Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Urban Design to Master of Landscape Architecture Fast Track
About This Program
Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Urban Design Fast Track will enable outstanding senior undergraduate Sustainable Urban Design (BS.SUD) students to satisfy degree requirements leading to the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree while completing their undergraduate studies. This degree is designed for students who plan to work in the landscape architecture and sustainability sectors.
Sustainable Urban Design (SUD) will take the specified twelve credit hours of advanced LARC undergraduate courses (3000- or 4000 level courses) and the specified nine hours graduate LARC courses (5000 level courses) that will earn credit toward both the bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Urban Design and the master’s degree in Landscape Architecture. It is designed to encourage high standards of performance, to facilitate the transition from undergraduate to graduate study, and to reduce time needed to complete the MLA.
Those who successfully complete the BS SUD to MLA Fast Track program will be automatically admitted to the Graduate School. They will not be required to take any qualifying test, complete an application for admission to the Graduate School, arrange for letters of reference, or pay an application fee. This enables students to complete their MLA degree in a shorter time period.
Associated Programs
For detailed information about the programs associated with this Fast Track, refer to their individual degree pages.
Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate students apply to the Department of Landscape Architecture by completing a fast track application major declaration form available from the CAPPA academic advisor. Students will be notified by the Department of their acceptance into the fast track program.
Unconditional Admission
- The student must be within 55 hours of completing a BS in Sustainable Urban Design at UTA.
- The student must have completed 30 hours of coursework at UTA.
- The student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in all coursework within their major and an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in all coursework completed at UTA.
- The student must have a combined GPA of at least 3.3 in UDES 2442 and UDES 2551.
Admission to the graduate program
For automatic admission to the MLA, students must complete the following Landscape Architecture courses prior to receiving their bachelor’s degree with at at least a B in each course:
Curriculum
| Foundations | ||
| General Core Requirements | 42 | |
| Students must complete specific courses in certain core areas. | ||
| For Communication select: | ||
| RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I | ||
| For Creative Arts select: | ||
Another Communications class | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT | ||
| For Language, Philosophy & Culture select: | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL ISSUES | ||
| For Life & Physical Sciences select 2 from the following: 2 | ||
| BIOLOGY II FOR NON-SCIENCE MAJORS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | ||
| GLOBAL WARMING | ||
| EARTH SYSTEMS | ||
| WEATHER AND CLIMATE | ||
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND HAZARDS | ||
| ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT | ||
| For Mathematics select: | ||
| TRIGONOMETRY | ||
| For Component Area Option (2 courses required): | ||
| CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS | ||
Any other approved core course | ||
| Sustainable Urban Design Foundations (Basic Studies) | ||
| UDES 1101 | ACADEMIC SUCCESS SKILLS IN SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN | 1 |
| or UNIV-AR 1131 | STUDENT SUCCESS | |
| UDES 1301 | INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN | 3 |
| UDES 1304 | DIGITAL METHODS IN SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN | 3 |
| UDES 1341 | DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS | 3 |
| UDES 2441 | URBAN DIAGRAMMING AND COMMUNICATION I | 4 |
| UDES 2442 | URBAN DIAGRAMMING AND COMMUNICATION II | 4 |
| UDES 2551 | URBAN DESIGN STUDIO I: URBAN RESILIENCY | 5 |
| Sustainable Urban Design Specialization (Major Studies) | ||
| UDES 3303 | HISTORY OF URBAN DESIGN, FORM, AND INFRASTRUCTURE | 3 |
| UDES 3552 | URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II: MOBILITY | 5 |
| UDES 4304 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY CAPSTONE PREP | 3 |
| UDES 4404 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT CAPSTONE | 4 |
| UDES 4551 | URBAN DESIGN STUDIO III: CLIMATE CHANGE | 5 |
