The Department of Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture & Environment at the University of Oregon is a national leader in design education. The discipline of landscape architecture is growing from a mostly professional field to one that supports scholarship and research, thus changing its role and mission in the academic community and in society. As a result of this growth, a doctoral degree is rapidly becoming preferred for university faculty and professional positions in the field.
The doctoral program in Landscape Architecture offers opportunities for advanced study and scholarship across a range of spatial scales and cultural contexts. Students in the program pursue diverse topics related to their interests and to clusters of faculty expertise. Current clusters include:
- critical history, theory, and practice
- ecology, infrastructure, and social justice"¯
- productive landscapes
The degree is intended primarily for students seeking careers in teaching, scholarship, and leadership in landscape design and planning in universities, practice, policy, and consultancy. Depending on their background and research goals, students can expect to complete the"¯degree in four to six years, including required course work, qualifying exams, and their dissertation. Graduates of our doctoral program regularly find academic employment in institutions and organizations around the world.
For each incoming doctoral student, the department will provide a minimum of two academic years of graduate fellowship, which include tuition and fee waivers, a stipend, and health insurance. Funding typically continues through the fourth year, contingent upon satisfactory progress. Students may also teach and participate in ongoing research.
In addition to the standard doctoral funding noted in the previous paragraph, the department can offer one Lokey Graduate Science Award ($6000) to an exceptional incoming doctoral student who is beginning their studies in the 2022-23 academic year and whose research interests overlap with one or more National Science Foundation research areas (Biological Sciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Education and Human Resources, Engineering, Environmental Research and Education, Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, or Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences). This award only applies to the 2022-23 academic year and is payable to the student at the beginning of the fall term.