College of Architecture and Planning University of Colorado Denver

Overview of the Landscape Architecture Curriculum

The Landscape Architecture program offers first professional and advanced professional graduate curricula leading to the degree Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA). 

• First Professional Degree Program:
  • requires a six-semester sequence of course work
  • total 90 semester hours
  • typically takes three years
  • fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB)
  • recognized by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA)
    
    
• Advanced Professional Degree Program:
  • for qualified students who have already earned a first professional degree in Landscape Architecture or related discipline
  • requires 48 semester hours
  • typically takes two years of full-time study
  • advanced standing is based on prior academic accomplishment 
    

First Professional Degree Program

(90-credit MLA for students without a professional degree in landscape architecture or related discipline)

The curriculum consists of core and elective course work. Core courses are grouped into five components:

• Design Studies (36 credits)
• History and Theory courses (12 credits)
• Landscape Architectural Technology courses (15 credits)
• Ethics and Practice (3 credits)
• Media (6 credits)

The remaining 18 semester hours are for additional elective courses (total 90 credits).

Typical Course Sequence (90-Credit MLA Degree)

First Year Fall (15 total credit hours)

First Year Spring (15 total credit hours)

Second Year Fall (15 total credit hours)

Second Year Spring (15 total credit hours)

Third Year Fall (15 total credit hours)

Third Year Spring (15 total credit hours)

Advanced Professional Degree Plan

(48-credit MLA for students with a professional degree in landscape architecture or related discipline)

The curriculum consists of core and elective course work. Core courses are grouped into two  components:

• Design courses (24 credits)
• History and Theory courses (12 credits)

The remaining 12 semester hours are for additional elective courses (total 48 credits).

The program director will advise each student engaged in this program of study. 

Thesis

The graduate thesis in landscape architecture provides an opportunity for students to conduct independent research and design investigations that demonstrate their capacity for rigorous original thinking.

The thesis is not required for graduation and not all students are approved to write a thesis. Choosing to pursue a thesis project constitutes a significant commitment to the endeavor; the topic must be chosen with care and thoughtfully and critically developed. Topics can explore material that has been previously unstudied, reinterpret existing material in a new light, or engage research and design practices in ways that strengthen and define the final project. For all theses, the research and products must meet the highest standards of academic excellence and contribute significantly to the discipline and/or profession.

Pursuing a thesis requires students to enroll in a three-course sequence for a maximum total of 12 semester hours. Students are required to formulate their research proposals two full semesters prior to their enrollment for the 6-semester-hour thesis, typically taken in lieu of the final studio. To proceed through the sequence, students must have completed and passed the research tools and methods class (LA6940) and have secured departmental approval of the thesis proposal.

The completion of the thesis is dependent on acceptance of the student’s work by the faculty member acting as the thesis chair and by the committee. For work to be accepted it must meet the standards established by the University of Colorado Denver for graduate thesis projects.