Top Schools Offering Landscape Architecture Graduate Degree Programs
Majors Overview April 27, 2015Get information about the top schools that offer master’s degree programs in landscape architecture and what makes these schools significant.
Schools Offering Landscape Architecture Master’s Degree Programs
Landscape architects design plazas, gardens, and parks. They work with building designers and engineers in planning the various elements of the site, including the locations of roads and buildings.
A student can complete a Master in Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) in one to three years. The extent of the curriculum varies according to the undergraduate field of study of an enrolled student. In this article, we take a look at some of the top schools offering landscape architecture master’s and graduate programs. While these schools have gained recognition for their landscape architecture programs, they are also rated among national universities.
Harvard University – Cambridge, MA
The oldest postsecondary school in the country, Harvard University was ranked at the top of U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 list of the best national universities. The Graduate School of Design offers the Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) program, which is among the world’s oldest landscape architecture programs.
Students can complete the program in three to six semesters, the duration varying by the extent of architectural education the student has completed during his or her undergraduate studies. In 2010, DesignIntelligence ranked the program at the top of its list of the nation’s top graduate degree programs in landscape architecture.
University of Virginia – Charlottesville, VA
Many organizations have accorded recognition to the University of Virginia (UVA), a public university that has been ranked third on Kiplinger’s published list of the best valued public colleges for 2009 – 2010. The U.S. News & World Report ranked the university 24th on its list of top national universities in 2010, with the school achieving the second highest-ranking among public universities on the list.
An M.L.A. program is available through the School of Architecture that achieved fifth rank in DesignIntelligence’s 2010 list of top national graduate programs in landscape architecture. Students may complete the program within three years, augmented by an eight-week summer session. Alternatively, a student may complete it in four semesters provided the student already has an undergraduate degree in landscape architecture.
Top Schools offering Landscape Architecture Graduate Degree Program
| Name of School | Distinction | Campus Location |
| Harvard University | In 2014, U.S. News and World Report ranked this school as number one as the top value school | Cambridge, MA |
| University of California – Berkeley | University of California – Berkeley offers a two- and three-year Master of Landscape Architecture program | Berkeley, CA |
| University of Florida | University of Florida offers one of the oldest Master of Landscape Architecture program in Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign | Approximately ten percent of those who win the American Society of Landscape Architects Medal are students who have graduated from this school | Champaign, IL |
| University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | In 2014, the U.S. News and World Report ranked this school number four as on of the best public schools | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Texas – Austin | Students who are enrolled into the Master of Landscape Architecture program may work from landscape architecture studios | Austin, TX |
| University of Virginia | Different fellowship programs such as the Garden Club of America and the American Society of Landscape Architects are available to students enrolled in Landscape architecture program | Charlottesville, VA |
| University of Washington | This school’s Department of Landscape Architecture concentrates on urban ecological design and have completed, among other projects, an elible green screen and biodiversity green wall | Seattle, WA |
| University of Wisconsin – Madison | The Master of Landscape Architecture program offers tracks in cultural landscape conservation, restoration and natural resources management, conservation planning, and community and sustainable design | Madison, WI |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | In 2010, the DesignIntelligence ranked this school number two on its list of top schools offering Master of Landscape Architecture program | Blacksburg, VA |
