project seminars in relation to the total number of (and time spent on) compulsory subjects. The assessment must judge whether modules comply with existing educational standards or not. 3.2.1 Specific knowledge / skills and competence of the landscape architect

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Analogous to the tasks formulated by the architects laws, the landscape architect designs and looks after open urban spaces and parks, landscape areas and the environment, including all the artistic, ecological, technical, financial and social parameters involved in landscape planning. University programmes in landscape architecture must therefore ensure that graduates obtain qualifications, knowledge and skills in the following fields: designing of landscapes, sites and open spaces project-specific designing spatial planning efficient, targeted working methods application of different analytical and planning procedures confident use of different levels of scaling and planning

competence in developing urban and rural areas, taking into account the economic framework conditions in connection with economical construction methods and technologies maintenance measures and costs monitoring and management concepts competence in dealing with the landscaping of sites and open spaces, taking into account user requirements the biotic and abiotic natural potentials the appearance and character of a landscape/city and the basics of landscape aesthetics the historical cultural heritage (man-made landscapes, monument conservation, care of parks) applying various technologies and biological engineering techniques, e.g. final planning and detailing, including plant selection material list (knowledge of materials and their behaviour) tendering, contracting, accounting taking into account the relevant laws, in particular those regulating nature protection/wildlife conservation planning and building laws law of contract (Civil Code, scale of fees for architects and engineers, contracting rules for award of public works, etc.)

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3.2.2 Theory related to professional practice Prior to immatriculation, students must have acquired some practical experience and knowledge of the most common plants. Students must learn to apply basic theory to practical planning, taking into account economic framework conditions and sociological aspects. Students should learn to deal with highly complex planning processes while also receiving practical training. Educational programmes must integrate periods of training on the job in firms active in the professional fields students wish to work in after graduation.

3.2.3 Social competence ability to solve problems and work in a team heading working groups or departments, planning offices, implementing contractors and parks departments promoting interdisciplinary teamwork self-evaluation, application of personal evaluation criteria readiness to accept criticism, ability to reflect criticism of ones own actions conflict management: mediating between parties, negotiating skills in the professional context (mediation, co-ordination) competence in integrating economic and social aspects

3.2.4 Presentation, co-ordination and mediation ability to present planning contents to professionals (planners, contractors, representatives of public departments) ability to present planning contents to non-professionals (clients, the public)

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 planning in the context of specific societies and cultures co-ordinating and mediating between the demands of several interest groups (in the context of a planning project); negotiating in the professional field

3.2.5 Overview: requirements profile of landscape-architectural education

Overall requirements

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Minimum standars

Didactics

Professional and political competence

Compulsory subjects lectures Facultative subjects/compulsory choice Theory of design and planning; methodolgy Rendering skills Preparatory practical Co-ordinating office for practical training periwork prior to immaods;Reading papers etc. triculation Practical work periods (in planing offices or on-site) in betweeen terms Group project work Interdisciplinary cooperations with other departments Developing project solutions with changing Player improvising/adhoc exercises project work seminars exercises

ANALYSIS autonimous analysis of abstract data and situation; application of broad range of different CREATIVITY Application of professional knowlegde/skills in sloving planning and design problems Closeness to professional practice

EVULATION Critical assessment of planning projects and expertises, and their critical representation

Social competence

Fostering team spirit, interdisciplinary approach and co-operation, accetance of criticism, ability to deal with conflicts

Presentation Co-ordination mediation

Presentation methology/techniques, both oral and grafihics/visual

Presentation of projects Exercises Improvising/ad-hoc exercises

Degrees / Diplomas

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The University Framework Law of 19 January 1999 stipulates that the new study programmes are divided into two, the first course leading to a Bachelors, the second to a Masters degree. These programmes permit the combination of different courses and also enable students to change from one type of university to another. Bachelor graduates in a subject related to landscape architecture will therefore be able to study for a Masters degree in landscape architec ture, and will possibly be requested to attend complementary courses before starting on a Masters degree.

