Master of Landscape Architecture at Auburn University

The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture offers the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA). This is a first professional degree program accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects. The MLA consists of 96 credit hours delivered over six and a half semesters. Students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than landscape architecture enter in the Summer Mini-Semester II and graduate three years later. Students are encouraged to pursue internships during the remaining Summer Semesters. The program accepts and encourages applicants from a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, the sciences and the arts. Students who have an undergraduate degree in landscape architecture can complete the Master of Landscape Architecture in two years, by application, through Advanced Placement. Advanced Placement is not automatic, but based on portfolio and academic merit. Successful applicants for Advanced Placement enter in the Fall semester. Students who are currently in the Auburn University pre-landscape architecture programs [Bachelor of Horticulture and Bachelor of Environmental Design] complete their undergraduate degrees as the first year of the MLA. These applicants should contact the Program Chair or the Program Administrator for more information. Pre-landscape architecture students enter in the Summer Mini-Semester II.

Prospective students apply for admission online to the Graduate School. The Graduate Record Examination is not a requirement; however, the Admissions Committee will require the undergraduate record, three letters of recommendation, a 500 word statement of intent and, in the case of applicants for Advanced Placement, a portfolio of work. 

The program is a studio design-based course of study that incorporates learning from across the disciplines of art, architecture, urban design, ecology, information technology and the natural sciences. The program studies regional and urban landscape systems through the relationships between human dwelling and natural systems. Graduates will be prepared to take action in rebuilding urban landscapes, reconnecting fractured ecosystems, and regenerating human and nonhuman habitats.

Each semester consists of 15 credit hours, including six credit hours of studio and fieldwork. In their final year of study students engage a comprehensive design studio that explores research by design. Students must also be prepared to undertake numerous field studies in a variety of locations that can involve interstate visits and several days away from Auburn University. All field trips and Study Abroad incur extra costs.

The Master of Landscape Architecture offers a limited number of Graduate Assistantships each year.  GA positions are highly competitive, and applications exceed availability. The assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit. Students who wish to apply for an assistantship must do so when they send their materials to the Program Chair. When assessing the merit of applications for research assistantships, faculty review the following:

• Academic transcript
• GPA
• Portfolio
• Statement of intent

Applicants who can attend the Master of Landscape Architecture only if they receive an assistantship should make this clear to the Program Chair on application. As a rule Graduate Assistantships involve working with faculty on research projects. A wide range of tasks is expected to be performed to a high standard. Punctuality, timeliness and cordiality are strict requirements. Graduate Assistantships provide a partial tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. The tuition waiver applies to in-state and out-of-state students alike, and covers a portion of the tuition fee for each semester that the student is a GRA. Students who are appointed as GAs are required to pay the Professional Fee. Assistantships are awarded on a semester basis (and they are not available in the first summer) and there is no guarantee that recipients will receive a continuance of their assistantship. Reappointment will be made on the basis of students having:

• Maintained a high work standard
• Completed all their coursework and assignments satisfactorily
• Performed well for the faculty member to which they have been assigned.

Any questions about assistantships should be directed to the Program Chair. The Master of Landscape Architecture does not currently offer scholarships.

All students who enter the MLA must ensure that they have a their own laptop computer that conforms to the requirements set out on the Landscape Architecture page of the College of Architecture Design and Planning website.