| UDES 4552 | URBAN DESIGN STUDIO IV: ADVANCED SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN | 5 |
| Sustainablity Specialization | ||
| Landscape Architecture | ||
| LARC 4300 | INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | 3 |
| LARC 4324 | ENVIRONMENTAL ART AND DATA VISUALIZATION | 3 |
| LARC 4326 | DESIGN AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| Planning | ||
| PLAN 4320 | SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | 3 |
| PLAN 4356 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| PLAN 4357 | INTERMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| Public Affairs | ||
| PAPP 4307 | URBAN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| For the fast track select: | ||
| LARC 4301 | SITE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES | 3 |
| LARC 5312 | HISTORY AND THEORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | 3 |
| LARC 5313 | HISTORY AND THEORY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE II | 3 |
| LARC 5341 | LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY I | 3 |
| MLA (Advanced Standing) | ||
| Foundations | ||
| LARC 5320 | COMMUNICATIONS FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS | 3 |
| LARC 5330 | PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND ECOLOGY | 3 |
| LARC 5331 | PLANTING DESIGN | 3 |
| LARC 5342 | LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY II | 3 |
| LARC 5368 | DESIGN PRACTICUM | 3 |
| LARC 5380 | RESEARCH METHODS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | 3 |
| LARC 5397 | THESIS PREP | 3 |
| LARC 5663 | DESIGN STUDIO III: SITE PLANNING | 6 |
| LARC 5664 | DESIGN STUDIO IV: ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING | 6 |
| LARC 5665 | DESIGN STUDIO V: THE URBAN LANDSCAPE | 6 |
| Complete MLA electives and thesis per catalog | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 171 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours | ||
| UDES 1101 | 1 | Communication | 3 | ||
| ARCH 1301 | 3 | Government/Political Science | 3 | ||
| ENGL 1301 | 3 | MATH 1303 | 3 | ||
| MATH 1301 | 3 | UDES 1304 | 3 | ||
| UDES 1301 | 3 | UDES 2441 | 4 | ||
| UDES 1341 | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours | ||
| GLOBAL 2301 | 3 | UDES 2551 | 5 | ||
| PLAN 4356 | 3 | Government/Political Science | 3 | ||
| UDES 2442 | 4 | Life & Physical Sciences | 3 | ||
| US History (part 1) | 3 | Social/Behavioral Sciences | 3 | ||
| Life & Physical Sciences | 3 | US History (part 2) | 3 | ||
| 16 | 17 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours | ||
| LARC 4300 | 3 | PAPP 4307 | 3 | ||
| LARC 4324 | 3 | PLAN 4357 | 3 | ||
| UDES 3552 | 5 | UDES 3303 | 3 | ||
| LARC 4312 (SUD Fast Track Elective) | 3 | UDES 4551 | 5 | ||
| LARC 4313 (SUD Fast Track Elective) | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 17 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| LARC 4351 (SUD Fast Track Elective) | 3 | UDES 4304 | 3 | LARC 4326 | 3 |
| PLAN 4320 | 3 | UDES 4552 | 5 | UDES 4404 | 4 |
| LARC 4301 (SUD Fast Track Elective) | 3 | LARC 5331 (MLA Fast Track Course) | 3 | ||
| LARC 5330 (MLA Fast Track Course) | 3 | LARC 5342 (MLA Fast Track Course) | 3 | ||
| Core Component Option | 3 | ||||
| 6 | 17 | 13 | |||
| Total Hours: 132 | |||||
Program Completion
Good Standing
In order to remain in the Fast Track program, students must meet the following requirements:
1. Students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and must earn grades of B or better in all Fast Track-approved graduate courses that will be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate degree requirements of the Fast Track program.
2. Students must enroll in the four listed graduate Landscape Architecture graduate courses prior to receiving their bachelor’s degree, and receive at least a B in each course.
Students who, at any time, do not meet these requirements will be obliged to leave the fast track program. Any graduate credits earned will not be applied to the undergraduate degree, and none of the other benefits of participation in the fast track program will apply. They may apply to the MLA program as a regular student after receiving their BS.
For more information about the Sustainable Urban Design BS to MLA to MLA Fast Track, please contact the Director in the Department of Landscape Architecture.
Advising Resources
The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at UT Arlington equips students with skills and knowledge to address real-world challenges in design, public policy, and research. Our Advising Office supports academic and career success. Explore our Future Students page to connect with an Academic Advisor and shape your future.
Location:
203 CAPPA Building
Email:
cappa.advising@uta.edu
Phone:
817-272-2801