4.1

Bachelors / Masters programmes

Bachelor The first stage of studies in landscape architecture must essentially teach the basic theory and skills of the art and foster awareness of the problems of design, co-ordination and implementation of landscaping projects. Graduates must be able to apply artistic approaches and scientific knowledge to the development of landscaping methods and solutions to specific briefs. For students to be able to obtain a Bachelors degrees within the stipulated study period, universities must offer clear basic curricular profiles. Every profile should be geared to one or several fields of professional activity and specify subjects accordingly. Bachelors programmes should concentrate on essentials and basics and not anticipate the in-depth education of follow-on Masters courses. Bachelors programmes are not meant to teach all the contents listed in para 3.2 in a shortened form, but a selection of subjects, mainly basics. Bachelors are qualified for jobs in landscaping, either in public departments or with private offices. They may also go on studying for a Masters degree at a German or foreign university. A Bachelors degree does not, however, qualify for independent practice as a landscape architect or for being registered or licensed by an architects chamber, with the exception of four-year Bachelor programmes that comply with European directives (quoted in the Appendix, Further Applicable Documents). If a student does not wish to become a landscape architect as such, a Bachelors degree in landscape architecture may also form the basis for other postgraduate, interdisciplinary studies offered by universities.

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Master Following on from the basic academic education in the theory and methods of landscape architecture, the ensuing Masters programme deepens knowledge of the core subjects of the discipline. In addition, students acquire specialized knowledge and, above all, research and development capabilities so that Masters will be fully qualified landscape architects as described in para 3. This programme is designed to give students the opportunity to choose and develop their own priorities in addition to landscape architecture, which should remain the main priority throughout. Study courses may concentrate more on research or on practical application. A Masters degree certifies the success of the landscape architectural education. It qualifies for independent professional practice and, after some years of practical experience, for registration as a landscape architect.

Post-graduate Masters programmes Post-graduate Masters programmes are evaluated and accredited according to the same criteria as consecutive Masters courses. In general, they do not qualify for professional practice as a landscape architect as this presupposes a fouryear study of landscape architecture.

4.2

Diploma programmes

The diploma programmes subject to the German framework examination regulations are non-modular and therefore internationally incompatible. The ministries of culture and education of the different federal states are currently examining and recognizing the different study programmes based on framework examination regulations. In future, there will be no more new framework examination regulations. The Statutes for an inter-state and inter-university accreditation procedure (passed by the Conference of Ministers of Culture and Education on 24 May 2002) therefore stipulate that in future, new diploma courses must be accredited if and when there is no framework examination regulation for them or an existing regulation is no longer applicable. Such accreditation will apply the criteria of the ASAP manual correspondingly.

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4.3

Immatriculation criteria

The immatriculation criteria for applicants to a Bachelors course correspond to the criteria stipulated by the general civil code of the respective federal state. The immatriculation criteria for the consecutive Masters study programme stipulate a Bachelor qualification and, in addition, an aptitude testeither by verifying the average marks of the preceding course, or by a special entrance exam. Graduates of diploma programmes are eligible for admittance to a Masters course without having to pass either form of aptitude test. Studying for a Masters degree in landscape architecture or closely related subjects presupposes a Bachelors degree or diploma in landscape architecture, architecture, urban design, regional planning or related subjects. In cases where applicants have not (also) obtained a Bachelors degree in landscape architecture, they must at least pass the aptitude test and complete certain compulsory Bachelor course modules, especially in botany and the use of plants, planting techniques and biological engineering. This applies in particular to students wishing to obtain a Masters degree in the core disciplines of landscape architecture decribed by the EFLA in its table of contents for diploma programmes in landscape architecture. Universities should run the required aptitude tests and offer the necessary recovery courses. This will generally prolong overall study periods. A mere two-semester Masters programme, consisting of one study term and one in which candidates work on their thesis, is generally not part of the basic education programme qualifying for professional practice, but of post-graduate further education. The admission criteria for such a post-graduate study course is a Bachelors degree or a diploma (Diplom-Ingenieur) from a university of applied sciences. In such cases aptitude tests are at the discretion of the universities.

4.4

Course modules and ECTS (European Credit Transfer System)

The new Bachelors/Masters study programmes must foster the internationalization of the specialized university education. This is why course modules and their evaluation according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is required so as to guarantee the interchangeability of professionals at national and international levels. Modules must define minimum subject contents and form educational building blocks that can be sensibly combined. Subject agendas designed without this interconnectivity would not lead to the same holistic qualifications. Credit points should be awarded for every module.

