Landscape Architecture
Master's Degree
BACHELOR'S Degree
Overview
The University of Texas at Arlington, Landscape Architecture Program offers the following LAAB-accredited Master of Landscape Architecture degree programs:
- Path A (87 credit hours; requires a 4-year bachelors degree)
- Path B (60 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, Landscape Architecture Program also offers the following post-professional Master of Landscape Architecture degree program:
- Path C (36 credit hours; requires a professional degree in landscape architecture)
STEM
In the Summer of 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated that Landscape Architecture is now a recognized Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) discipline.
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.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
Established through the Unite Effectiveness Process (UEP) process support the program's mission, and also are aligned with the standards established by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) for first professional degree programs in landscape architecture that encompass the body of knowledge common to the profession and promote acquisition of the knowledge and skills necessary to enter professional practice.
1. Proficiency in communication: graduating students will demonstrate proficiency in communicating ideas with visual proficiency.
2. Proficiency in verbal communication: graduating students will demonstrate proficiency in communicating ideas with verbal proficiency.
3. Identification of natural and cultural systems: graduating students will demonstrate the ability to identify the local and regional cultural and natural systems including hydrology for a given design program.
4. Knowledge of computer applications: graduating students will demonstrate proficiency with relevant computer programs.
5. Knowledge of construction materials, methods, technologies and applications: graduating students will demonstrate the ability to produce a set of industry standard construction documents.
6. Advanced written research/communication: graduating students will demonstrate the ability to produce scholarly research in the form of a written and oral thesis.
7. Design Comprehension, Creativity and Rigor: The student will demonstrate understanding of design processes, comprehension, creativity and rigor.
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 Program Director: Diane Jones Allen, D. Eng, ASLA, PLA
Director for Academic Affairs and Advising: Cheryl Donaldson
Prospective / Future Students Info
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 and/or academic contact. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly via email to cappa.advising@uta.edu or by postal service, to: CAPPA Program – Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), 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.
Minimum GRE scores of 298-147 verbal and minimum 142 on the quantitative section.
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 79 on the TOEFL IbT or 6.5 on the IELTS. International applicants who do not meet the Program's minimum TOEFL IbT or IELTS 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: https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/cappa/admissions/scholarships
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 )
FACILITATED ADMISSION OF OUTSTANDING uT ARLINGTON UNDERGRADUATES
The Master of Landscape Architecture offers outstanding graduating students from UTA's Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Urban Design program the opportunity to participate in the Facilitated Admissions program.
Students are recommended for Facilitated Admission by the Master of Landscape Architecture Graduate Advisor. To qualify the students must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Graduation from UTA's Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Urban Design program no more than one academic year prior to the semester for which facilitated admission is sought.
- If the student has not yet graduated from the program, they must be in their final undergraduate semester and have applied for undergraduate graduation.
- Achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 in these calculations:
- Last 60 hours GPA as calculated in Graduate Admissions for admission purposes,
- All work completed to date at UTA (cumulative GPA),
- Within their major (from LARC and UDES courses)
Students who qualify for Facilitated Admission will be admitted into graduate school without completing the application for admission, submitting the application fee, or taking the GRE or GMAT test. The Graduate Advisor of the Master of Landscape Architecture program will complete an Facilitated Admission Application on behalf of the student.
POLICY FOR CLASSROOM + STUDIO NON-REGISTERED ATTENDEES
The following policy applies to scheduled courses and academic activities in the Landscape Architecture program, including undergraduate and graduate programs in Landscape Architecture and Sustainable Urban Design. The policy is effective January 1, 2024 and complies with University of Texas at Arlington EI-PO-11, the Texas Education Code Section 51.982, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Only assigned instructors, enrolled students, invited guests and other individuals who have received the instructors’ permission in advance are permitted in scheduled classes within CAPPA buildings. Unenrolled students, dependent minors of enrolled students or guests without instructors’ permission are not permitted within the assigned classroom during any scheduled class. Other faculty engaged in peer review or other sanctioned academic responsibilities may attend as warranted and with consent of the instructor for the course or program director.
On occasion, due to extenuating circumstances, it is understood that an enrolled student who is a parent may have no other childcare choice than to have their child brought to the learning environment. In these circumstances, suspension of the above policy may be permitted by the instructor on a limited basis, to be designated by the instructor. Prohibited Minors: Persons under the age of ten (10) are not permitted in any laboratory (studio).
