Program Overview

Introduction to the Master of Landscape Architecture Program

The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability's (SEAS) Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program is one of the best in the United States. U-M is one of the nation's first universities to offer a degree in landscape architecture and is among the very few programs in the world that employ ecological principles authentically in environmentally responsible design.

Program Overview

The interdisciplinary graduate program provides the ideal setting and opportunities for students to pursue a career in landscape architecture and become one of the field's next change-driven leaders. The Master of Landscape Architecture degree is STEM-designated at U-M, recognized as such because of its focus on ecological design and its location within an innovative and action-oriented school where sustainability underlies all that we do.

Program Options

Two programs are offered:

• A three-year accredited Master of Landscape Architecture program for students without prior education in landscape architecture.
  • Note: International students who hold a degree in a closely related field from a reputable university may complete the accredited MLA program in less time, contingent upon review and approval by Landscape Architecture faculty.
• A two-year non-accredited program is available for students who hold a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) from an accredited North American institution.

Why Landscape Architecture?

The Master of Landscape Architecture program addresses placemaking, integrating art and design with the latest knowledge in the environmental sciences, producing future leaders who will play key roles at the forefront of the field. Through hands-on experience and collaboration with U-M faculty experts, students, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, students will be prepared to successfully work in the field of landscape architecture by learning how to:

• Employ ecological principles authentically in a wide range of environments, from the center of redeveloping cities to changing rural landscapes.
• Synthesize information about ecological processes and systems, human behavior, cultural/political institutions, and urban patterns.
• Utilize design precedent and research as a tool that actively informs design process and ideation.
• Visualize proposals utilizing technologies ranging from sketching and model-making to virtual reality simulations, all of which inform design decision-making.
• Create sustainable landscapes that are deep, inspiring, and just, and that work aesthetically, ecologically, socially, technically, and economically.

Career Opportunities for Landscape Architects

Landscape architects work in a variety of contexts and at a wide range of scales, from backyards and neighborhood playgrounds to streetscapes, parks, plazas, golf courses, greenways, watersheds, rural landscapes, and national parks and forests. They work with professionals from many different professions, such as architects, engineers, planners, ecologists, biologists, economists, and health professionals, to create places that are ecologically sound, sustainable, safe, inspiring, and beautiful. Landscape architects use their design, visualization, and technical skills to help make places that meet a particular need or that heal a damaged landscape, support human use and interaction, or heal a person's spirit.