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Associate

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Dues/Requirements

Associate Membership

QUALIFICIATIONS: A Landscape Designer who engages in the practice of landscape design for monetary compensation and contains less than 3 years of professional Landscape Design experience.

COST: $290.00

Chapter dues: $35 (mandatory for AZ, CA, CT, DC-MD-VA, MI, MN, New England, NM, OH, TX and WA)

Upon joining, must strive to adhere to APLD’s Standards of Practice document and maintain 15 CEUs every three years.

Option 1

Education Requirement(s):

  • Associate Degree (or higher) in landscape design based education from an accredited institution.
  • Education must be verified with a transcript.

Experience Requirement(s)

Less than 3 years of professional Landscape Design experience.
Must submit proof of experience or professional business status, i.e. proof of liability insurance, business license, IRS letter of determination, letter of incorporation, sales tax certificate, tax return, certificate of insurance, affidavit from employer, etc.

Option 2

Education/Experience Combination Requirement (in lieu of education and experience requirements listed above)

Form required to outline combination of education and experience for review and approval, including reference letters, certificates, transcripts, etc.

Professional

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Professional Membership

QUALIFICIATIONS: A Landscape Designer who engages in the practice of landscape design for monetary compensation and contains 3 years or more of professional Landscape Design experience.

COST: $290.00 (with $25 increase for your second and third membership years)

Chapter dues: $35 (mandatory for AZ, CA, CT, DC-MD-VA, MI, MN, New England, NM, OH, TX and WA)

Upon joining, must strive to adhere to APLD’s Standards of Practice document and maintain 30 CEUs every three years.

Option 1

Education Requirement(s):

  • Associate Degree (or higher) in landscape design based education from an accredited institution.
  • Education must be verified with a transcript.

Experience Requirement(s)

3 years or more of professional Landscape Design experience
Must submit proof of experience or professional business status, i.e. proof of liability insurance, business license, IRS letter of determination, letter of incorporation, sales tax certificate, tax return, certificate of insurance, affidavit from employer, etc.

Option 2

Education/Experience Combination Requirement (in lieu of education and experience requirements)

Form required to outline combination of education and experience for review and approval, including reference letters, certificates, transcripts, etc.

Certified

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How To Become Certified

COST: $340.00

Chapter dues: $35 (mandatory for AZ, CA, CT, DC-MD-VA, MI, MN, New England, NM, OH, TX and WA)

APLD’s certification program confers professional recognition to landscape designers based on established standards of excellence. Certification is available for Professional members in good standing who have been practicing landscape design for a minimum of three years. It is the only landscape design certification program in the United States.

The certification review process, overseen by our certification committee, evaluates a candidate’s submitted work, consisting of three installed projects. For each project, the designer submits drawings, a plant list, a design intent statement and photographs.

To maintain certification, Certified Professional Members must continue to develop their skills and demonstrate proof every three years. During each three year period, APLD requires certified designers to submit proof of the completion of 30 hours of approved continuing education credits (CEUs).

The APLD Certification Review Panel convenes two times each year to review applications for Certified Professional Membership. The current review schedule is February and September. Applications are due by the first of the month.

Certified

Dues/Requirements

How To Become Certified

APLD’s certification program confers professional recognition to landscape designers based on established standards of excellence. Currently, 20 percent of APLD members are certified. Certification is available for Professional members in good standing who have been practicing landscape design for a minimum of three years. It is the only landscape design certification program in the United States.

The certification review process, overseen by our certification committee, evaluates a candidate’s submitted work, consisting of three installed projects. For each project, the designer submits drawings, a plant list, a design intent statement and photographs.

To maintain certification, Certified Professional Members must continue to develop their skills and demonstrate proof every three years. During each three year period, APLD requires certified designers to submit proof of the completion of 30 hours of approved continuing education credits (CEU).

The APLD Certification Review Panel convenes two times each year to review applications for Certified Professional Membership. The current review schedule is February and September. Applications are due by the first of the month.

Student

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Student Membership

QUALIFICATIONS: Student members must be actively enrolled in a landscape design, landscape architecture, or horticulture program. A student member may not practice landscape design unless it is part of a student internship related to their design program.

COST : $55.00

Chapter dues: $20 (mandatory for AZ, CA, CT, DC-MD-VA, MI, MN, New England, NM, OH, TX and WA)

Requirement(s):

  • Student members must send proof of enrollment (i.e. transcript) yearly in a degreed or certificate program from an accredited institution related to landscape design. Student membership is limited to five years.

Allied

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Allied Membership

COST: $340.00

Chapter dues: $35 (mandatory for AZ, CA, CT, DC-MD-VA, MI, MN, New England, NM, OH, TX and WA)

Allied

  1. Those individuals practicing in related and associated fields: ornamental horticulture, public and private garden/estate management, garden writing/publishing/photography, architecture, interior design, lighting design, and green industry suppliers such as growers, nurseries, stoneyards, landscape contractors, etc.
  2. There are no restrictions or educational requirements to join.

Educator

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Educator Membership

COST: $150.00

Chapter dues: $35 (mandatory for AZ, CA, CT, DC-MD-VA, MI, MN, New England, NM, OH, TX and WA)

A professional landscape design educator or teacher who is not a practicing Landscape Designer.

Selecting Your Membership Category

If you are unsure of whether you should join as an associate or professional member, please see the infographic to help you determine the correct category.

If you do not have the experience and education required, please review the Allied member category.

Click here for FAQs about APLD’s membership structure.

Are you no longer working in landscape design and retired? Please contact membership@apld.org for more information.

People often ask me why I joined APLD. Events like the Winter Lecture Series and the annual conference make it worthwhile. But advocacy on behalf of the landscape design profession also plays an important role. Our chapter might not have learned of the bill without the help of the national APLD advocacy committee. And we were taken seriously by ASLA and the DC Council in part because we are part of a national organization. In times like these, it’s important to have a seat at the table.

Testimonial Lynley Ogilvie
Lynley Ogilvie
Vice President of DC-MD-VA Chapter

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Associate

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Professional

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Opportunities for
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Quarterly magazine
& monthly newsletter

One free APLD
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Use of Member
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Inclusion in Find a
Designer results

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Advocacy

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Certified

Digital directory
listing

Opportunities for
networking and
leadership

Discounted rates for
programs &
conferences

Quarterly magazine
& monthly newsletter

One free APLD
webinar

Use of Member
logo and badges

Listing on website

Individual member
webpage

Inclusion in Find a
Designer results

Use of professional
designation within
membership category

Advocacy

Exclusive use of
Certified credential
and designation

Promotion through
APLD marketing
and PR outreach

Join for complete
benefits list!

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