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
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| 0 | LARC 5320 | 3 | LARC 5331 | 3 | |
| LARC 5330 | 3 | LARC 5350 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5661 | 6 | LARC 5662 | 6 | ||
| LARC 53xx Larc Elective | 3 | LARC 53xx Larc Elective | 3 | ||
| 0 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| LARC 5668 | 6 | LARC 5301 | 3 | LARC 5313 | 3 |
| LARC 5312 | 3 | LARC 5340 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5341 | 3 | LARC 5380 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5663 | 6 | LARC 5664 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| 0 | LARC 5397 | 3 | LARC 5342 | 3 | |
| LARC 5665 | 6 | LARC 5698 | 6 | ||
| LARC 53xx Larc Elective | 3 | ||||
| 0 | 12 | 9 | |||
| Total Hours: 87 | |||||
- 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.
- 2
The Program in Landscape Architecture will not allow a student to take LARC 5693 more than 4 times before a “Fail” grade is assigned and the student has to be reinstated in order to complete their degree.
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
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| 0 | LARC 5320 | 3 | LARC 5331 | 3 | |
| LARC 5330 | 3 | LARC 5342 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5341 | 3 | LARC 5380 | 3 | ||
| LARC 5663 | 6 | LARC 5664 | 6 | ||
| 0 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| LARC 5368 | 3 | LARC 5312 | 3 | LARC 5313 | 3 |
| LARC 5340 | 3 | LARC 5698 | 6 | ||
| LARC 5397 | 3 | Study in Specialization (LARC 5382 recommended) | 3 | ||
| LARC 5665 | 6 | ||||
| 3 | 15 | 12 | |||
| Total Hours: 60 | |||||
Minimum Program for Advanced Standing
(For students with first professional degrees in landscape architecture from LAAB accredited schools)
Path C Students
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| LARC 5380 | 3 | LARC 5301 | 3 |
| LARC 5665 | 6 | LARC 5623 | 6 |
| Specialization Option Course | 3 | ||
| 9 | 12 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| LARC 5397 | 3 | LARC 5313 | 3 |
| Specialization Option Course | 3 | LARC 5698 | 6 |
| 6 | 9 | ||
| Total Hours: 36 | |||
Courses
LARC 4191. CONFERENCE COURSE. 1 Hour.
Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Departmental permission.
LARC 4300. INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
An orientation to this environmental-design profession. Landscape architecture applies a blending of art with knowledge of natural processes and historical, cultural, and social dynamics to design richly supportive and beautiful outdoor places. Open to all students.
LARC 4301. 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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4312. HISTORY AND THEORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE I. 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. Course also offered as ARCH 4353, credit will only be granted one. Prerequisite: UDES 2303 and LARC 4300 or ARCH 2303 and ARCH 2304. Restricted to Sustainable Urban Design, Architecture, and Interior Design majors.
LARC 4313. 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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in ARCH 4353. Department consent.
LARC 4320. 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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4324. ENVIRONMENTAL ART AND DATA VISUALIZATION. 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. Prerequisite: C or better in UDES 3551, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Restricted to Sustainable Urban Design major. Department approval is required for Architecture and Interior Design majors. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course GPA of 2.8.
LARC 4325. URBAN SKETCHING. 3 Hours.
This course employs freehand, on-location sketching as a means for exploring and understanding the rich visual language of the urban environment. Lectures will introduce timeless urban design principles and field sketching techniques, which will be further developed through on-location sketching in the city. The course would be of interest to students of art, architecture, landscape architecture, planning, art and related fields. Some background in sketching through art or design coursework is recommended. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 1342, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4326. DESIGN AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 3 Hours.
This course is an introduction to a range of viewpoints, concepts and characteristics of human behavior which should be taken into consideration when designing the urban environment. Cultural, social and psychological factors will be considered. Various theories and methods of environmental assessment and design will be studied that are based on an understanding of mutually supportive relationships between human beings and their physical environment. Field study will be employed to exercise theories and techniques explored. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4327. REGIONALISM, CREATIVITY, AND DESIGN. 3 Hours.
This class will cover various readings and discuss inspiring regionalist essays by architects, landscape architects, philosophers, and others in order to shape a set of beliefs (an ideology) that can productively inform the student's trajectory as a creative designer. Students will learn how regionalism makes the life of a designer more interesting and fulfilling as new regional influences in diverse areas are absorbed and become continuing fodder for personal growth and creativity through a long career. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4330. 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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4350. 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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in UDES 2441, ARCH 2551, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4351. 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 Lumion for rendering 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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in LARC 4350, ARCH 3343, INTD 2343, or approved equivalent. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. Department consent.
LARC 4391. CONFERENCE COURSE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Independent study guided by an instructor on a regular basis. Prerequisite: Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum major course(s) GPA of 2.8. May be repeated for credit, may not exceed six credits. Permission of the instructor and the Landscape Architecture Program Director.
LARC 4395. SELECTED TOPICS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
Courses to explore and present selected topics in landscape architecture and design. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: Department consent.
