Florida—It’s where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean and the Everglades meet Miami. It’s where cultures and generations mix. Where agriculture, space flight, development, tourism, and health care shape the economy.
This dynamic environment is also home to the intellectual powerhouse of the University of Florida. It attracts researchers, scholars, and artists to a community relentlessly focused on solving today’s most complex problems, from climate change to AI to social justice.
The University of Florida Experience
When you choose to extend your creativity and scholarship to a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Florida, you acquire the research skills and problem-solving depth to:
Conserve fragile ecosystems in Florida and around the world
Create beautiful places that connect diverse human communities
Build resilient systems that support cities and economies
Program Information
The Advanced Design Studio sequence is at the heart of our MLA curriculum and focuses on:
- Sustainable Landscapes:Designing environmentally responsible and resource-efficient landscapes that promote biodiversity, conserve natural resources, and mitigate the impact of human activities on ecosystems.
- Healthy Communities:Creating landscapes that prioritize the well-being of residents by integrating green spaces, recreational areas, and amenities to encourage physical activity, social interactions, and overall community health.
- Environmental & Social Justice:Examining the disparities in built environments by advocating for inclusive and equitable designed landscapes that aspire for all communities to have access to high-quality, sustainable, and culturally relevant spaces.
These design studios are supported by advanced knowledge and skill-building courses, including History and Theories of Landscape Architecture; Analysis and Design Communication; Plants, Ecosystems and Ecology; Construction & Project Management. You can further explore your interests and passions through several elective choices.
The MLA curriculum, ranging from hands-on design studio and lab courses to seminar and lecture courses, prepares you to undertake an independent terminal project or thesis[GU1]in your final year. This project represents a synthesis and application of all the skills, knowledge and creative abilities acquired throughout the program.
Thethesisestablishes a hypothesis that is tested through established research methods appropriate to the field of design. The thesis is writing-intensive and must adhere to the University of Florida’s Graduate School formatting and timeline.
Theterminal projectestablishes a hypothesis that is tested through critical application and reflective analysis. The terminal project allows for greater flexibility in formatting and does not require adherence to the UF Graduate School format or timeline requirements.
Previous MLA theses and terminal project topics have included:
- Conservation planning and design
- Resilient communities
- Urban green infrastructure
- Landscape performance
- Agriculture and food security
- Cultural landscapes
- Design in an international context
- Environmental and social justice
If your undergraduate degree is NOT in Landscape Architecture
The First Professional Program is for students who do not have a degree in landscape architecture accredited by theLandscape Architectural Accreditation Board(LAAB). Graduation from an accredited program is an essential first step toward licensing in Florida and other states that regulate the practice of landscape architecture.
- Prior educational experience from any field is accepted for the First Professional Master of Landscape Architecture.
- Courses of study in the FPMLA range between two and three years and the department will determine the appropriate length of study for each student upon acceptance.
- If you have no formal design training, you should anticipate a three-year course of study.
- If you have a non-accredited degree in landscape architecture, or education and training in allied design/planning fields, you may be allowed to waive specific courses in the first year of the program.
The Post Professional Master of Landscape Architecture program is a two-year course of study for students who already have an LAAB-accredited degree in landscape architecture.
This advanced graduate study sequence allows you to engage in issues of relevance to the discipline through critical analysis and research culminating in a terminal project or thesis.
As part of your MLA studies, you can choose a concentration in:
- Geographic information systems
- Historic preservation
- Sustainable design
- Wetland sciences
Graduate certificates help you gain specialized knowledge and focused expertise. Earn one to make your studies truly multidisciplinary and to add an impressive academic credential to your prestigious MLA degree.
- Construction Project Management
- Emergency Services/Disaster Management
- Geographic Information Systems
- Historic Preservation
- Sustainable Architecture
- Sustainable Construction
- Sustainable Design
- Themed Environment Design
During your MLA program, you may choose to join faculty-led field trips to visit urban environments, notable landscape architecture projects, and professional practices across the U.S.
During the summer before your final year, you may pursue an internship position under the guidance of a registered landscape architect.
The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) and the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) programs are accredited by theLandscape Architecture Accreditation Board(LAAB). The BLA program has been accredited since 1972 and the MLA program since 1993. The 2022 LAAB site visit resulted in a two-year accreditation for both programs.
The MLA Curriculum
The MLA curriculum is designed for a rigorous, reflective, and broad study of landscape. It has the flexibility to allow you to explore specific topics in greater depth.
- Paying for Grad School
- Advancing Your Career
Assistantships
The Department of Landscape Architecture awards a limited number of graduate research and graduate teaching assistantships on a competitive basis. In addition to departmental positions, our graduate students have been awarded other university-wide assistantships, such as those offered by theDivision ofStudent Life.
Departmental Awards
The Department of Landscape Architecture offers several graduate student awards, including:
- Howard Sebold Award:Recognizes a graduate student’s leadership, scholarship and potential professional distinction.
- David W. and LeAnn S. Johnston Award:Supports graduate fellowships and will be given to the best Graduate Terminal Project Proposal (proposals presented as part of the Criticism course).
- Marquis Latimer & Halback Award:Recognizes a graduate student for excellence in their Terminal Project selected by the final presentation jurors.
- David W. and LeAnn S. Johnston Award:Supports graduate fellowships and will be given to the best Graduate Terminal Project Proposal (proposals presented as part of the Criticism course).
- Marquis Latimer & Halback Award:Recognizes a graduate student for excellence in their Terminal Project selected by the final presentation jurors.
More financial resources
The University of Florida offers several financial aid opportunities through theOffice of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. Eligibility varies based on different criteria. Another source is theUF Graduate School which provides several resources of varying nature to help manage your financial commitment.
With a thriving hospitality and leisure industry, Landscape Architecture is a specialization in demand in Florida. Our MLA graduates benefit from access to a robust professional community of landscape architects across the state.
Professional Advisory Committee
Job Opportunities
DCP Career Building
STEM Designation
Landscape Architecture combines art and science. It is officially designated as a STEM discipline by the Department of Homeland Security – and that means that your graduate studies reflect evidence-based knowledge and technology-driven solutions. Data science skills are integrated into courses and applied research, and you have many options to take STEM-related electives.
An advanced STEM degree is your path to a high-profile leadership career in academics, government, or an interdisciplinary design, planning and construction team. With a STEM designated degree, international students may extend their F-1 visa for up to three years.
Since childhood, Weishunhua Zhang (MLA ’23) was drawn to art and design work. After earning an undergraduate degree in industrial design, she decided to take her career in a different direction.
After earning her master’s degree, her portfolio now includes award-winning designs and plans for therapeutic landscapes that can give back to the community through the healing process.
Prof. Jiayang Li presents “Novel Nature-based Solutions: Understanding and Expanding the Role of Community Perception and Everyday Landscape Experiences” as part of our seminar series.
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Alpa Nawre
Associate Professor & Graduate Coordinator
alpa.nawre@ufl.edu
Vanessa Niblett
Associate Professor & Graduate Coordinator
vniblett@dcp.ufl.edu
