Landscape Architecture
Master of Landscape Architecture
The Program in Landscape Architecture has the dual objectives of providing students with a core of design and technical skills in combination with experiences in pure and applied research. The Landscape Architecture Program enables students to enter practice as landscape architects in private, public, academic, and research organizations.
The mission of the Program in Landscape Architecture is to educate for ultimate leadership in the landscape architecture profession. This mission requires the development and exercise of both intellect and sensibility.
Accreditation
The Program in Landscape Architecture is fully accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Graduates from the program are qualified to sit for the Landscape Architecture Registration Exam which, when successfully passed, qualifies individuals to practice as landscape architects in the state of Texas.
Objective
The mission of the Program in Landscape Architecture is to educate for ultimate leadership in the landscape architecture profession. This mission requires fostering rigorous scholarly inquiry of the discipline, and the preparation of knowledgeable practitioners.
The Program in Landscape Architecture has the dual objectives of providing students with a core of design and technical skills in combination with experiences in pure and applied research. This duality prepares students for identifying and solving problems in the profession through design and research, and it is a Program focus. The Program in Landscape Architecture also prepares students to enter practice in private, public, academic, and research organizations.
Student preparation is enhanced by specialized coursework taken inside and outside of landscape architecture and by the topic of one's thesis. Students are directed to select thesis committee members early-on and to select specialized courses which reinforce students' areas of primary interest in landscape architecture.
The Program in Landscape Architecture is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board. Graduates from the Program are qualified to sit for the Landscape Architecture Registration Exam which, when successfully passed, qualifies individuals to practice as landscape architects in the State of Texas.
Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships
To be considered for a Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantship, the candidate must be admitted without provisional conditions. In order to be eligible for teaching assistantships, students whose native language is not English, must complete extramural training in English as approved by the Program and the Graduate School.
Fellowships and Scholarships
To be considered for fellowships or scholarships in the Program the candidate must have a favorable review in most of the evaluation criteria. Fellowships and scholarships in landscape architecture are limited and very competitive. Generally, candidates must be new students coming to UT Arlington, must have a GPA of 3.0 in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours and any graduate hours, and must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 hours in both long semesters to retain their fellowships or scholarships.
Master's Admissions Requirements
Applicants must meet the general requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies. A personal interview with the Director, Graduate Advisor or members of the landscape architecture faculty is strongly recommended. Three letters of recommendation are required and it is suggested that at least two of the letters come from former educators or academic contact. Applicants also are required to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Average GRE scores of successful applicants since 1998 have been approximately 550 Verbal and 550 Quantitative. Also required is a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 as calculated by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Selected applicants holding first professional degrees in landscape architecture, or in some cases degrees related to landscape architecture (such as architecture, engineering, environmental design, horticulture, interior design, planning, and the like) are required to submit portfolios reflecting the applicants' professional and/or academic experiences and interests. Portfolios are assessed according to proficiency in design, presentation and layout, technical skills, and content, similar to criteria used in design studios.
Applicants who have a weakness in one of the criteria for admission can enhance their credentials with strengths in the remaining criteria.
Applicants can be admitted according to four conditions: Unconditional; Provisional; Probationary; and, Deferred. Applicants who do not meet the criteria of one of these conditions will be denied admission to the Program.
Unconditional Admission
Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Transcripts from all previous college or university work, along with scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and three letters of recommendation are required of all applicants. In addition, applicants should have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0, as calculated by the Office of Graduate Studies. Applicants holding the first professional degree in landscape architecture, or related fields, must submit a portfolio. Applicants should contact the Landscape Architecture Graduate Advisor or Program Director regarding this requirement.
Provisional Admission
Those who have submitted their applications forms, but whose packets are incomplete, can be admitted provisionally if their GPA meets minimum requirements, and if the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies have received official transcripts. In this case, incomplete materials could include letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and/or portfolios.