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Practical training

Practical work, accompanied by the related practice-oriented classes, in between academic terms is an important part of every landscape architects university education. It cannot and should not, however, replace the academic study or parts thereof, but through practical work students acquire experiential knowledge that they cannot learn theoretically. Periods of practical training are therefore essential curricular modules.

5.1

Practical training prior to Bachelors studies

Prior to taking up a Bachelors course, students must do periods of practical training of at least three months with one of the firms which implement landscaping projects, or with a public office active in this field. However, we strongly recommend completing an apprenticeship with a horticultural or landscape gardening enterprise or with a sports-field developers. Both practical and apprenticeship will help students to ascertain whether they have chosen the right profession and, if so, to gather valuable experience which will help them in their academic studies.

5.2

Practical training in between terms

Practicals in between terms for a period of at least three months at a time (with a landscape architect, a parks department, an implementing enterprise, etc.) are essential for students to apply and deepen their newly acquired knowledge and skills. Constant contact with the university throughout these monthsin the form of tutored exchanges of experience, accompanying lectures and a final report (to be marked)is also necessary.

Periods of practical work and training must not result in the period of academic studies at universitywhich must be a minimum of four years full-time for the consecutive Bachelors and Masters courses (see also para 1.1)being shortened. The total time of the university education will be extended accordingly. The recommended periods of practical training should be done in between terms or the months between Bachelor graduation and start of the Masters programme. This is particularly recommended and does not jeopardize the consecutive character of the new two-stage study programme.

5.3

Training on the job

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According to the architectural laws valid in the German federal states, graduates with a Masters degree in landscape architecture must spend some years in employment with a registered landscape architect to become eligible themselves for formal chamber registration in the architects list of their state of residence. Only then are they allowed to carry the title of occupation landscape architect. Most federal states stipulate a period of two years, some of three years, employment prior to such registration.

5.4

Further education and training

Much of the total professional knowledge cannot be acquired once and for all at university because many subjects/fields of activity are subject to cyclical changes and must therefore be studied all the time parallel to professional practice. Life-long learning is therefore uncontestably necessary to ensure the quality of ones professional work. Universities are advised to run the necessary courses as part of their comprehensive curricula.

5.5

Study excursions

Excursions are an essential, indispensable element of studies in landscape architecture. This applies to short or day trips to building sites, near-by parks and gardens, nature reserves, private offices or public departments, as well as to ex cursions over several days.

Research and teaching

Parallel to their academic teaching duties, university teachers must develop research projects and independent professional activities in order to maintain the quality of their courses in landscape architecture and to keep in touch with developments in the field of professional practice. It goes without saying that professors professional activities are related to the subjects they teach or, in other words, that their research and professional activities depend closely on their teaching. Thus, professors of the classical planning subjects of landscape and open-space design and planning will also practise in these fields, while professors of basic or technical subjects will generally focus on research or on work in scientific committees. Landscape architectural research may also investigate the design and planning process itself, as design activities often raise problems and questions which can be studied through scientific analysis.

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Faculty Structures

Applications for accreditation should list the academic faculty members, their teaching subjects and activities, research projects, publications, independent professional work, as well as their social commitments, e.g. service in the universitys self-administration or other voluntary work. Applications for accreditation should describe the relationship between students and professors and contain data on the number of first semester students, total number of students and number of graduates. Documents should also describe the management structure of the respective department and give information on how the different committees prepare for and run the decision-making processes.

