The program stream leading to the Master in Landscape Architecture (MLA) is an accredited professional degree intended for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree with a major other than one of the design professions.

The curriculum of the three-year MLA I is rigorous and comprehensive, and prepares candidates for the full range of professional activities in landscape architecture. A four-semester core curriculum provides a solid intellectual base of knowledge in design, history, theory, technology, ecology, representation, and professional practice. The remaining two semesters offer the opportunity to engage in advanced studios and elective courses across all GSD departments. Particular emphasis is given to developing mastery in design in each of the six studios. For those students who want to pursue independent work, there is also the option to develop an elective design thesis in their final semester.

For more information, please visit the MLA Degree Requirements page.

Curriculum

A candidate will be recommended for the Master in Landscape Architecture as a professional degree upon satisfactory completion of 120 units in the following course of study:

First Term

  • 0 units STU 1111 Pre-Term Workshop (August; two weeks) *
  • 8 units STU 1111 Landscape Architecture I (studio)
  • 4 units VIS 2141 Landscape Representation I
  • 4 units HIS 4141 Histories of Landscape Architecture I
  • 4 units SCI 6141 Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies I

Second Term

  • 0 units STU 1112 Pre-Term Workshop (January; one week) *
  • 8 units STU 1112 Landscape Architecture II (studio)
  • 4 units VIS 2142 Landscape Representation II
  • 4 units HIS 4142 Histories of Landscape Architecture II
  • 4 units SCI 6142 Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies II

Third Term

  • 0 units STU 1211 Pre-Term Workshop (August; one week) *
  • 8 units STU 1211 Landscape Architecture III (studio)
  • 4 units DES 3241 Theories of Landscape as Urbanism
  • 4 units SCI 6241 Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies III
  • 4 units SCI 6244 Climate by Design

Fourth Term

  • 0 units STU 1212 Pre-Term Workshop (January; one week) *
  • 8 units STU 1212 Landscape Architecture IV (studio)
  • 4 units DES 3242 Theories of Landscape Architecture
  • 4 units SCI 6242 Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies IV
  • 4 units Distributional electives or general electives **

Fifth Term

  • 8 units Option Studio ***
  • 4 units PRO 7241 Practices of Landscape Architecture
  • 8 units Distributional electives and/or general electives **

or

  • 8 units Option Studio ***
  • 4 units PRO 7241 Practices of Landscape Architecture
  • 4 units ADV 9341 Preparation of Design Thesis Proposal
  • 4 units Distributional electives or general electives **

Sixth Term

  • 8 units Option Studio ***
  • 12 units Distributional electives and/or general electives **

or

  • 8 units ADV 9342 Design Thesis in Landscape Architecture
  • 12 units Distributional electives and/or general electives **

Footnotes

* The Graduate School of Design offers pre-semester Digital Media Skills Workshops for each term of the core years (4 classes), all of which are required for all Master in Landscape Architecture students. These workshops are integrated with the design studios and are intended to give students the necessary preparation and knowledge of the workflows and digital techniques used in the context of studios: 3D software basics, rendering basics, data-transfer from 3D software, output and model building techniques using CAD/CAM facilities. The workshop will include an orientation session in the woodshop and on using laser cutters. No academic credit is given for the workshop.

** Distributional electives must be taken from two fields of study, to be selected from a list of approved courses issued by the department each year indicated as follows: 4 units of electives in landscape architecture representation, history, or theory; and 4 units of electives in ecologies or technologies.

*** A minimum of one option studio must be taken from those offered by the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Preparation for Admission

Admission with No Previous Professional Education:

Individuals who have completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in any field are eligible for admission to the first term of the professional degree program. Preference for admission is given to applicants who have completed a balanced undergraduate education that includes study in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Three college-level, semester-long courses are specifically required as prerequisites for admission to the MLA I program: one semester of environmental science; one semester of history of the built environment (this could include history of architecture, history of gardens and designed landscapes, environmental history, urban history); and at least one semester of visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics). Applicants must achieve a grade of B- or better in each of these courses. Courses in the humanities, philosophy, literature, and economics are also recommended but are not required.

Residence

For students entering the three-year MLA I program, a minimum of six terms of full-time study in residence is required. Under special circumstances, students may receive permission to reduce their course load and extend their studies over a longer period of time.

Please note that the MLA I, MLA I AP, and MLA II programs are now designated as a STEM program. Accordingly, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation.  Each F-1 student must petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve the 24-month STEM extension, and Harvard does not represent or warrant that USCIS will grant any individual petition.

Professional Licensure

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. Combined with practical experience, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.