Probationary Admission
Those who have weaknesses in no more than two of the Degree Requirements (letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and GPA), can be admitted on probation, with the condition that they make no less than a B in the first 12 hours of coursework in landscape architecture. Such students must complete no fewer than 9 credits during the semester in which they are on probation.
Deferred Admission
Those who have weaknesses in no more than two of the Degree Requirements (letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and GPA), and/or who have not submitted all of the materials required for unconditional admission, can have their applications deferred for one semester, until outstanding requirements and criteria are met.
International Student Admission
International applicants must meet the Degree Requirements (letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and GPA), and must be admitted in one of the admission categories described above. In addition, applicants whose native language is not English must have a demonstrated speaking ability in English. They also must meet the Program's minimum required score of 575 on the paper exam, or an equivalent score on the computer based- or internet-based tests, on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). International applicants who do not meet the Program's minimum TOEFL score, must complete extramural training in English, as approved by the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies.
Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships
To be considered for a Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantship, the candidate must be admitted without provisional conditions. In order to be eligible for teaching assistantships, students whose native language is not English, must complete extramural training in English as approved by the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies.
Fellowships and Scholarships
To be considered for fellowships or scholarships in the Program the candidate must have a favorable review in most of the evaluation criteria. Fellowships and scholarships in landscape architecture are limited and very competitive. Generally, candidates must be new students coming to UT Arlington, must have a GPA of 3.0 in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours and any graduate hours, and must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 hours in both long semesters to retain their fellowships or scholarships.
Degree Requirements
First Professional Degree Program
The core curriculum for the Program in Landscape Architecture prepares students holding a college degree in a field other than landscape architecture or a related design discipline to complete the requirements for the first professional degree in landscape architecture. The core curriculum also provides students with the basic equivalent of a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture. For full-time students with degrees from other non-design disciplines, the core usually takes three semesters to complete. For all students, electives must be concentrated in areas of intereset which support the student's thesis and/or the student's professional objectives.
Landscape Architecture Degree Requirements
First Professional Degree Program
The core curriculum for the Program in Landscape Architecture prepares students holding a college degree in a field other than landscape architecture or a related design discipline to complete the requirements for the first professional degree in landscape architecture. The core curriculum also provides students with the basic equivalent of a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture. For full-time students with degrees from other non-design disciplines, the core usually takes three semesters to complete. For all students, electives must be concentrated in areas of intereset which support the student's thesis and/or the student's professional objectives.
An approved degree plan must be submitted no later than the start of the student's second semester of graduate work.
The following coursework is a suggestion to meet the Program's mission. Each student will be counseled, based upon interests and background, to develop an appropriate degree plan.
The Core Curriculum
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Session | Hours |
| LARC 5320 | 3 | LARC 5312 | 3 | LARC 5350 | 3 |
| LARC 5330 | 3 | LARC 5331 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5341 | 3 | LARC 5382 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5661 | 6 | LARC 5662 | 6 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Session | Hours |
| LARC 5342 | 3 | LARC 5302 | 3 | Select one of the following: | |
| LARC 5663 | 6 | LARC 5340 | 3 | LARC 5395 (or LARC 5660 if necessary) | 3 |
| Landscape Architecture elective of any LARC 53XX | LARC 5380 | 3 | |||
| LARC 5664 (CAD experience required) | 6 | ||||
| 9 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| Advanced or Independent Study in Landscape Architecture | 9 | LARC 5294 | 2 | ||
| LARC 5665 | 6 | LARC 5698 | 6 | ||
| Advanced or Independent Study in Landscape Architecture | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 11 | ||||
| Total Hours: 86 | |||||
| 1 | After completing 45 credit hours, the first professional degree student is evaluated by means of an academic review and portfolio review by the Graduate Studies Committee. The committee identifies areas of strength and weakness in the student's performance and recommends appropriate action. Upon completion of the three core semesters, the student is required to develop an area of specialization or primary interest. The student must consult with faculty advisors to complete this step, which includes a preliminary agreement between student and faculty advisors regarding the specialization or primary interest and the appropriate research method to support it. If a student is interested in Advanced Landscape Architecture, for example, a probable program of study could look like the following terms. |
Students pursuing other primary areas of interest also must consult with appropriate faculty advisors for approval.
