Considering starting the LARE process? Here’s what two EDGE professionals want you to know.

Professional Landscape Architect Day is a chance to recognize the knowledge, responsibility, and commitment behind licensure. As part of World Landscape Architecture Month, we asked two EDGE team members to reflect on a simple question: Why pursue licensure?

Their answers come from different points in the process. Megan Meyer, Associate, is currently working through the Landscape Architecture Registration Exams (LAREs), while Jack McDonough, Senior Associate, has been licensed since 2022. Together, their perspectives show that licensure offers more than a credential. The process itself builds confidence, deepens professional knowledge, and strengthens the future of the profession.

For Meg, pursuing licensure represents both a personal milestone and a broader professional responsibility. “It is the culmination of my college education, career advancement, professional credibility, and the opportunity to officially hold the title of Landscape Architect,” she says. Her motivation also extends beyond her own career. “The more women who become licensed in a traditionally male-dominated field, the more the profession will move forward. This factor alone motivates me a lot.”

She is candid about what the process requires. “Very rigorous periods of flashcards, practice exams, and reading,” she says. “It takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice.” At the same time, she has found the experience deeply worthwhile. “I have learned so much in-depth information regarding the ins and outs of the profession over the last year of taking the exams. The knowledge gained has been invaluable, as is the confidence that comes with it.”

Her advice to others considering the process is encouraging. “Even though prioritizing studying with a full-time job and other personal and professional commitments is really challenging, the feeling of passing an exam is so rewarding.”

Jack’s perspective reflects what licensure can mean once you are on the other side of the process. For him, becoming a licensed Landscape Architect was not only a personal achievement, but also a way to reinforce the profession itself. “First and foremost, I believe it honors the profession of Landscape Architecture,” he says. “Our profession continues to grow in importance to the built environment, and yet we are continuously considered for sunsetting state licensure. Each additional licensed professional helps legislators appreciate the importance of Landscape Architects.”

He also notes that the process becomes clearer once you understand what licensure is really meant to measure. “Licensure is not just about challenging your knowledge and skill, but more about confirming your ability to provide health, safety, and wellness to the public that will experience the built environment you have created,” he says. “Once you insert that into your study process and test taking, your confidence will steadily grow.”

Since earning his license, Jack has felt a stronger sense of clarity in practice. “As a licensed professional, there is certainly a new level of confidence that you bring to the table,” he says. “Whether it is with co-workers, clients, or contractors, there is a special feeling of reassurance and pride once you can identify yourself as a Landscape Architect.”

For those still deciding whether to begin, his message is simple. “Realize that the process has already begun. You graduated. Your professors have prepared you. You are building upon your knowledge at work every day. Licensure is just another layer.”

For emerging professionals, the clearest takeaway may be that licensure is an investment in the kind of practitioner you want to become. It asks for time and discipline, but it offers lasting value in return. Along with a deeper command of the profession and greater confidence in your role, it places you within a broader community of landscape architects, built on the experience of those who came before you and carried forward through the people entering the field today. That continuity is part of what Professional Landscape Architect Day recognizes: licensure is not only a personal milestone, but a commitment to the standards and responsibilities that sustain the profession.