Landscape Architecture (Advanced Professional Degree) - MLA

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

The MLA-Advanced Professional degree is a two-year unaccredited program of study. Applicants must hold baccalaureate degrees in landscape architecture from accredited programs. The advanced degree allows outstanding students to expand their knowledge in areas of special interest under the supervision of a major professor and supervisory committee.

The Graduate Program Director advises all incoming students until they have selected a thesis topic. Once a thesis topic has been identified, it is the students responsibility to seek a major professor and committee members from within the LAEP Department faculty.

The program requires a minimum of 41 graduate-level credits, including eight credits of work on a thesis or paper/project. Nine of the required credits are electives in an area of concentration. These credits are to be negotiated with the candidate’s major professor and supervisory committee. Requirements for the MLA-Advanced Professional Degree are as follows:

Environmental Planning and Design Courses (18 credits)

LAEP 6110 - Landscape Ecology for Planning 3 credit(s)
LAEP 6200 - Bioregional Analysis and Planning 5 credit(s)
LAEP 6300 - GIS for Environmental Planning 4 credit(s)
LAEP 6060 - E Studio/Entrepreneurship in Planning and Design (CI) 3 credit(s)
LAEP 6750 - Implementation and Regulatory Techniques in Planning 3 credit(s)

Theory Courses (6 credits)

LAEP 6740 - Planning Theory and Implementation Issues 3 credit(s)
LAEP 6860 - Faculty/Interdisciplinary Seminar I 1 credit(s)
LAEP 6910 - Readings in Landscape Architecture 1 credit(s)
LAEP 6930 - Readings in Environmental Planning 1 credit(s)

Thesis Courses (8 credits)

A Plan A thesis or Plan B paper/project option is required and is to be negotiated with the candidate, major professor, and supervisory committee. Students will then either complete an additional 3 credits of LAEP 6970 or 3 credits in LAEP 6960 , depending on the student’s plan type.

LAEP 6880 - Landscape Architecture Research Methods 2 credit(s)
LAEP 6890 - Seminar on Thesis Proposals and Procedures 1 credit(s)
LAEP 6970 - Thesis Research 1-6 credit(s) (all students must complete 2 credits)

Plan A

LAEP 6970 - Thesis Research 1-6 credit(s) (3 credits)

Plan B

LAEP 6960 - Master’s Project 1-6 credit(s) (3 credits)

Elective Courses (9 credits)

With the assistance of a student’s major professor and committee members, elective courses can be selected to meet academic interests and align with thesis objectives.