Advanced Standing
Students from backgrounds other than landscape architecture or its related fields must complete the 92 credits required in the curriculum. Students with degrees and/or professional experience in fields related to landscape architecture (such as architecture, engineering, environmental design, horticulture, interior design, planning and the like) may apply for advanced standing, allowing them to enter the academic phase (second year) of the curriculum. Advanced standing in these cases requires a minimum of 62 total credit hours for graduation.
Students with first professional degrees in landscape architecture also may apply for advanced standing, allowing them to enter the research (third year) phase of the curriculum. Advanced standing in these cases requires a minimum of 30 total credit hours for graduation.
Minimum Program for Advanced Standing
(For students from fields of study related to landscape architecture)
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Session | Hours |
| LARC 5312 or 5313 | 3 | LARC 5302 | 3 | Select one of the following: | |
| LARC 5330 | 3 | LARC 5331 | 3 | LARC 5668 or LARC 5695 (Specialization) | 6 |
| LARC 5341 | 3 | LARC 5342 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5663 | 6 | LARC 5664 (CAD experience required) | 6 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 6 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| LARC 5340 | 3 | LARC 5294 | 2 | ||
| LARC 5380 | 3 | LARC 5698 | 6 | ||
| LARC 5665 | 6 | Study in specialization | 3 | ||
| Study in primary area of interest | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 11 | ||||
| Total Hours: 62 | |||||
Minimum Program for Advanced Standing
(For students with first professional degrees in landscape achitecture from LAAB accredited schools)
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| LARC 5380 | 3 | LARC 5294 | 2 |
| LARC 5665 | 6 | LARC 5302 | 3 |
| Specialization Option Courses | 6 | LARC 5698 | 6 |
| Specialization Option Courses / Independent Study | 4 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours: 30 | |||
Courses
LARC 4391. CONFERENCE COURSE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and the Landscape Architecture Program Director.
LARC 4395. SELECTED TOPICS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Studio and lecture courses to explore and present selected topics in landscape architecture and design. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: Permission of the Landscape Architecture Program Director.
LARC 4695. CONFERENCE COURSE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 6 Hours.
Studio and lecture courses to explore and present selected topics in landscape architecture and design. Not repeatable for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the Landscape Architecture Program Director.
LARC 5191. CONFERENCE COURSE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 1 Hour.
Special subjects and issues in landscape architecture that may be studied independently under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit.
LARC 5294. MASTERS COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION. 2 Hours.
Must be taken concurrently with Thesis. Directed study, consultation, and comprehensive examination of coursework, leading to and including the thesis. Oral presentation required. Required of all Master of Landscape Architecture students in the semester in which they plan to graduate.
LARC 5301. SITE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES. 3 Hours.
Presents the processes and practices of site planning and development, including site inventory, analysis, and assessment of potential building sites. Students examine the natural, cultural, and social systems that affect design decisions, as well as the language and literature of landscape architecture.
LARC 5302. LAND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING. 3 Hours.
The process of land development planning for landscape architects. Detailed expansion of LARC 5301. Uses case studies in land development planning to instruct students in the environmental, economic, legal, and visual issues associated with the land planning process.
LARC 5312. History and Theory of Landscape Architecture. 3 Hours.
Traces landscape planning and design from pre-history through Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic and Medieval gardens to Italian, French, and English landscape approaches, culminating in the mid-19th century. Relates landscape design to societal, cultural, technological and belief systems of each period. Culminates in the contemporary history of the profession from Andrew Jackson Downing to the present day. The growth and development of the profession, professional education, the environmental movement, large scale regional land planning and significant landscape architectural projects of the past century and a half.
LARC 5313. HISTORY AND THEORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE II. 3 Hours.
