The objectives of the program at the national school of higher studies in nature and landscape architecture (ensnp) is to prepare engineers and provide them with the balance of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are needed for their work in landscape architecture.

Introduction

Our five-year program includes courses in a wide variety of domains: sciences and techniques (38%), human and social sciences (21%), management and communication (3%), graphic communication and space representation (18%), landscape projects (20%). Each year, students get practical training during 2-month internships. The fifth and final year involves a 6-month work period on their graduation project.

A pluridisciplinary approach allows our students to grasp the environmental and landscape dynamics of territories ( such as their anthropomorphic and biophysical aspects, the relations and interactions between space and society) and to incorporate them into landscape projects.

International exchanges are facilitated by compulsory English classes. The obtention of a level 6 on the IELTS test (Cambridge University’s International English Language Testing System) is a pre-requisite for entrance into the fifth year. Students are encouraged to do a number of internships overseas. In addition, a number of them can participate in international academic exchange programs within the Erasmus network and through other types of bilateral agreements.

Ensnp is a national school, created under the auspices of the National Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research. The school is accredited to deliver the tilte of engineer to its graduates. They are awarded a Master’s degree by national decree (August 30, 1999, N° 99-747)

After graduation, 62% of our students are employed in private offices, 12% in local governments, 9% in public administration offices, 8% of them create their own practice, 5% go into teaching, 2% pursue further studies while 2% engage in other activities.

Organisation

The five-year program includes 3700 hours of courses, directed study and seminars, 77 hours of pluridisciplinary study trips, 8 months of individual internships and 740 hours of graduation work. Within each year’s programme, theoretical work and practical training are balanced as follows :

1. Course work, directed study, projects : September to March.
2. Required individual internship : April and May.
3. Seminars, talks and study trips : June.

The maximum number of students in a given year is 30. For English, computer science, infography, photography, communication and practical construction classes, students work in smaller groups, usually half-classes.

All these activities require that students produce a fair amount of personal work outside of class.