Master of Landscape Architectu - Manchester Scho

Tuition Fee

Start Date

Medium of studying

On campus

Duration

24 months

Program Facts

Program Details

Degree

Masters

Major

Landscape Architecture

Area of study

Architecture and Construction

Education type

On campus

Timing

Full time

Course Language

English

About Program

Program Overview

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Overview

The Master of Landscape Architecture offers an academic qualification leading towards professional registration as a landscape architect. The MLA is accredited by the UK Landscape Institute and recognised worldwide by the International Federation of Landscape Architects, preparing you for the final stage of professional accreditation as a landscape architect. It is jointly run by Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester, meaning you will benefit from the resources and expertise available in both institutions.

Course Overview

At Manchester School of Architecture (MSA), we believe that landscape architects can contribute to combatting the climate and ecological emergency, promote social equity, provide common resources in the form of public space, and make a difference to people’s lives. The Master of Landscape Architecture offers space to experiment through research, live projects, and our studio atelier system, which celebrates diversity. The MLA promotes multiple critical approaches to practice and a wide range of creative and analytical approaches.

Features

The Manchester School of Architecture is consistently ranked as one of the best schools of Architecture in the world.
The MLA is professionally accredited by the UK Landscape Institute and worldwide by the International Federation of Landscape Architects.
A 2-year full-time conversion route to the Master of Landscape Architecture is available if you hold a related degree. Part 1 runs from September to June and is 120 credits. Part 2 runs from September to September and is 180 credits.
A 1-year full-time Master of Landscape Architecture route is available if you hold a 2:2 or above undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture (or accredited equivalent). It runs from September to September and is 180 credits.
Teaching is delivered by an experienced group of core landscape staff, complemented by a wide range of practitioners and academics from within and beyond the MSA.
As a Master of Landscape Architecture student at the Manchester School of Architecture, you will study a degree that is delivered jointly by The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. Upon graduation, you will receive one degree certificate. The joint award certificate includes each institution’s crest and awarding body title.
Make use of extensive libraries and specialist workshops at both Manchester Metropolitan and The University of Manchester.
Access a dedicated MSA Advanced Digital Design team who provide workshops and tutorials covering all the essential software plus a range of more specialist programmes.
Take part in MSA Live, the MSA’s annual programme of student-led live projects in MLA Part 1.
In MLA Part 2, become a member of one of our research-led ateliers and work collaboratively with architecture students from the MArch and BA Architecture.
Exhibit your work in our annual degree show celebrating the achievements of students from across the MSA and School of Art.

Duration

2 years full-time

Students with a 2:2 or above undergraduate degree in an accredited Landscape Architecture course may apply to enter directly into Part 2 of the programme.

Course Content

The MLA emphasises understanding landscape as a dynamic and adaptive phenomenon. Projects promote a focus on the interfaces between the landscape as a human, cultural construct and as a reflection of underlying natural and environmental processes. Design ateliers explore globally relevant themes by studying specific landscapes, starting from a regional scale and narrowing down to detailed material and technological resolutions. The curriculum emphasises applying contemporary theoretical ideas and technologies to address the challenges of the landscapes studied.

Professional Engagement

The course has a very close relationship to practice, and students are exposed to practitioners in a wide range of ways throughout the syllabus. The Landscape Practice and Profession module generates understanding of the ethical, legal, and professional context of the subject through a range of visiting lectures and workshops, as well as visits to practices and sites and direct personal experience. This may be through involvement in a live client-led brief, or an external competition.

Employment

The vast majority of our graduates go on to find employment in the profession, either in the UK or abroad, many due to connections established during the course. Outside London, the North West of England is the base for more landscape practices than anywhere else in the country. Opportunities exist in a wide range of organisations, from small private practices to international, multi-disciplinary firms. Alternatively, landscape architects are also employed in the public sector or non-profit making organisations. Many alumni have gone on to positions of responsibility in major international firms and have been involved in the delivery of landmark projects around the world.

MLA Part 1

Part 1 provides a broad foundation of knowledge and skills in landscape architecture for students wishing to convert from related subject areas and for overseas students who may benefit from the transition to a different cultural and professional context.

Through atelier units, students develop techniques of reading and landscapes, and the design and communication skills needed to propose transformations.
Core drawing and software skills are developed through focussed support sessions.
Landscape Studies provides a foundation in core areas of theoretical and technical knowledge.

