Starting this fall, undergraduate students across campus can pursue certificates in Land Design and Development and Cultural Landscape Conservation.
The College of Environment and Design is excited to announce two new certificate programs for undergraduate students: a certificate in Land Design and Development, and an undergraduate offering of the existing certificate in Cultural Landscape Conservation.
“Each day, we see an increased demand for graduates with practical knowledge of land development, and with more development, an additional need for graduates with a deep understanding of cultural landscapes,” said Jules Bruck, dean of CED. “By offering certificates in each, we are preparing students across UGA’s campus for dynamic careers in a number of fields.”
Both programs are open for Fall 2026 enrollment. The two certificates add to CED’s growing certificate offerings, which include the Undergraduate Certificate in Construction Management, which launched last year and has emerged as a model for successful certificate programs across campus.
Undergraduate Certificate in Land Design and Development
The Undergraduate Certificate in Land Design and Development will give students foundational skills for designing, developing and managing land and real estate projects, bridging the gap between the theoretical and practical in complex land development projects.
“Before entering academia, I spent more than half my career working with land developers,” said Donnie Longenecker, senior lecturer and director of the certificate. “One of the most persistent challenges I observed was a disconnect between developers and design professionals. The goal of this certificate is simple: help students understand each other’s perspectives and collaborate on real-world projects that benefit communities across Georgia.”
Throughout the program, students will learn how to read site plans and surveys, evaluate sites and navigate the legal and environmental factors that shape development decisions. Students will then integrate these elements to evaluate feasibility and develop comprehensive master plans and pro-forma budget forecasts.
Within the program, these skills will be applied to collaborative service-learning projects, giving students practical experience that connects with community needs. Projects will support economic development across Georgia, partnering with units like the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the UGA Archway Partnership. This emphasis on service-learning and experiential learning makes it one of the few programs of its kind in the United States.
“Our early work is focused on feasibility and financial modeling for economic development projects in both Athens and rural Georgia,” said Longenecker. “These efforts reflect UGA’s land-grant mission while giving students hands-on experience working as integrated development teams while moving projects closer to reality.”
The certificate is the result of a collaborative effort between CED, the College of Engineering, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the School of Law and the Terry College of Business. This interdisciplinary approach exposes students to diverse ways of thinking and provides an area of specialization that bridges design, planning, engineering, management and finance.
Undergraduate Certificate in Cultural Landscape Conservation
Across the country, the need for landscape architecture and historic preservation practitioners with knowledge of cultural landscapes is growing. The Undergraduate Certificate in Cultural Landscape Conservation is designed to answer that call, equipping students with the concepts, principles and management skills essential to successful landscape conservation practice.
A cultural landscape is defined as a geographic area shaped by the long-term interaction between human activities and the natural environment, reflecting the values, history, and culture of a particular people or place. No other landscape architecture or historic preservation program in the United States offers a certificate in cultural landscape conservation.
“Landscape architecture firms and federal and state agencies have been increasingly trying to find people who have background knowledge in cultural landscapes,” said Cari Goetcheus, professor and director of CED’s Cultural Landscape Laboratory. “Understanding cultural landscapes makes you a better designer, because it gives you an edge and more contextual awareness of the landscape you are working in.”
The undergraduate certificate expands the current Graduate Certificate in Cultural Landscape Conservation, which was formed in 2012 and has led to an increase of graduates hired by the National Park Service, state historic preservation offices and private firms across the country. By offering an undergraduate certificate, students across diverse disciplines will have the option to specialize in this growing field.
The CED has been a longtime leader in cultural landscape research, management and education, due in part to the unique blend of landscape architects and historic preservationists on faculty. Just this summer, the Master of Historic Preservation program secured a selective grant from the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation to document the cultural landscape of Millford Plantation in South Carolina.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation for our excellence in cultural landscape research and education,” said Goetcheus. “By expanding our certificate to undergraduate students, we are able to provide a pathway for a new generation of scholars interested in this critical and growing field.”
