Master of Landscape Architecture

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Cincinnati

Program Overview

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at the University of Cincinnati is a 2-year, full-time professional degree designed for students who want to develop advanced skills in landscape planning, design, environmental stewardship, and regenerative approaches while preparing for professional practice. The program suits students from a range of academic backgrounds and combines design studios, landscape history, visualization, professional development, cooperative education, and interdisciplinary electives within UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP).

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with the foundations of professional landscape architecture through LAND 7041 Sustainable Sites I Studio, LAND 7042 Sustainable Sites I Seminar, and LAND 7051/7056 Landscape History to 1900 or History of Landscape Architecture. The spring term advances this foundation through LAND 7043 Sustainable Sites II Studio, LAND 7044 Sustainable Sites II Seminar, and LAND 7072 LA Visualization II, while professional development and electives allow students to build complementary skills.

Year 2: Students progress into advanced design and professional preparation through LAND 7045 Sustainable Sites III Studio, LAND 7046 Sustainable Sites III Seminar, and LAND 7062 LA Colloquium II, with LAND 7003 Professional Development in LA II supporting the transition toward practice. The final stage includes LAND 7007 Capstone Seminar and LAND 7010 Capstone Studio, followed by advanced opportunities such as LAND 7065 Special Topics LA Studio, enabling students to synthesize design, research, and professional skills in a comprehensive project.

Focus areas: regenerative planning and design, sustainable sites, urban and regional landscapes, green infrastructure, landscape ecology, environmental stewardship, landscape visualization, professional practice, interdisciplinary design, and sustainable landscape systems.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to conceptualize, plan, research, and complete professional-quality landscape projects; integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations into design; communicate ideas through visual and graphic representation; collaborate across disciplines; and demonstrate the knowledge and skills required for professional landscape architecture practice. The program’s capstone provides a comprehensive demonstration of the competencies required for LAAB accreditation.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The MLA is a Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB)-accredited first-professional degree designed to meet the educational standards of the profession and prepare graduates to pursue landscape architecture licensure. UC states that the program meets LAAB standards and that its next accreditation visit is planned for Spring 2027.

Reputation (employability rankings): The University of Cincinnati’s official program materials emphasize its distinctive required cooperative education model, through which MLA students gain professional experience as part of the curriculum. UC does not state a current QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking specifically for the MLA on its official program page, so no program-specific ranking is stated here.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at the University of Cincinnati develop practical skills through studio-based design, interdisciplinary work, and hands-on digital production within the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). The program’s focus on the urban environment connects landscape architecture with planning, architecture, urban design, and related disciplines, while students can use DAAP’s specialized computing, visualization, fabrication, library, and collaborative facilities to develop and present design work. The curriculum also provides opportunities for professional exposure through cooperative education, allowing students to connect academic learning with professional practice.

Key experiential learning opportunities include:

Co-op experience: The MLA program incorporates cooperative education, giving students opportunities to gain professional exposure and apply landscape architecture knowledge in work environments. UC specifically describes co-op as a way for students to gain proactive learning experiences, accelerate their job searches, and identify areas of professional practice that suit them.
Interdisciplinary projects: Students can work across DAAP disciplines including Fine Arts, Industrial and Transportation Design, Architecture, Planning, and Urban Design, creating opportunities to approach landscape projects from multiple professional perspectives.
Digital design software: DAAP’s computing environment supports landscape-design workflows using software such as AutoCAD, ArcGIS, Rhino, SketchUp, V-Ray, Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk 3ds Max, Revit, Civil 3D, and CityEngine.
Computer Graphics Center: The DAAP Computer Lab provides high-end workstations, scanners, plotters, digital video-editing suites, and technical support for computer visualization, advanced graphics, and virtual reality. The facility also provides hands-on instructional computer labs and collaborative work areas.
Fabrication and prototyping: DAAP provides access to the Rapid Prototyping Center, where students can turn CAD-based designs into physical models using 3D printing, large-format laser cutting, and CNC equipment.
Build Lab: The Build Lab provides wood- and metal-working equipment, including saws, drills, welding equipment, hand tools, and work surfaces, supporting physical model making and material experimentation.
Photo Lab: The DAAP Photo Lab includes facilities for film-based photography as well as high-end digital photography, giving students resources for documenting models, projects, and design work.
Design library: The Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlacter Library is located within DAAP and provides books and periodicals covering art and design disciplines, supporting landscape architecture research and studio work.
Campus living laboratories: UC maintains landscape-based living laboratories, including the UC Rain Garden, Tiny Forest, Perennial Pollinator Garden, and UC Sustainability Garden, where students can connect academic concepts with hands-on sustainability experiences.
Student design and capstone work: MLA students produce substantial design projects addressing urban, regional, and global landscape issues; UC’s DAAP showcases MLA capstone work as part of its student exhibitions.
Professional engagement: MLA students can participate in the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) student chapter, which connects students with practicing professionals through workshops and events.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The University of Cincinnati’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) is designed to connect advanced landscape design education directly with professional practice. A distinctive feature is its required full-semester co-op, giving students paid, full-time professional experience in landscape architecture before graduation and providing a strong foundation for entering practice and progressing toward licensure.

Career opportunities include:

Landscape Architect
Urban Designer
Landscape Planner
Environmental/Green Infrastructure Designer

Professional progression and employment support:

Co-op experience: The MLA is the only advanced landscape architecture degree at UC with a required cooperative-education semester. Students complete at least one full semester working directly in the profession in North America or internationally, with the experience also providing a head start toward internship requirements for licensure.
Career services: DAAP students receive co-op preparation through professional-development courses, an employer database, mock interviews, résumé workshops and an assigned co-op adviser. Co-op opportunities are distributed through Handshake, where students can review and apply for positions.
Industry network: Nearly 2,000 employers have worked with DAAP students, while DAAP reports more than 640 employer partners across 33 states and 21 countries hiring students for co-op positions.
Landscape architecture employment outcome: UC's MLA public information reports that 100% of graduates from the 2019–2022 graduating classes were employed in the profession, with 85% of students graduating during that period.
College-level graduate outcomes: For 2024–25, UC reports 88.3% employed among Design, Architecture, Art and Planning master's completers, with a three-year average salary of $59,840. This figure covers the DAAP master's population rather than the MLA alone.
Program-specific professional experience: MLA students have worked with organizations such as Tri-State Trails; one UC MLA student used landscape architecture and environmental-stewardship skills while monitoring and improving Hamilton County's regional hike/bike trail system.
Accreditation value: The MLA is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB). UC states that the first-professional MLA provides the common professional knowledge and skills needed to enter landscape architecture practice and prepares graduates for leadership and interdisciplinary teamwork.
Long-term professional pathway: LAAB accreditation is particularly relevant for students pursuing professional landscape architecture licensure because the program is structured around the knowledge and skills required for entry into the profession. UC's DAAP FAQ confirms that the MLA's next scheduled accreditation review is Spring 2027.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MLA, students can continue into advanced study and research through graduate-level landscape architecture pathways, interdisciplinary study within UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, or further research-oriented academic work. The MLA's position within DAAP also provides access to allied disciplines including architecture, planning, fine arts, industrial design and transportation design, supporting interdisciplinary academic progression.