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Landscape Architecture

 

 

Degrees Offered: M.L.A., M.Arch./M.L.A., M.A.S.L.A.

 

Members

Professors

P. M. Condon, S. Herrington, R. Kellett, R. Roehr.

Professor Emeriti

C. Girling.

Associate Professors

J. Dahmen, K. Lokman.

Associate Professors Emeriti

D. Paterson, P. F. Mooney.

Assistant Professors

F. Byrne, S. Jacobs.
 

Program Overview

Landscape Architecture is concerned with the design, planning, and management of the land. It involves the physical design of sites or places with particular emphasis on resource conservation, sustainability, social responsiveness, and aesthetics. It is one of several professions concerned with both the natural and human environments, with both nature and culture and, as such, places heavy emphasis on interdisciplinary knowledge and cooperation. As an academic discipline, landscape architecture encompasses the fields of the humanities, sciences, technology, and the creative arts; it is also concerned with design as an act of critical inquiry, design criticism, and issues of critical regionalism.

Master of Landscape Architecture

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a strong academic record and demonstrate potential for creative problem solving. The Landscape Architecture Program selects students from a variety of disciplines on which to build landscape architectural understanding, competence, and the sharing of knowledge. Students entering the program should demonstrate interest and potential in the broad fields of environment, the creative arts, and landscape architecture.

Students are accepted into the 3-year M.L.A. from all disciplines. Applicants seeking admission into the two-year M.L.A. variant must be in possession of a four-year undergraduate degree in Architecture, Environmental Design, or Landscape Architecture. Certain students may be expected to fulfill additional requirements in order to adequately prepare them for design and environmental studies. In addition, students are required to submit examples of their creative abilities in the form of an application portfolio and demonstrate, in writing, their understanding of the profession. The minimum TOEFL score required by international applicants is 600 (paper) or 100 (internet). Approximately 18 students will be admitted each year. Detailed admission information is available from the School.

Program Requirements

The Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree is designed for students seeking admission to the profession. Full-time students normally complete this program in three years. Students with a UBC-recognized undergraduate degree in Architecture, Environmental Design, or Landscape Architecture may apply for admission to a two-year 80-credit variant of the professional M.L.A. Program, comprised of the final two years of M.L.A. design studio courses, as well as courses required for professional degree accreditation by the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. The particular course requirements will be determined by the student's advisor for each student upon acceptance and entry into the program, based on prior experience and a portfolio review.

Course of Study
The master's degree is awarded upon the completion of 110 credits of coursework, including a major graduating project. The core curriculum includes a structured first year of 39 credits and 56 additional required credits in years two and three. A total of 18 elective credits make up part of the 110 credit total. At least 9 of the 18 credits must be Landscape Architecture (LARC) courses. Detailed information on specific, yearly course requirements are available from the School.

A grade of 68% is required as a passing grade for all design studio courses (LARC 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, or any substituted classes).

Dual Degree: Master of Architecture/Master of Landscape Architecture

The Dual Degree program option permits qualified students the opportunity to earn a Master of Architecture and a Master of Landscape Architecture concurrently.

For information on the M.Arch./M.L.A dual degree option, refer to the Master of Architecture.

Master of Advanced Studies in Landscape Architecture

The Master of Advanced Studies in Landscape Architecture (M.A.S.L.A.) introduces students to independent research that will enable them to examine specific issues relating to landscape architecture. The degree program allows students to investigate an area of knowledge within the broad field of landscape architecture in collaboration with faculty engaged in research or consulting activity in that area. The research program requires the student to synthesize existing knowledge in landscape architecture and related fields. This synthesis will result in a thesis that must be approved by the student's supervisor and committee members, and submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

The M.A.S.L.A. is a 30-credit program. Full-time students normally complete this program within two - three years, depending on whether they have a pre-existing professional design degree or need to take a qualifying year. This post-professional program is not intended to fulfill the requirements for landscape architectural licensure as established by the BC Society of Landscape Architects or similar organizations in other provinces or in the US. Those desiring professional credentials should enrol in the Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) program.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission to the M.A.S.L.A. program must have either: 1) a four-year bachelor's degree in a design discipline, with some experience in a design practice; or 2) a bachelor's degree in a related discipline (such as planning, geography, environmental studies) with some professional experience and a qualifying year of study. The course of study for the qualifying year, the purpose of which is to achieve immersion in the landscape architecture field, is worth 24 credits, and is comprised of LARC 316 (3), 501 (9), 502 (9), and 540 (3).

All applicants must meet the basic academic requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. In addition, all applicants must submit a brief statement of their research interest and either a design portfolio or a portfolio of project work and/or applied research experience (for non-design degree graduates). The minimum TOEFL score required in international applicants is 580 (paper) or or 90 (internet). For additional information, please visit the School or see Contact Information below.

Program Requirements

The course of study for the M.A.S.L.A. program consists of 30 credits: LARC 523 (3), LARC 541 (3) , 3 credits of an approved 500-level or above research methods course, 9 credits of approved elective coursework including directed study and/or research-oriented cooperative education in consultation with the supervisor, and LARC 599 Research Thesis (12). A maximum of 3 credits of coursework may be taken at the 300- or 400-level.

Research activities and thesis development will be focused within one of two broad areas of advanced design, design theory and design education, or environmental design, planning, and management.

Contact Information

School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
379-2357 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
Tel: 604.827.7252
Fax: 604.822.2184
Email: larc@sala.ubc.ca
Web: www.sala.ubc.ca


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