Master of Landscape Architecture

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Program Overview

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a three-year first-professional degree designed especially for students who want to enter landscape architecture from a non-design background, while students with related design preparation may qualify for an accelerated pathway. The program combines intensive design studios with landscape history and theory, environmental systems, plants, site engineering, construction, digital representation, and professional practice, preparing students to address real problems across gardens, neighborhoods, waterfronts, greenways, parks, and urban landscapes.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students without a previous design background begin with a preparatory year that builds the essential visual, environmental, and technical foundation for landscape architecture. The curriculum develops knowledge in areas such as Landscape Architecture History and Theory, Visual Communication using hand and digital techniques, Plants, and Natural and Cultural Systems, establishing the skills students then apply in graduate design studios.

Year 2: The second year moves into the 48-credit professional graduate curriculum, with design studios becoming the central setting for integrating knowledge from other courses. Students deepen their understanding of landscape architectural history and theory, site engineering including grading and stormwater management, and construction materials and methods, while applying these skills to increasingly complex landscape planning and design projects.

Year 3: The final year emphasizes advanced studio-based design, professional development, research, and real-world problem solving. Students work on projects that can involve real clients from the private and public sectors, receiving direct feedback from faculty while developing the design, planning, communication, and professional skills needed to enter landscape architecture practice.

Focus areas : Landscape design, environmental design, landscape planning, ecological systems, plants, landscape history and theory, visual communication, digital representation, site engineering, grading, stormwater management, construction materials and methods, community design, urban landscapes, greenways, waterfronts, parks, gardens, and professional practice.

Learning outcomes : Students develop the ability to understand relationships between people and land, evaluate physical, cultural, and biotic forces, apply planning and design theories, communicate using visual and digital techniques, solve contemporary environmental design problems, and collaborate with specialists across design, social science, and natural science fields.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The UMass Amherst MLA is a first-professional degree accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB), with the most recent accreditation review completed in Spring 2023 and the next review scheduled for Spring 2029. The program is also designated as a STEM field under Sustainability Studies.

Reputation (employability rankings) : UMass Amherst states that its Landscape Architecture Program was established in 1903 and is the second oldest landscape architecture program in the United States, while also being the only public university in New England offering an MLA.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Landscape Architecture at UMass Amherst is strongly studio-based, with students applying landscape architecture principles to real problems across different scales, including parks, greenways, housing, gardens, open spaces, and institutional landscapes. Students combine studio work with lectures, labs, workshops, individual research, digital design, mapping, and community-based projects, gaining practical experience in both design development and professional landscape architecture.

Practical learning opportunities include:

Real-world studio projects: Graduate studios bring students together to address actual landscape and urban-design challenges, with projects developed under faculty and professional guidance and presented to faculty, guest critics, peers, and the public.
Community-based projects: The Center for Resilient Metro-Regions (CRM) organizes community-driven projects as studio projects, giving students service-learning opportunities while working on sustainability, climate resilience, green infrastructure, open space, land use, housing, and economic development. CRM also works with communities through consulting projects and student internships.
Digital design software: Students have access to ArcGIS Pro, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Cloud, Rhino, Grasshopper, Lumion, and Trimble SketchUp, supporting mapping, drafting, visualization, 3D modeling, rendering, and digital landscape representation.
Digital Media support: The LARP Digital Media TA provides students with software assistance, plotting and printing support, and individual or group training in digital tools used by the program.
Computer and GIS labs: The Design Building Computer Lab provides desktop computers equipped with landscape-design software, while the department also shares a dedicated GIS Lab with Geosciences, Forestry, and Wildlife Management.
Fabrication facilities: The John W. Olver Design Building includes a wood shop and state-of-the-art digital fabrication lab that students can use for academic assignments and research projects.
Interdisciplinary collaboration: The Design Building brings Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning, Architecture, and Building and Construction Technology together in one facility, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, research, and collaboration.
Research projects: Students can undertake individual research projects and work with faculty on specialized research areas; the program's research centers connect students with communities and professionals on applied landscape and planning challenges.
Graduate capstone: Third-year MLA students complete substantial master's projects and publicly present their work, with recent projects addressing topics such as coastal resilience, climate adaptation, urban forests, pollinator landscapes, and historical landscape reconstruction.
Library resources: Graduate students receive access to the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, with the LARP program providing dedicated library support through its LARP librarian.
Research and community centers: Students can engage with the Center for Resilient Metro-Regions and the UMass Design Center, which support applied research and planning/design projects addressing real challenges in Massachusetts communities and beyond.
Professional and group experience: Studio courses are structured around collaborative problem-solving, while community and research-center projects allow students to work with faculty, professionals, government, nonprofit organizations, and community partners.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Master of Landscape Architecture at UMass Amherst can move into professional landscape architecture, environmental planning, urban design, and sustainability-focused roles. The program’s studio-based approach and real-world projects prepare students to work across private practice, government, nonprofit organizations, design/build, environmental consulting, and related planning fields.

Typical career roles: Landscape Architect, Environmental Consultant, Landscape Designer, Green Infrastructure Specialist.

Career support and progression opportunities:

University career support: UMass Amherst's MLA emphasizes professional preparation through studio projects, where advanced studios can involve projects for clients and students receive real-time faculty feedback; the program also provides access to the university's wider career-development resources.
Employment outcomes: Official MLA public information reports that, one year after graduation, the 2025 survey of the 2024 graduating class recorded 75% in private practice, 8% in graduate education, and 17% in unknown/other employment; the 2026 survey of the 2025 class recorded 57% in private practice, 14% in government practice, 14% in landscape horticulture/design-build, and 14% not employed in landscape architecture.
Salary figures: UMass Amherst lists average salaries of $80,000 for Landscape Architects, $75,000 for Environmental Consultants, $70,000 for Landscape Designers, and $84,000 for Green Infrastructure Specialists. The university notes that these figures were compiled from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, Payscale, and ZipRecruiter data.
Professional exposure: Students work on real landscape problems involving greenways, gardens, housing, open spaces, parks, institutional landscapes, and recreational landscapes, giving the program a strong connection to community and professional practice.
Interdisciplinary opportunities: UMass Amherst offers an MLA/MArch dual degree that combines landscape and building design, including sustainable development, site-plan analysis, community-based design and planning, GIS, LEED, and other emerging tools.
Long-term accreditation value: The MLA is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB), and UMass states that graduates of its accredited landscape architecture programs are qualified to become licensed landscape architects. The program's most recent accreditation review was in Spring 2023, with the next review scheduled for Spring 2029.
STEM and international progression: The MLA has STEM designation under Sustainability Studies, which UMass states allows international students to obtain an OPT work permit for up to three years after graduation.
Graduation pathways: Graduates can progress into private landscape architecture practice, government agencies, environmental organizations, land trusts, historic preservation, coastal facilities, regional planning, urban design, and park and recreation design.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MLA, students can pursue advanced interdisciplinary study through UMass Amherst's MLA/MArch dual degree or MLA/Master of Regional Planning (MRP) pathway. The university also offers a PhD in Regional Planning, providing a route toward academic, research, public-agency, or private-sector research careers for students who want to continue beyond professional master's-level study.