Master of Landscape Architecture

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

Auburn University

Program Overview

Auburn University’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) is a first professional, studio-based degree designed for students from a wide range of backgrounds who want to develop the skills to address contemporary landscape, urban, ecological, and environmental challenges through design. The program combines landscape architecture, urban design, ecology, information technology, natural sciences, fieldwork, and research by design, preparing graduates to help rebuild urban landscapes, reconnect ecosystems, and regenerate human and nonhuman habitats.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin by developing core design and representation skills through LAND 6130 Studio I: Foundation Studio, LAND 6131 Fieldwork I, and LAND 6160 Graphic Studies I, while LAND 6150 Construction I: Landform & Hydrology introduces grading, drainage, landform, and stormwater management. The year also builds historical and theoretical understanding through LAND 6140 History, Theory, and Practice I: Landscape Architecture and Contemporary Urbanism, connecting design practice with contemporary urban landscapes.

Year 2: Students move into more advanced design and ecological investigations through LAND 6330 Studio III, LAND 6360 Dynamic Systems I: Urban Ecologies, and LAND 6380 Plants I, examining relationships between landscape, society, ecology, and regional systems. LAND 6290 Graphic Studies II develops advanced digital workflows including GIS mapping, Rhino modeling and rendering, and Adobe-based photomontage and presentation techniques.

Year 3: The final stage focuses on comprehensive design, regional ecological systems, regenerative technologies, and professional practice through LAND 7230 Studio V: Comprehensive Studio, LAND 7270 Construction III: Regenerative Technologies, and LAND 7330 Studio VI: Comprehensive Studio. Students also undertake LAND 7190 Research by Design: Frameworks, Methods, and Strategies, LAND 7331 Fieldwork VI, and LAND 7340 Professional Practice, bringing research, field experience, technical knowledge, and professional preparation together in the final phase.

Focus Areas : Hands-on landscape investigation, observation, measurement, experimentation, mapping, and field studies; Landscape Advocacy: public-interest design and engagement with communities and landscape issues; Design Research: using design as a method for investigating complex landscape questions; these three areas culminate in Auburn’s Alabama Lab.

Learning outcomes: Graduates are prepared to use landscape design to address urban landscapes, fractured ecosystems, human and nonhuman habitats, ecological challenges, and complex regional landscape systems, combining design thinking with fieldwork, research, technical construction knowledge, and community engagement.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): Auburn’s Master of Landscape Architecture is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB), with the program having held LAAB accreditation since 2003; the most recent accreditation renewal was for six years, with the next review scheduled for Fall 2028. Auburn also states that the MLA meets the educational requirements for professional licensure eligibility in all U.S. states, although additional work experience and licensing examinations may be required.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): Auburn’s official College of Architecture, Design and Construction reported that its graduate landscape architecture program ranked 20th nationally in the 2017–2018 DesignIntelligence rankings based on surveys of leading practitioners, and noted that the program had reached the national top 20 for the fourth time in ten years. This is the latest specific national landscape architecture ranking identified on Auburn’s official website; a current QS or Guardian ranking for the MLA was not stated on the official Auburn sources reviewed.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Auburn University’s Master of Landscape Architecture is strongly studio- and fieldwork-focused, giving students practical experience by engaging directly with landscapes, communities, and real-world environmental challenges. Students learn through measurement, observation, experimentation, mapping, drawing, and design research, including the use of drones to create their own maps. The program’s fieldwork, landscape advocacy, and design research culminate in the Alabama Lab, where students typically work during their final two semesters on landscape issues affecting Alabama.

