1st year package 3rd year package

Three types of candidates can be admitted to the national school of higher studies in nature and landscape architecture :

• Candidates sitting for a competitive entrance examination


• Candidates being granted equivalence for their degree


• Candidates being granted equivalence for their professional experience

Candidates sitting for a competitive entrance examination

High school graduates can be candidates for the first-year entrance exam.
Students who have already obtained a two-year (minimum) diploma can sit for the third-year entrance examination.
For both examinations, a pre-selection committee examines the candidates‘ applications in order to verify that their scientific bakground can allow them to do well in the program.

The competitive examination for admission into first year evaluates the candidates’ drawing skills, curiosity, motivation, capacity to deal with space, and their cultural background. It consists of the following :

• an English writing and reading test


• a French writing test


• a drawing test revealing the candidates’ ability to perceive and represent space.
  The first test requires the analysis and representation of a large interior space (a hall, a church, a market, etc.). Candidates should draw the whole space, its structures, its framework, its mezzanine, its stairways, its solid and empty spaces.
  The second test evaluates the candidates’ aptitude to move on to another scale of representation.


• the candidates’ portfolio, containing samples of their art work (drawings, sketches or photographs) allows the jury to evaluate their aesthetic and creative skills.


• an interview with a jury of professors, a guest personality and a graduate student focuses on the on-going exam and the candidates’motivation.

The results are published and mailed to the candidates no later than a week after the last test-day.

The school also draws up a short-list of candidates, by rank of merit. Short-listed candidates are informed that they may be accepted in the event of the withdrawal of better-ranked candidates.

Admission into third year is obtained after passing a two-day examination. During the first day, the tests are the same as those described in the preceding section, with an additional one to check the candidates’ ability to identify plants and one on basic notions in ecology, pedology, and botany. Candidates who pass this first series of tests are invited to take part in an evaluation exercise pertaining to an assigned landscape. They must demonstrate their capacities of reflexion in a set of tasks (description, sketches, cross-sections, model building…)

Students cannot be candidates for both examinations in the same year.

The results of the exam are mailed to the candidates within 8 days.

Candidates being granted equivalence for their degree

Candidates who have successfully completed two years of studies in an undergraduate program in landscape architecture or architecture, an engineering program or equivalent can apply for admission. A jury is appointed by the Director from a list of members drawn by a committee of the teaching staff. The jury decides on the admission and admission level of the candidates.

The application folder should present samples of the candidates’ work as well as documents revealing their acquired knowledge and ability to successfully complete an engineering degree in landscape architecture.

The number of candidates accepted by degree equivalence should not exceed 10% of the total number of students admitted that year.

Candidates being granted equivalence for their professional experience

Candidates who can demonstrate that they have acquired professional experience of at least eight years in landscape design or realisation can be admitted. A jury appointed by the director of the school interviews the candidate and examines his/her portfolio. This document should present samples of the candidate’s work as well as documents regarding his/her level of acquired competence. The jury decides on the admission and admission level of the candidates.