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Landscape Architecture - M.L.A. I

Looking to make a real difference in the world with your design skills? The M.L.A. professional degree will provide you with the tools you need to become a creative and effective leader in the field of landscape architecture. Our inclusive and interdisciplinary design methodologies prepares you to study matters of global significance, such as the reclamation of urban vacancies, the design of infrastructural systems, the preservation of natural resources and the pursuit of social justice and cultural landscapes. Join us and shape a better future.

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About the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA I) Program

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA I) program in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) prepares graduates for active, creative, leadership roles in the landscape architecture profession through inclusive and interdisciplinary design methodologies, issues surrounding urban landscapes, ecologies and social concerns through the exploration of project-based learning.

Who Should Enroll?

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA I) is for those without a professional degree in Landscape Architecture. 

Applicants with a Bachelor's Degree in any Discipline

Applicants with a bachelor's degree in any discipline will be considered for the three-year Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA I) program a degree that leads towards professional landscape architecture licensure and practice.

Applicants with an Accredited Degree in Landscape Architecture

Applicants with an accredited degree in landscape architecture, may be admitted to the two-year Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA II) program following approval by the program coordinator.

Program Information for Landscape Architecture - M.L.A. I

Program Description
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Full Description

The Master of Landscape Architecture I degree in Landscape Architecture is a professional program that prepares graduates for active, creative and leadership roles in landscape architecture profession through inclusive and interdisciplinary design methodologies that are focused on issues surrounding urban landscapes, ecologies and social concerns.

Students are engaged in issues — ranging from hydrology in the Great Lakes and Ohio River Basins watershed to the role of urban landscapes associated with industrial cities. In addition, they study matters of global significance relating to the role of landscape and design relative to reclamation of urban vacancies, infrastructural systems, natural resources, climate change, water quality for health and social justice and cultural landscapes.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.

Admissions for Landscape Architecture - M.L.A. I

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Goal statement
  • Portfolio of design work
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: February 1

Applications submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Pursue careers in landscape architecture.
  2. Synthesize higher-level learning necessary to practice landscape architecture; and develop critical understanding through increased independent, collaborative, interdisciplinary and course-based research.
  3. Establish a design process that is firmly based upon research, technology and artistic expression.
  4. Appraise and understand geo-cultural differences and develop skills to engage local phenomena.
Coursework
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Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
LARC 50100DESIGN VISUALIZATION 3
LARC 50101LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO I 6
LARC 50102LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO II 6
LARC 60103LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO III 6
LARC 60104LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO IV 6
LARC 60105LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO V 6
LARC 60106LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO VI 1 6
LARC 60111LANDSCAPE HISTORY AND THEORY 3
LARC 60301SITE ENGINEERING 3
LARC 60401LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION METHODS 3
LARC 60601PLANTS AND PLANTED FORM 3
LARC 60602URBAN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 3
LARC 60922METHODS OF INQUIRY IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES 2
LARC 60923EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 1
LARC 65003PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND OFFICE MANAGEMENT 3
Cognate Electives, choose from the following:12
ARCH 55291
SEMINAR: VARIABLE TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY
BSCI 50162
SOIL BIOLOGY
BSCI 50170
STREAM BIOLOGY
BSCI 50364
LIMNOLOGY
BSCI 50368
WETLAND ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
BSCI 50374
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
BSCI 50375
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
BSCI 50525
WILDLIFE RESOURCES
BSCI 60372
COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS
BSCI 60391
SEMINAR IN ECOLOGY
EHS 52018
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCEPTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
EHS 53009
EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND RESPONSE
ESCI 51073
GEOLOGY OF OHIO
ESCI 51077
GEOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
GEOG 51066
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
GEOG 51073
CONSERVATION OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES
GEOG 51074
RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 51082
GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS
GEOG 52052
HEALTH GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 54010
GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
GEOG 55085
URBAN TRANSPORTATION
GEOG 56070
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
GEOG 59070
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE
GEOG 59076
SPATIAL PROGRAMMING
GEOG 59080
ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE
GEOG 59162
CARTOGRAPHY
GEOG 59230
REMOTE SENSING
GEOG 60191
SEMINAR IN TOPICAL GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 60800
SEMINAR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC THOUGHT
GEOG 69004
QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 69701
RESEARCH AND PRESENTATION OF GEOGRAPHIC DATA
HCD 63002
HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
HCD 63003
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND MATERIALS IN HEALTHCARE
LARC 60798
MASTER PROJECT IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH
LARC 66992
FIELD STUDY IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
LARC 66995
SPECIAL TOPICS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
RPTM 56070
PARK PLANNING
UD 55705
FORCES THAT SHAPE CITIES
UD 65101
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
UD 65102
URBAN SYSTEMS
UD 65632
URBAN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
UD 66995
SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN DESIGN
Minimum Total Credit Hours:72
1