Part 1 of the MLA consists of 6 units, totalling 120 credits.

Landscape Atelier 1a 30 credits
Landscape Atelier 1b 30 credits
Landscape Studies 1a 15 credits
Landscape Studies 1b 15 credits
Landscape Studies 2a 15 credits
Landscape Studies 2b 15 credits

MLA Part 2

Part 2 provides a final year of education for both landscape graduates and conversion students alike, and encourages a greater degree of autonomy and the opportunity to develop personal practice through both design and research-based work. A strong professional element underpins the whole year.

Students engage with one of our exciting atelier offerings to pursue a unique research-led design trajectory.
Atelier modules encourage students to apply theoretical ideas and agendas to a specific landscape context and to develop individual trajectories rooted in their personal strengths and interests.
Students gain both direct personal experience and a theoretical understanding of the professional context of the subject.
A Dissertation and Exhibition module provides a framework for more detailed individual research exploring theoretical and professional topics central to the discipline.

Part 2 of the MLA consists of 5 units, totalling 180 credits.

Landscape Atelier 2a 30 credits
Landscape Atelier 2b 30 credits
Landscape Atelier 2c 30 credits
Dissertation and Exhibition 60 credits
Landscape Profession and Practice 30 credits

Ateliers

MLA Part 2 students have the opportunity to join one of our research-led ateliers and work alongside architecture students from the MArch and BA Architecture courses.

PRAXXIS
Some Kind of Nature

MLA Teaching Staff

Dawn Parke Master of Landscape Architecture Programme Leader
Becky Sobell Reader in Landscape Architecture
Sandeep Balagangadharan Menon Lecturer in Landscape Architecture
Jens Haendeler Lecturer in Landscape Architecture
John Newman Tutor (Landscape Architecture)

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Objectives

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program at the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) is an advanced qualification leading to professional registration as a landscape architect. Accredited by the UK Landscape Institute and recognized worldwide by the International Federation of Landscape Architects, this program prepares students for the final stage of professional accreditation.

Program Description

The MLA degree offers an academic framework for students to develop the skills and knowledge required in the field of landscape architecture. The program is designed to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic and adaptive nature of landscapes. It emphasizes the role of landscape architects in addressing contemporary issues such as the climate crisis, social equity, and public space provision. Through a combination of research, live projects, and studio-based learning, students engage in critical analysis, creative design, and innovative approaches to landscape architecture.

Outline:

The MLA program comprises two routes: a 2-year full-time conversion route for students with related degrees and a 1-year full-time route for graduates holding an accredited undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture (or equivalent).

Part 1

The conversion route (120 credits) provides a foundation in landscape architecture for students from other disciplines and includes modules on landscape reading, design, materials, processes, and history and theory.

Part 2

Available to both conversion and Landscape Architecture graduates (180 credits), this year focuses on developing individual trajectories, applying theoretical knowledge to specific contexts, and fostering professional practice. Students choose one of several research-led ateliers where they work alongside students from architecture programs. The curriculum includes modules on strategic planning, detailed design, landscape profession and practice, vegetation, dissertations, and exhibitions.

Teaching

Teaching Methods

Studio-based learning in design ateliers forms the core of the program, providing a space for experimentation, collaboration, and critical engagement.
Lectures, seminars, and workshops complement studio work, offering theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and guest expert insights.
Research projects allow students to delve deeply into specific topics of interest, developing independent research and analytical capabilities.
Live projects connect students directly with real-world challenges, enabling them to apply their skills to practical situations.
Field trips and study tours immerse students in diverse landscapes, broadening their perspectives and understanding.

Faculty

The MLA program is taught by an experienced team of core landscape staff, supplemented by a wide range of practitioners and academics within and beyond the MSA.

Unique Approaches

Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
Emphasis on Sustainability:
Strong Industry Connections:

Careers:

The vast majority of MLA graduates secure employment in the landscape architecture industry, either in the UK or abroad. Graduates have found success in various sectors, including small private practices, international multi-disciplinary firms, the public sector, and non-profit organizations. The program prepares students for a wide range of career paths within landscape architecture, including design, planning, management, research, and consulting. Alumni from the program have gone on to hold senior positions in major firms worldwide and have contributed to landmark projects.

Location

Ambassadors

Gallery