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. Prerequisite: LARC 5397.
LARC 5300. INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. 3 Hours.
An orientation to this environmental-design profession. Landscape architecture applies a blending of art with knowledge of natural processes and historical, cultural, and social dynamics to design richly supportive and beautiful outdoor places. Open to all students.
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. Prerequisite: "C" or better in LARC 5312 or ARCH 4353.
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. Prerequisite: Credit or concurrent enrollment in LARC 5661.
LARC 5321. ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS. 3 Hours.
Focuses on the symbolic and representational computer graphics as well as communication and presentation techniques typically used in landscape architecture profession. Building on the graphic thinking, production, and communications skills covered in LARC 5320 and further expanding those basics to digital technologies and media. It also introduces students to fundamental concepts and principles of design and graphic composition in the digital environment. Prerequisite: 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 5325. URBAN SKETCHING. 3 Hours.
This course employs freehand, on-location sketching as a means for exploring and understanding the rich visual language of the urban environment. Lectures will introduce timeless urban design principles and field sketching techniques, which will be further developed through on-location sketching in the city. The course would be of interest to students of art, architecture, landscape architecture, planning, art and related fields. Some background in sketching through art or design coursework is recommended.
LARC 5326. DESIGN AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 3 Hours.
This course is an introduction to a range of viewpoints, concepts and characteristics of human behavior which should be taken into consideration when designing the urban environment. Cultural, social and psychological factors will be considered. Various theories and methods of environmental assessment and design will be studied that are based on an understanding of mutually supportive relationships between human beings and their physical environment. Field study will be employed to exercise theories and techniques explored.
LARC 5327. REGIONALISM, CREATIVITY, AND DESIGN. 3 Hours.
This class will cover various readings and discuss inspiring regionalist essays by architects, landscape architects, philosophers, and others in order to shape a set of beliefs (an ideology) that can productively inform the student's trajectory as a creative designer. Students will learn how regionalism makes the life of a designer more interesting and fulfilling as new regional influences in diverse areas are absorbed and become continuing fodder for personal growth and creativity through a long career.
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, programmatic, environmental, and ecological 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. Prerequisite: LARC 5320.
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 Lumion for rendering 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. Prerequisite: 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.
The Seminar establishes a basic critical understanding, and a critique of urban design by reviewing its past, present and the future as an academic field and an area of practice. The seminar introduces urban design as a transdisciplinary specialization and professional endeavor that encompasses landscape architecture, architecture, city planning, and real estate to shape and influence the built environment primarily within urban context. Students actively present and lead informed discussions on topics such as urban form, urban landscapes, land-use patterns, population density, circulation, legibility, public art, environmental behavior and urban/rural interchange. Field trips are 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 5397. THESIS PREP. 3 Hours.
Preparation for landscape architecture thesis (design or written) on design, technology, history or professional principles. Students work closely with a landscape architecture faculty advisor and thesis committee to complete the proposal for a written or design thesis and begin thesis work. Prerequisite: LARC 5380.
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. Prerequisite: LARC 5397.
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 5323 and the goals and objectives of the test project. Prerequisite: LARC 5323.
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, for advanced students who have completed the studio sequence. May be repeated for credit as specific topics vary. Prerequisite: LARC 5661 and LARC 5662.
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.
Studio IV is designed to provide the fundamental concepts and mechanisms underlying natural processes, and environmental planning and design. It addresses the influence of both natural and human factors on landscape planning and landscape architectural design within the context of sustainability. The course expands the regional planning and design to the environment as a large scale ecological unit, independent of political boundaries, through the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Geodesign framework. Prerequisite: LARC 5341, LARC 5661, LARC 5662, and LARC 5663.
LARC 5665. DESIGN STUDIO V: THE URBAN LANDSCAPE. 6 Hours.
The studio uses both real and hypothetical projects as well as competitions as design problems which require in depth understanding of behavioral, social, environmental, and economic conditions in relation to landscape architecture and urban design. Basic design and planning principles acquired in earlier studios are reiterated, and solutions to new problems on complex urban projects are introduced that benefit from interactions with architects, planners, urban designers, and developers. Prerequisite: LARC 5341, LARC 5342, LARC 5661, LARC 5662, LARC 5663, and LARC 5664.
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 5693. MASTERS DESIGN THESIS. 6 Hours.
Independent research and design/planning investigations, under the direction of a supervising committee, that demonstrate rigorous original thinking. Topics can explore material in a new light or engage research and design practices in ways that strengthen and define the final masters design thesis in relationship to the field. Prerequisite: LARC 5397.
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. Prerequisite: LARC 5397.
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. Prerequisite: LARC 5397.