The MLA program considers applicants with and without previous design education, and encourages applications from persons with diverse academic and professional backgrounds. We offer two program tracks - the MLA I for those without a previous design education and MLA II for those with a previous design degree.

The MLA I or first professional degree program is three years in length and is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than landscape architecture or architecture. Students come from diverse backgrounds with degrees in a variety of disciplines including ecology, business, political science, literature, art, and history. In this way the profession is enriched through students‘ interdisciplinary knowledge. The core curricula in the first year provide students with foundational professional skills in design, site and landscape planning, construction materials and processes, and graphic, written and verbal communication. In the second and third years students develop these primary knowledge areas in order to develop leadership abilities in the definition, research, and practice of design.

The MLA II or the second professional degree is two years in length and is designed for those who already hold an accredited bachelors degree in either landscape architecture or architecture. Those with degrees in related fields will be considered on an individual case but it is generally assumed that without the appropriate accredited design degree, students should apply to the MLA I program. MLA II students build on their previous design education (and practice if appropriate) to enrich their leadership abilities in the design disciplines. These students join the MLA I students in the second year of the program enrolling in advanced studios and seminars. Students without the appropriate background are still required to complete courses in ecology, design law, or other areas as determined by the Graduate Program Coordinator. Together, MLA students pursue advanced design studios, research seminars, and elective areas of interest in addition to a thesis project in the final year.

A concurrent degree program with urban planning (MLA/MUP) is also available.

The faculty seek to admit students with a range of ages, backgrounds, and interests. Each student is encouraged to benefit from the location of the department within a broad and excellent research university by adding elective courses in other disciplines to their core curriculum. In addition, graduate students may elect to participate in College-wide certificate programs in Urban Design, and Preservation Planning and Design.

If you have any other questions, please contact the MLA Program Assistant, Ms. JoAnne Edwards, at slocan@uw.edu,