The contemporary history of the profession from Andrew Jackson Downing to present day. The growth and development of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), professional education, the environmental movement, large scale regional planning, and significant landscape architectural projects of the past century.
LARC 5320. COMMUNICATIONS FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. 3 Hours.
Primary class for the development of graphic and communication skills in landscape architecture. Provides a method for transferring conceptual ideas into legible graphic presentations. Should be taken concurrently with LARC 5661 Design Studio I.
LARC 5321. ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS. 3 Hours.
Presentation techniques; expansion on graphic thinking and communication presented in LARC 5320.
LARC 5323. STUDIO TEACHING. 3 Hours.
LARC 5324. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ART SEMINAR. 3 Hours.
Siting and creating works of art; analysis of the creative processes of the two different-yet-related disciplines; case studies of built works. Communication of ideas through environmental media.
LARC 5330. Plant Identification and Ecology. 3 Hours.
Examines the design characteristics and horticultural requirements of a broad palette of plants adapted to the North Texas region. Field trips are required to learn the plants at both ornamental gardens and local ecological communities.
LARC 5331. PLANTING DESIGN. 3 Hours.
Design applications of plant material. Students apply the design problem-solving approach to the detailed aspects of planting design and complete a progressively-more-difficult series of problems to practice techniques and methods of plant manipulation that encompass both the aesthetic and functional objectives of planting design. Prerequisites: LARC 5330; LARC 5661; LARC 5662.
LARC 5340. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE. 3 Hours.
Ethical, legal, and administrative aspects of the public, private, and academic spectrums of practice in landscape architecture.
LARC 5341. LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY I. 3 Hours.
Surveying, site grading, storm water management, vertical and horizontal curves and an overview of the construction documentation process employed by landscape architects.
LARC 5342. LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY II. 3 Hours.
Examines hardscape materials and methods typical to the practice of landscape architecture, through readings, examinations, design detail exercises, and the creation of a complete set of construction documents. Construction site tours are required with area industry professionals. Prerequisites: LARC 5341.
LARC 5344. PARK AND RECREATION DESIGN AND PLANNING. 3 Hours.
History, data collection, program formulation, and design principles for public and private park and recreation systems and sites. Includes management objectives, operations and maintenance, and public input as planning components.
LARC 5350. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE COMPUTER APPLICATIONS. 3 Hours.
Examines various computer applications currently used in office practice. Computer applications used for office management, site analysis, design development, construction documentation, and cost estimating. Introduction to computer aided design applications and the underlying theories of application.
LARC 5351. Advanced Computer Aided Design. 3 Hours.
Focus is on a methodology for designing and illustrating with computer graphics that is very compatible with the design and production workflow of most landscape architecture offices. All work is done in an AutoCAD environment using AutoCAD for modeling and Accurender for redendering still images, interactive panoramas, and both viewpoint and key-frame animations. Photoshop is used for the creation of texture maps, image manipulation and photo-montage. Emphasis is on working intuitively and creatively. Prerequisites: LARC 5350.
LARC 5368. DESIGN PRACTICUM. 3 Hours.
An internship program which includes approved work done in a landscape architect's office or one of the related design fields. The purpose of the practicum is to provide students with practical design experience. Students may enroll in LARC 5368 for half-time employment or LARC 5668 for full time employment.
LARC 5380. RESEARCH METHODS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Theories of practical research and methods of applying them as they relate to landscape architecture. Includes research program development, data collection and analysis, thesis proposal writing, and research tools and techniques. Emphasis is on qualitative methods.Prerequisites: LARC 5661, LARC 5662.
LARC 5382. URBAN DESIGN SEMINAR. 3 Hours.
Advanced presentation and discussion of issues related to contemporary and historic urban design. Students actively present and lead informed discussions on topics such as population density, environmental management, cultural landscapes, land/water intersections, land-use patterns, circulation and legibility, human communities as living organisms, public art, urban form, and urban/rural interchange. Field trips required.