7.1

Professors

Professorsusually called to a chair from among practising professionalsmust be involved in the entire breadth and width of their subject, both in research and teaching. They must not only be able to give evidence of the reputation they gained in previous positions, but also of their scientific and/or artistic achievements and pedagogic qualifications. For the quality of their teaching to be guaranteed, professors must not neglect, least of all give up entirely, their research and practice. Dealing with practical problems is necessary so that research and teaching activities do not drift off into theory alone. Curricula of urban/regional planning should be conceived in close connection with professional practice and therefore have to rely heavily on the professional qualifications of the faculty. The high qualification of university teachers will only be maintained consistently, if they are given the timeparallel to teachingto carry out research as well as planning projects. The employing university administration regards such activities as a side line and urges professors to apply for special permission. Notwithstanding, faculty members should by all means practise independently withing the limits of the occupational regulations they are subject to. A qualified university teacher is expected to give lectures; to publish papers and books on his/her subject(s); to act as competition juror or advisor to the organizers of such competitions; to participate in competitions himself/herself, and to be active as a planner or consultant.

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7.2

Assistant professors / lecturers

Assistant professors and lecturers at universities and universities of applied sciences support the senior professors in their research and teaching duties. Applicants for such positions should have gathered practical professional experience in the field following their graduation. The minimum requirement for those teaching planning and design subjects is that they are already eligible, in terms of professional experience, for registration by an architects chamber.

7.3

Visiting professors and other external lecturers

Visiting professors and other external lecturers support research projects and assume teaching duties. In addition, they are able to introduce practical problems from the field into the academic education. Applicants for such posts (which entitle them to hold examinations) should possess the same qualifications as full professors. Seminars and lectures offered by these specialists, as well as those to which ex ternal experts contributeincluding interdisciplinary curricular eventsshould be clearly marked in the published plan of studies for each term. These should be also included in the documents submitted for accreditation.

Infrastructure

Data on the applicant universitys infrastructure mainly concern information which helps validators to assess the quality of its teaching and research. 8.1 Usable floor space

Applications for accreditation should include statistic material on the universitys usable floor space, its teaching facilities (lecture halls, seminar rooms, project and design studios), offices (department secretariat, central administration).

8.2

Drafting studios/Student work spaces

Documents should list the floor areas available for student workplaces and quote the ratio of workplaces/drafting tables/CAD workstations to the number of students. Another aspect relevant for accreditation is how the project studios and design workstations are assigned to students and at what times they are available to them (opening hours).

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8.3

Workshops, laboratories, DP pools

Applications for accreditation specify floor space sizes, equipment and supervision structure of the various workshops and laboratories, e.g. for model building, soil testing, botany/ecology, DP pool, photo lab, etc. Documents should distinguish between those workshops that are integral to the teaching of specific subjects, and those available to every student for selfmotivated work.

8.4

Library

Applicant universities must state whether the library named is a general university library with publications on all subjectsand if so, where it is located in relation to the faculty building(s)and whether it also has a specialized library. The information should include the following: holdings (number of books and international specialized journals, norms and directives as well as grey literature), and staff numbers.

8.5

Research laboratories

Documents should list the research labs, which either belong to a specific department or are used by different departments, and specify the research projects carried out there.

8.6

Spaces for communication and presentations

Spaces for communication are the areas and rooms available to and used by faculty and students alike in between lectures and seminars. Spaces for presentations are used mainly for exhibitions of study and graduation projects.

Funding / Third-party Funding

Applications for accreditation must include the budget figures (if known) for permanent academic staff (professors, assistant professors, lecturers), permanent employees like secretaries, technical staff like engineers and computer experts,

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laboratory technicians, gardeners, etc., as well as the sums available for materials and external/temporary lecturers, tutors, etc. Applicant universities must give proof that their budget is sufficient for implementing their educational goals and for providing the necessary spaces. The list of research projects should include third-party funding administered/accounted for by the universitys central accounts department. Other third-party funds, administered directly by the department, may also be listed.

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Quality control

In addition to infrastructural and financial data, the following aspects are important for assessing the quality and quality controlregarding didactics and researchof the new (Bachelors and Masters) educational programmes:

10.1 Interaction between the profession and society Applications for accreditation should include a brief university profile including information on its national, regional, or urban contexts if these affect the educational profile a short description of the programmes history and its development into a multi-stage course of studies information on the departments theoretical and didactic approaches, educ ational tasks and visions information on students backgrounds in so far as these affect the nature and goals of the courses in question a self-evaluation regarding the universitys educational policy and the existing in its equipment with educational toolsor required changes to theseas well as a critical assessment of the courses and entire programmes overall educational goals data on contacts with alumnis and how successful they are in their careers. Evaluations carried out in the past should be quoted, distinguishing between external and internal evaluations.