Fieldwork and mapping: Students work directly in landscapes rather than relying only on classroom exercises; activities include measuring and observing sites, testing design assumptions, drawing, experimentation, and using drones to create maps.
Alabama Lab: The Alabama Lab is the design research lab of Auburn’s landscape architecture program, focusing on urban industrial legacies, rural land use, and coastal resilience and using design as a methodology to address complex real-world landscape issues.
Design studios: Graduate students undertake dedicated landscape architecture studios, including LAND 5130/6130 Studio I, LAND 5230/6230 Studio II, LAND 5330/6330 Studio III, LAND 7130 Studio IV, and LAND 7230/7330 Thesis Studio, providing progressively advanced project-based design experience.
Digital tools: Auburn provides a Virtual Lab using Windows Virtual Desktop, configured with specialty software for APLA programs and accessible from students’ personal Windows or Macintosh computers.
Landscape software: Auburn’s MLA technology documentation identifies Rhino, V-Ray for Rhino, 3DS Max, AutoCAD, SketchUp Pro, Google Earth Pro, and ArcGIS as software used or potentially required within the program; Rhino and V-Ray for Rhino are listed as program-provided.
Digital fabrication: The CADC shop provides three laser cutters, a CNC router, and dedicated computers for operating the equipment, supporting physical model-making and digital fabrication.
Studios and critique spaces: Dudley Hall provides dedicated design studios, critique spaces, classrooms, computer laboratories, and faculty offices, creating an environment for studio production, presentations, and feedback.
Printing and scanning: Students have access to high-end color printers and plotters, as well as regular, wide-format, and large-format scanners for producing and documenting design work.
Research experience: Graduate students can pursue research through Graduate Research Assistantships, working alongside faculty members on dedicated research during the academic semester while gaining research experience.
Landscape Infrastructure Design Lab: Auburn’s Landscape Infrastructure Design Lab (LIDL) conducts design research using landscape architectural methods to advance the design, planning, and management of nature-based infrastructure, with projects addressing areas such as coastal adaptation and landscape resilience.
Library resources: The Library of Architecture, Design and Construction (LADC) provides 37,750 volumes, 97 periodicals, 1,450 student theses, blueprints, videos, slides, and online access to the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, together with scanning and other research services.
Field studies: Auburn specifically highlights Field Studies as part of the MLA student experience, supporting learning outside the university through direct engagement with landscapes and communities.
Career exposure: CADC Career Services facilitates industry engagement, internships, and full-time employment opportunities, while the school also hosts career and internship activities for its students.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at Auburn University prepares graduates for professional landscape architecture through fieldwork, design research, and engagement with real-world landscape issues. Graduates can pursue roles such as Landscape Architect, Urban Designer, Landscape Designer, and Environmental Planner, with the program’s professional accreditation supporting long-term progression toward licensure.

Career development and professional opportunities:

Career Services: Auburn’s CADC has a dedicated Career Specialist for Landscape Architecture and Design students, providing industry engagement and career-development support aimed at internships and full-time positions.
Career fairs: The 2026 APLA Career Fair brought nearly 90 architecture and design firms to campus and generated approximately 1,040 interviews with APLA students; 10 firms specifically represented landscape architecture hiring opportunities.
Industry engagement: The 2024 APLA Career + Internship Fair connected more than 250 students with 81 industry partners offering internship, part-time, and full-time opportunities across the school’s disciplines.
Internships: Auburn’s graduate bulletin specifically encourages MLA students to pursue internships during the remaining Summer Semesters, giving students an opportunity to build professional experience alongside their academic work.
Community partnerships: The Alabama Lab enables students to work directly with outside communities, partners, and collaborators on longer-term landscape projects addressing urban industrial legacies, rural land use, and coastal resilience.
Research opportunities: Graduate Research Assistantships provide selected MLA students with a partial tuition waiver, monthly stipend, and direct experience working with faculty on dedicated research projects.
Employment and salary data: Auburn’s Career Discovery and Success provides Lightcast Labor Market Insights, including employment trends, top employers, job titles, technical skills, and annual earnings. Auburn does not publish a specific MLA graduate salary figure on the official program page, so a program-specific salary or employment rate is not stated.
Professional accreditation: The MLA has been LAAB-accredited since 2003, with the most recent review in Fall 2022 and the next scheduled review in Fall 2029. Auburn states that the program meets educational requirements for licensure eligibility in all U.S. states, subject to each state’s additional requirements.
Graduation and professional progression: As a first professional degree, the MLA provides the accredited educational foundation for graduates seeking professional landscape architecture practice and subsequent licensure.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MLA, students can continue into advanced landscape architecture research or interdisciplinary graduate study. Auburn also offers opportunities to combine landscape architecture with Community Planning through an MLA–MCP dual-degree pathway, while research-focused graduates can build on their experience through faculty-led research and the Alabama Lab.