LARC 5391. CONFERENCE COURSE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Special subjects and issues in landscape architecture that may be studied independently under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit.
LARC 5395. SELECTED TOPICS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Selected studio or lecture course offerings in specific areas of expertise or interest. Course allows the program the flexibility to address the ever-changing needs of students and the profession by offering courses beyond the scope of the core curriculum. May be repeated for credit.
LARC 5398. THESIS. 3 Hours.
Independent research and presentation of findings under the direction of a supervising committee. The findings of the thesis should extend the boundaries of the professional discipline by either presenting new and unique ideas or information, or by interpreting existing knowledge from a different perspective.
LARC 5623. STUDIO TEACHING PRACTICUM. 6 Hours.
Students spend one semester as a teaching assistant in the studio sequence under the supervision of the assigned faculty member. They will observe the methods employed in the studio and prepare a comprehensive evaluation of the studio in conjunction with the instructor. The students will oversee one short studio project and evaluate its success or failure based on the criteria learned in LARC 5322 and the goals and objectives of the test project.
LARC 5660. ENRICHMENT DESIGN STUDIO. 6 Hours.
Review of the principles and processes of design presented in Design Studios I, II, and III. Provides an opportunity for students with weak design and graphic skills to improve those skills to meet requirements for Design Studio IV. Course can use design competitions as projects.
LARC 5661. DESIGN STUDIO I. 6 Hours.
A design course for students with no background in landscape architecture or design. Outlines the site planning and site design decision-making process. Focuses on providing students with the verbal, intellectual, and graphic tools necessary to successfully tackle a design problem and bring it to a schematic level of completion. It is highly recommended that this course be taken concurrently with LARC 5320.
LARC 5662. DESIGN STUDIO II. 6 Hours.
A continuation of LARC 5661. Basic design principles and their application to three-dimensional spaces. Examines how humans occupy exterior space and combines this information with the principles of design to create garden scale models. Models are used as a medium for design expression. Landscape character, design simulation, landscape media, landscape context, and human spatial experience are included.
LARC 5663. DESIGN STUDIO III: SITE PLANNING. 6 Hours.
Features the process of solving complicated site planning and site design problems. Each phase of the site planning process is examined in detail by undertaking one or more studio problems that involve resolution of issues related to existing site conditions, program development, conceptual design, design development, and design detailing.
LARC 5664. DESIGN STUDIO IV: ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING. 6 Hours.
Expands the student's concept of the environment as a large scale ecologic unit independent of political boundaries. Primary focus is on Geographic Information Systems (GIS); therefore, computer-aided design experience is a prerequisite. Presents a process of solving large scale planning problems through data gathering and information processing techniques commonly used by landscape architects employed in environmental planning.
LARC 5665. DESIGN STUDIO V: THE URBAN LANDSCAPE. 6 Hours.
The summary studio of the design sequence. Basic design principles are reiterated and problems are introduced which require interaction with architects, planners, urban designers, developers, or administrators, on complex urban projects. Course often uses design competitions as projects.
LARC 5668. DESIGN PRACTICUM. 6 Hours.
An internship program which includes approved work done in a landscape architect's office or one of the related design fields. The purpose of the practicum is to provide students with practical design experience. Students may enroll in LARC 5368 for half-time employment or LARC 5668 for full time employment.
LARC 5691. CONFERENCE COURSE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 6 Hours.
Special subjects and issues in landscape architecture that may be studied independently under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit.
LARC 5698. THESIS. 6 Hours.
Independent research and presentation of findings under the direction of a supervising committee. The findings of the thesis should extend the boundaries of the professional discipline by either presenting new and unique ideas or information, or by interpreting existing knowledge from a different perspective.
LARC 5998. THESIS. 9 Hours.
Independent research and presentation of findings under the direction of a supervising committee. The findings of the thesis should extend the boundaries of the professional discipline by either presenting new and unique ideas or information, or by interpreting existing knowledge from a different perspective.