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10.2 Interdisciplinarity Interdisciplinarity is an essential part of the professional activities of landscape architects and must therefore form an equally essential part of the respective educational programme and research. Documents should give proof of how interdisciplinarity is taken into account in the curriculum, and should specify the teaching imports and exports beyond and between professional subjects.

10.3 Educational credits The required credits should be listed, following a comprehensive description of the academic programme, the curricula and schedules, lecture timetables (with explanatory comments), exam regulations, details of the design/planning projects and their organizational structures.

10.4 Presentations Applications for accreditation should also include public exhibitions at ex ternal venues as well as university-internal presentations. Accreditors should be provided with a cross-section of students papers and projects such as examination questions and answers, i.e. projects design questions and answers, i.e. projects study projects as part of the curriculum semester papers/projects; Bachelors and Masters graduation projects research projects.

10.5 Publications Publications from and by the different university departments should be listed in the reports sent in with the application, including regular/serial publications by the applicant department.

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Appendix: Further applicable documents EFLA (European Foundation for Landscape Architecture), Education Policy Document 1998. European Architects Directive (no. 85/384/cee, 10 June 1985). Directive 89/48/EEC by the EU Council of 21 December 1998, general regulations of the recognition of university degrees/diplomas, and directive 92/51/EEC by the EU Council of 18 June 1992; second general regulation on the recognition of professional qualification certificates; both as amended by directive 2001/19/EU of 14 May 2001. Directive of the European Parliament and the Council for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, Brussels, 7 March 2002, COM (2002) 119 final appendix V.7. UNESCO/UIA Validation System for Architectural Education, 27 July 2002. UIA and Architectural Education Reflections and Recommendations, 27 July 2002. UNESCO-UIA Charter for Architectural Education, July 1996. UIA Accord on Recommended International Standards of Professionalism in Architectural Practice, 28 June 1999. German university framework law (HRG) of 19 January 1999, Bundesgesetz blatt I (BGBl.I/Federal Law Gazette I), p. 18), latest amendment following article 1 of the law passed on 8 August 2002 (BGBl.I, p. 3138). Joint structural directives of the federal states, following 9, para 2 HRG, for the accreditation of Bachelors and Masters educational programmes; resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Culture and Education of 10 October 2003. Statutes of an inter-state, inter-university accreditation procedure; resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Culture and Education of 10 October 2003. Access to careers in the higher civil service echelon; resolution of the Conference of Ministers of the Interior of 6 June 2002 and the Conference of Ministers of Culture and Education of 24 May 2002. Joint Declaration of European Ministers of Education, 19 July 1999, Bologna. Statements by ASAP, ZEvA and KMK on the length of BA and MA study periods (in architecture) of 8 December 2003.

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The university laws of the different federal states. The architects laws of the different federal states.

ASAP Akkreditierungsverbund fr Studieng_nge der Architektur und Planung c/o Bund Deutscher Architekten K_penicker Strasse 48/49 D10179 Berlin phone +49 (30) 27 87 990 fax +49 (30) 2787 9915 email <info@asap-akkreditierung.de> www.asap-akkreditierung.de

ASAP is a registered association of the following member organizations: BDA Association of German Architects BDIA Association of German Interior Designers BDLA Association of German Landscape Architects SRL Union for Urban, Regional and National Planning AK BW Chamber of Architects of Baden Wuerttemberg AIK SH Chamber of Architects and Engineers of Schleswig-Holstein FBTA Conference of Faculties of Architecture DARL Conference of German University Deans and Heads of Departments IFR Information Circle for Regional Planning ARL Academy of Regional Research and Planning HKL University Conference Landscape Chairman: Professor Jrgen Bredow Deputy Chairman: Rainer Hilf

This brochure was authored by Professor Gert Bischoff and Christoph Gondesen, supported by Thomas Leyser and Matthias Gehrcke as part of the work of ASAPs committee on landscape architecture. Speaker of the Expert Committee on Urban/Regional Planning: Wolfgang Voegele 2nd German edition: January 2004 1st English edition: 2004

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