Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

Pratt Institute

Program Overview

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at Pratt Institute is a professional 85-credit, three-year program designed for students from a broad range of academic backgrounds who want to develop climate- and community-responsive landscape design skills. Students study the relationship between ecology, geology, design, technology, history, and landscape practice, combining studio-based and land-based learning across Pratt’s Brooklyn campus and New York City.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build their foundation through Land Studio I: Region, Cartography I: Map Making, and Field Ecology I: Plants and People, developing skills in landscape representation, regional analysis, botany, and ecological observation. The second semester advances these skills through Land Studio II: Shore, Cartography II: Soil Making, and Field Ecology II: Biomes, with direct investigation of shorelines, soils, plants, and ecological systems.

Year 2: Students move toward larger urban and public-realm challenges through Land Studio III: Borough, Cartography III: Garden Making, and Landscape Studies III: Heritage. They also begin Landscape Research I, strengthening their ability to connect historical, cultural, ecological, and spatial research with landscape design.

Year 3: The final year emphasizes professional practice, research, and independent design through Land Studio IV: Park, Professional Practice I: In Situ, and Landscape Research II. Students then undertake Directed Project I, Professional Practice II: Ex Situ, and Directed Project II, allowing them to consolidate their design research and professional landscape architecture skills in a substantial final project.

Focus Areas

Ecology, climate-responsive design, land-based learning, landscape representation, digital practices, cartography, soils, plants and biomes, urban landscapes, garden making, heritage, landscape research, professional practice, public-realm design, environmental and social justice.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to connect landscape architecture with ecology, collaborate with stakeholders, advocate for healthy communities, design at scales ranging from urban parks to regional plans, and create landscape architectural projects using technological skills.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

LAAB accreditation: The Pratt MLA program was granted accreditation by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) in June 2026, providing professional accreditation for the 3-year MLA program.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

QS World University Rankings: Pratt Institute was ranked #5 globally and #3 in the United States for Art & Design in 2026, with QS rankings based partly on academic and employer reputation.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Pratt Institute’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) gain practical skills through a distinctive combination of studio-based and land-based learning, connecting design experiments with firsthand study of ecology, geology, soils, plants, and urban landscapes. The three-year program uses New York City and surrounding ecological sites as learning environments, with students conducting field research, collecting and analyzing soil samples, developing landscape representations, and creating models and design proposals. The curriculum also integrates analog and digital datasets, computational tools, fabrication, and collaborative studio work, giving students opportunities to test ideas through both fieldwork and making:

Field-based learning: Students participate in field exercises at sites including Gerritsen Beach, the High Line, Battery Park, Governors Island, Fort Greene Park, and Teardrop Park, studying soils, plants, ecological processes, and public landscapes.
Field School: The MLA includes immersive land-based experiences such as a five-day Field School in the Catskills, where students investigate environmental issues and landscape history across ecological preserves and other sites.
Soil research: In Cartography II: Soil Making, students collect soil samples and perform tests examining carbon dioxide activity, soil texture, and pH, then use their findings in landscape research and design projects.
Design studios: Courses such as Land Studio II: Shore involve research and collaborative design proposals addressing coastal change, retreat, rewilding, biodiversity, infrastructure, and watershed-scale landscape systems.
Garden-making projects: Second-year Garden Making work gives students practical experience studying local plants and designing gardens within specific ecological conditions.
Digital tools: Students develop digital representation and modeling skills, while Pratt’s LaunchPad provides access to licensed software including Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk, ArcGIS, Rhino, and Fusion 360.
Digital fabrication: Pratt provides access to production facilities supporting 3D scanning and printing, CNC milling, laser cutting and engraving, robotic production, water-jet manufacturing, and woodworking, allowing students to translate landscape ideas into physical studies and prototypes.
Models and physical studies: MLA students use drawings, models, mappings, and full-scale studies as part of iterative landscape research and design development.
Research and ecology: The program connects landscape design with biology, ecology, and geology, while Pratt provides access to its Brooklyn campus, Manhattan Campus, Governors Island locations, regional ecological preserves, archival resources, and the living collections of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Professional practice: The curriculum includes Professional Practice I: In Situ and Professional Practice II: Ex Situ, giving students structured exposure to professional landscape architecture practice.
Collaborative learning: Studio and field activities bring students and faculty together for research, observation, experimentation, and design development, with projects addressing climate, environmental, and social challenges.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Pratt’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) prepares graduates for professional landscape architecture while also opening pathways into urban design, planning, public service, research, and environmental practice. The program emphasizes land-based learning, climate-responsive design, and collaboration, with Pratt stating that graduates move into design practice, public service, academia, and research.

Career opportunities: Landscape Architect, Urban Designer, Landscape/Environmental Designer, Planning or Public-Service Professional.

Career services: Pratt’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) provides career advising, employer connections, internships, employment opportunities, career events, workshops, and employer information sessions. Handshake is Pratt’s primary platform for jobs, internships, and career events, while alumni retain lifelong career support.
Industry connections: Pratt specifically works with CCPD to build connections with creative offices and studios nationally and internationally for MLA students.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden partnership: The MLA has a dedicated partnership with Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) involving collaborative community partnerships, research, and classes. The partnership includes potential work placements at BBG, access to teaching areas for MLA lab work, and collaboration on educational activities.
Employment outcomes: Pratt’s latest institution-wide First Destination Survey reports that 92% of respondents from the Class of 2023 were employed or pursuing further education within 12 months of graduation. Among students who completed internships, 87% reported that the experience effectively prepared them for full-time roles. These figures are Pratt-wide and are not specific to the MLA.
Salary information: Pratt’s First Destination Survey collects company names, positions, locations, and salary information for graduates, but Pratt does not publish a current MLA-specific salary figure on the official program pages reviewed.
Professional accreditation: The Pratt MLA was granted accreditation by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) in June 2026. This provides an important professional-accreditation credential for a first-professional landscape architecture degree; licensure requirements remain determined by individual jurisdictions.
Graduation pathways: Pratt states that graduates progress into design practice and landscape stewardship nationally and internationally, as well as academia, research, governance, and public service.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MLA, students can continue into advanced research and academic pathways in landscape architecture, urban design, environmental studies, planning, or related fields. Pratt’s broader graduate environment includes post-professional programs such as the M.S. in Urban Design, while research-oriented graduates can pursue doctoral study at another institution; Pratt’s own landscape architecture leadership includes faculty with PhD-level research backgrounds.