Students may replace LARC 60106 with LARC 60799 with advisor approval.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Cleveland
Accreditation for Landscape Architecture - M.L.A. I

The M.L.A. I degree is an accredited program through the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB) as of fall 2018.

Why MLA at Kent State?

Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Architecture, and Master of Urban Design programs all operate in the heart of Cleveland's vibrant Playhouse Square District, together with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s (CAED’s) Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC). Cleveland, an urbanized landscape offers students unique opportunities to partner with the place and the allied areas of landscape architecture, urban design, and architecture provide students with an opportunity to expand interdisciplinary discourse.  

Students are engaged in issues ranging from hydrology in the Great Lakes – Ohio River Basins watershed to the role of urban landscapes associated with industrial cities and matters of global significance relating to the role of landscape and design relative to reclamation of urban vacancies, infrastructural systems, natural resources, climate change, water quality for health and social justice, and cultural landscapes. 

Faculty

Cat Marshall, MLA, ASLA CELA | Coordinator and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture

Reid Coffman PhD, ASLA, CELA, GRHC | Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture

Charles Frederick, ASLA, CELA | Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture

Christian Lynn, PLA, ASLA | Adjunct

Jayme B. Schwartzberg, PLA, ASLA | Adjunct

Mission and Vision

The mission of the CAED-MLA programs is to educate and prepare students for active, creative, leadership roles in the landscape architecture profession through inclusive and interdisciplinary design methodologies, issues surrounding urban landscapes, and community engagement.

Program Layout

The MLA I curriculum provides the foundational disciplinary knowledge and requisite intellectual base for adapting to the design challenges facing landscape architecture today.

This program requires foundational courses in:

  • Design Studios and Visualization
  • Ecology and Planted Form
  • Site Engineering and Construction Methods
  • History, Theory and Research Methods

Students in both degrees (MLA I, MLA II) have two options in their final year:

  1. An Advanced Studio
    • Students opting for the advanced studio option have the opportunity to work on specialized faculty-led topics including interdisciplinary projects.
  2. Master’s Design Project option
    • Students considering the master’s design project should have a clear idea for a self-guided design project with a strong thesis and accompanying research to be explored with the help of an advisor and committee through a thorough design project.

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Landscape Architecture - M.L.A. I

Graduates of the M.L.A. I program can pursue careers as landscape architects, site planners, and environmental designers. They may find employment in landscape architecture firms, urban planning agencies, governmental organizations, or non-profits focused on environmental conservation. With their comprehensive training, graduates are well-prepared to lead projects that enhance public spaces, promote sustainability, and create vibrant communities that harmonize with the natural environment.

Landscape architects

-2.4%

decline

24,500

number of jobs

$70,630

potential earnings

Architecture teachers, postsecondary

5.1%

faster than the average

8,500

number of jobs

$90,880

potential earnings

Urban and regional planners

11.0%

much faster than the average

39,700

number of jobs

$75,950

potential earnings

Additional Careers
  • Landscape architectural project managers
Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

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