Master's Degree
- Master of Landscape Architecture
Vision Statement
The UT Arlington Master of Landscape Architecture program advances design and planning solutions for environmental resiliency, urban placemaking, quality of life, and well-being. Through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service activities, the program promotes leading-edge design and planning by capitalizing upon its unique position within the urban lab environment that Dallas/Fort Worth area offers, providing students with skills that are transferable to cities around the globe.
Mission Statement
Students and faculty within the Master of Landscape Architecture program seek to fulfill its vision on various levels, beginning with the program and radiating outward.
Landscape Architecture Program
The program provides a creative and engaging classroom, as well as an experiential learning environment that promotes critical and creative thinking about advanced solutions for current and future urban landscapes. A commitment to continual growth of the profession is manifested in lifetime learning opportunities including continuing education, certificates, and executive programs for working professionals
College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs
The Landscape Architecture program encourages collaborative teaching and research within the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.
University of Texas at Arlington
The Landscape Architecture program encourages collaborative teaching, research and outreach programs across the University with such programs as Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Sociology, Real Estate Development and Business Administration. It also provides distinctive and creative contributions to the realization of the University’s Strategic Plan, especially regarding three of the plan’s themes:
- Health and the Human Condition – by fostering design for cities of well-being.
- Sustainable Urban Communities – by teaching, developing and transferring knowledge regarding the changes in our natural, cultural and social environments.
- Global Environmental Impact –by attracting and engaging a diverse student body and faculty to study issues and disseminate research regarding urban landscapes and their global environmental impact.
Community Outreach
The Landscape Architecture program acts as a bridge between academia and industry by providing a hub for service learning opportunities that benefit a wide range of community partners. We do this by capitalizing upon the broad and diverse expertise of faculty research, and by integrating creative and thoughtful design that addresses the culture, nature, and people within a rapidly growing metropolitan environment to help create viable, sustainable, and resilient urban communities.
Our Values
Excellence in our education programs – We value excellence and seek the highest standards in teaching by engaging students to develop creative and critical thinking, an appreciation of lifetime learning, and the professional skills necessary to address issues of landscape architecture, urban design, sustainability, and quality of life.
Diversity – We value and promote diversity in our students, faculty, design and planning practices, and see diversity as one of the strengths of our program.
Research – We value and promote original research and scholarly activities that apply the diverse expertise of faculty students to addressing complex urban issues.
Collaboration – We value collaboration within our students, our MLA faculty, CAPPA, and across the University, as well as with our current and developing business, government and nonprofit community partners.
Service to our community – We value service as a key element of structured experiential learning that results in creative solutions to urban landscape, urban design, sustainability, and city building challenges, with the goal of fostering quality of life and well-being.
Accreditation
The Landscape Architecture Program is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board. Graduates from the Landscape Architecture 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 Landscape Architecture Program and the Graduate School.
Fellowships and Scholarships
To be considered for fellowships or scholarships in the Landscape Architecture 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.
Advising
MLA Academic Advisor: Ana-Maria Peredo-Manor
Assistant Director for Academic and Student Affairs / Advising Coordinator:Cheryl Donaldson
Master's Admissions Requirements
MLA Program Director: Diane Jones Allen, D. Eng, ASLA, PLA
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 and/or academic contact. Letters of recommendation and personal essay should be sent directly to the CAPPA College Recruiter via email or postal service, CAPPA RECRUITER, Box 19108, Arlington TX 76019. Applicants also are required to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). 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 or a score of 23 on the TOEFL speaking.
Fellowships and Scholarships
To be considered for fellowships or scholarships in the Program the candidate must admitted without provisional conditions and 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. For further information and to apply for scholarships visit: http://www.uta.edu/cappa/resources/scholarships/index.php
Landscape architecture master's design thesis option
The Master’s Design Thesis option requires the student to conduct independent research, but also design investigations to demonstrate their capacity for rigorous original thinking. The design thesis, as does the written thesis, will include a research proposal, a written research portion and also design products (analysis and design drawings) that meet the highest standards of academic excellence and contribute significantly to the discipline and profession. Students will take research methods, masters comp/thesis prep., and thesis.
CAPPA Inadequate Academic Progress Point System
A student may be subject to dismissal from the program if they accumulate 4 deficiency points during their Master’s degree or their Ph.D. Students who complete a Master’s degree at CAPPA will not carry deficiency points into their Ph.D. work. Deficiency points may not be removed from a student’s record by repeating a course or additional coursework.
D = 2 deficiency points
F = 3 deficiency points
I = 1 deficiency point
W = 0.5 deficiency point
A graduate student, whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below a 3.000 in all graduate courses, be they graduate or undergraduate level and taken while enrolled as a UT Arlington graduate student, may be subject to dismissal from the program. (Reference: http://catalog.uta.edu/academicregulations/academicstanding/#graduatetext )
The University of Texas at Arlington, Landscape Architecture program offers the following LAAB-accredited Master of Landscape Architecture degree programs:
- Path A (89 credit hours; requires a 4-year bachelors degree)
- Path B (59 credit hours; requires a 4-year pre-professional degree in architecture or a 4-year professional UT Arlington interior design degree)
The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Architecture also offers the following non-accredited Master of Landscape Architecture degree program:
- Path C (30 credit hours; requires a professional degree in landscape architecture)
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 interest 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.
Each student will be counseled, based upon interests and background, to develop an appropriate degree plan.
The following coursework is a suggestion to meet the Program's mission for the Thesis (LARC 5698) and the Design Thesis (LARC 5693) options:
Path A Students
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 89 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 59 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)
Path B Students
Minimum Program for Advanced Standing
(For students with first professional degrees in landscape architecture from LAAB accredited schools)
Path C Students