Master of Landscape Architectural Studies

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Oklahoma

Program Overview

The Master of Landscape Architectural Studies (MLAS) at the University of Oklahoma is a two-year, 47-credit-hour, non-accredited graduate program designed for students with undergraduate backgrounds in landscape architecture or related fields who want to deepen their understanding of landscape design and global environmental challenges. Students develop critical and creative approaches through landscape architecture studios, technical coursework, research, planting design, urban design theory, and a required internship that provides off-campus professional experience.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build their technical and design foundation through LA 5515 Landscape Architecture Introductory Graduate Studio I, LA 5513 Landscape Architecture Drawing and Graphics, and LA 5343 Landscape Architecture Technology: Site Issues. The curriculum also develops knowledge of Plant Material and Technology (LA 5713) and Landscape Architecture Computer Applications (LA 5613), giving students a combination of design, site, plant, and digital skills.

Year 2: Students progress into advanced design and research through LA 5535 Landscape Architecture Intermediate Graduate Studio III, LA 5545 Landscape Architecture Intermediate Graduate Studio IV, and LA 5402 Research Methods Landscape Architecture. They further explore History and Theory of Landscape Architecture (LA 5943) and Urban Design Theory (LA 6643), while completing the program's required internship to gain practical experience outside the university.

Focus areas: Landscape design, environmental resilience, sustainability, planting design, site technology, materials and construction, digital applications, urban design, landscape history and theory, research methods, and global environmental challenges.

Learning outcomes: Students develop critical thinking, creative problem-solving, design and planning skills, technical knowledge, graphic and verbal communication, and research capabilities, with the program emphasizing creative and critical approaches to environmental challenges.

Professional alignment: The Master of Landscape Architectural Studies (MLAS) is non-accredited and does not lead to landscape architectural licensure in the United States. Students seeking a professional licensure pathway should instead consider OU's Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), which is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB).

Reputation: The University of Oklahoma states that its Landscape Architecture faculty and students are recognized by professional organizations including the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF), and Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). OU also reports a 100% post-graduation job placement rate for its Landscape Architecture program and a $69,500 median entry-level salary, although the university does not separately identify these figures as MLAS-specific.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Landscape Architectural Studies (MLAS) at the University of Oklahoma combines advanced landscape architecture study with hands-on design, technical development, research, and professional experience. The two-year program includes a required internship, while OU’s landscape architecture curriculum uses studio-based projects, field work, digital design tools, and community-focused projects to help students apply landscape architecture concepts to real environmental and social challenges.

Students gain practical experience through these program-specific opportunities:

Required internship: The MLAS includes a required internship, providing students with off-campus professional experience between semesters; OU specifically notes that this is particularly valuable for international students.
Graduate design studios: Students complete Landscape Architecture Introductory Graduate Studio I and II and Landscape Architecture Intermediate Graduate Studio III and IV, using studio projects to develop design and planning skills at different scales.
Field work: LA 5940 Field Work gives students dedicated practical field experience as part of the degree requirements.
Digital design software: Landscape Architecture students are required to use AutoCAD Architecture, Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp Pro, Google Earth, ArcGIS, Esri CityEngine, and Land F/X, providing a strong digital workflow for drafting, visualization, geographic analysis, and landscape documentation.
Landscape Architecture Computer Applications: LA 5613 Landscape Architecture Computer Applications provides dedicated coursework in computer-based methods relevant to landscape architecture practice.
Collaborative real-world projects: OU students have worked in teams on applied projects involving OU Facilities Management and City of Norman planners; a recent campus stormwater project used AutoCAD, SketchUp, Photoshop, site-engineering knowledge, and landscape-performance metrics to develop green-infrastructure proposals.
Creating_Making Lab: Students have access to OU’s 5,000-square-foot Creating_Making Lab, equipped with woodworking areas, laser cutters, CNC routers, and 3D printers for physical prototyping and fabrication.
Digital Making Lab and BIM Lab: Gould Hall includes a Digital Making Lab with 3D printers and laser cutters, as well as a Building Information Modeling Lab supporting immersive virtual-reality visualization.
Interdisciplinary learning: The Gibbs College of Architecture brings Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Construction Science, Environmental Design, Interior Design, and Regional & City Planning together, creating opportunities for students to work across related built-environment disciplines.
Community engagement and research: OU’s landscape architecture program works with towns and organizations across Oklahoma on environmental resilience, human well-being, and environmental justice, with projects emphasizing community engagement and historically underserved communities.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Landscape Architectural Studies (MLAS) at the University of Oklahoma develops advanced capabilities in landscape design, planning, research, and project management, preparing graduates for careers across landscape architecture, planning, environmental design, and related fields. OU highlights that landscape architecture graduates develop effective design and planning processes and project-management skills at multiple scales, while many students gain professional experience through internships around the country.

Typical career roles include: Landscape Designer, Landscape Planner, Urban Designer, Environmental Design Consultant.

Career development and professional opportunities:

Career services: The OU Career Center provides personalized career advising, job and internship fairs, Handshake opportunities, on-campus interviews, employer networking, résumé support, and career events. In 2024–25, the Career Center reported 697 companies at career fairs, 2,699 advising sessions, 1,320 on-campus interviews, and 37,605 employers registered on Handshake.
Industry connections: OU's landscape architecture program connects students with professional and community organizations through service-learning and design projects; alumni have worked with organizations including the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department, and OU landscape architecture students have received recognition from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, American Society of Landscape Architects Central States, and Urban Land Institute.
Employment experience: OU states that landscape architecture students often gain professional experience through internships around the country, providing an opportunity to apply design and planning skills in professional settings before graduation.
Employment and salary figures: OU publishes university-wide first-destination and hiring statistics through its Career Center, including salary benchmarks, but a program-specific employment percentage or salary figure for the MLAS is not stated in the official sources reviewed. No unrelated salary figure is substituted.
Professional accreditation value: The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredits OU's professional Landscape Architecture program, and OU announced its successful reaccreditation in 2025. However, the MLAS is a non-professional degree, so LAAB accreditation should not be presented as accreditation of the MLAS itself; students seeking the professional/licensure pathway should distinguish it from OU's LAAB-accredited MLA.
Graduation outcomes: OU landscape architecture alumni have progressed into professional practice, including roles with In-Site Design Group, LAUD Studio, and public-sector landscape work; one OU alumnus, Eric Sabin, worked on a 10-acre all-abilities park project in Utah.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MLAS, students can pursue further graduate-level research or move into related advanced study in areas such as landscape architecture, urban design, planning, environmental design, or related built-environment disciplines. At OU, the landscape architecture graduate offering also includes the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), including first-professional and post-professional pathways, allowing students to consider a professional landscape architecture qualification where appropriate.