Master of Science in Landscape Architecture

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Texas Austin

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Landscape Architecture (MSLA) at The University of Texas at Austin is a post-professional graduate program designed for students who already hold a professional five-year degree in landscape architecture and want to deepen their expertise through advanced scholarship and professional development. Students explore advanced landscape architecture topics such as sustainable design, cultural and historic landscapes, and urbanism, while developing advanced design and research capabilities through studio work and approved electives.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with advanced design exploration through LAR 696 Advanced Design Studio and LAR 388 Post Professional Seminar, developing deeper approaches to contemporary landscape architecture while selecting approved electives aligned with their interests. The curriculum combines intensive studio practice with focused academic study, allowing students to investigate advanced topics within the field.

Year 2: The second year continues with LAR 696 Advanced Design Studio, alongside further approved electives that allow students to build a specialized area of inquiry. Students may also undertake LAR 697K Master’s Design Study or the preparatory LAR 397 Master’s Design Study Preparatory Course, providing a pathway toward an advanced independent design investigation.

Focus areas: Sustainable Design, Cultural and Historic Landscapes, Urbanism and Landscape Architecture, Advanced Design, Landscape Architecture Research.

Learning outcomes: Advanced landscape architecture scholarship, professional development, advanced design investigation, critical examination of landscape architecture practice, research and design-based inquiry.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The MSLA is a post-professional degree and is not LAAB-accredited; students seeking U.S. landscape architecture licensure should apply to UT Austin’s Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA I) instead. The MSLA is STEM-designated, reflecting the significant science, technology, engineering and mathematics content involved in landscape architecture education and practice.

Reputation (employability rankings): UT Austin’s School of Architecture reports that its Landscape Architecture program ranked #4 “Most Hired From” among programs in its size group in DesignIntelligence rankings. The university also reports that more than 91% of its surveyed 2025 School of Architecture graduates who pursued employment found a job in the months after graduation, although this figure is not reported specifically for the MSLA.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Science in Landscape Architecture (MSLA) at The University of Texas at Austin emphasizes advanced scholarship and professional development in areas such as sustainable design, cultural and historic landscapes, and urbanism. Students can develop practical landscape-architecture skills through advanced visual communication, computer graphics, geographic information systems, photography, and hands-on digital fabrication, supported by the School of Architecture’s specialized technology and fabrication facilities.

Practical and research opportunities: Students have access to a strong combination of digital technologies, fabrication equipment, research facilities, and landscape-focused resources:

Digital fabrication: The School of Architecture’s Digital Fabrication Lab provides five Epilog FusionPro laser cutters, CNC knife equipment, one Stratasys Fortus 3D printer, and 22 Raise3D 3D printers, supporting physical prototyping and model production.
Advanced digital tools: Students can work with LiDAR, photogrammetry, UAV mapping and modeling, ArcGIS Enterprise, extended reality, and advanced computing resources through the Technology Lab.
Robotics: The Robotics Lab includes two KUKA Robotics KR60 robotic arms, providing opportunities to explore advanced digital fabrication methods and customized fabrication workflows.
Build Lab: The approximately 8,400-square-foot Build Lab includes a wood shop, metalworking shop, concrete and plaster casting areas, CNC routers, welding equipment, plasma cutting, vacuum forming machines, and other fabrication tools.
Landscape research: The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center provides a particularly relevant resource for landscape architecture, conducting applied research on sustainable landscapes and ecosystem services across its 284-acre site, including cultivated gardens.
Applied project exposure: UT Austin documents landscape/design collaborations involving the Wildflower Center, design professionals, and students, giving students exposure to site research, client and community perspectives, and professional knowledge.
Visual communication: Landscape architecture coursework includes advanced work in freehand drawing, measured drawings, computer graphics, GIS, and photography, with dedicated laboratory hours.
Library resources: The Architecture and Planning Library supports architecture and landscape-architecture research with major landscape architecture journals, professional reports, periodicals, and extensive subject collections.
Research environment: Students can draw on UT Austin’s broader research ecosystem, including the Center for Sustainable Development and the Wildflower Center for work related to sustainable landscapes, ecosystems, and the built environment.
Studio-based learning: The School of Architecture’s landscape architecture curriculum incorporates design studios and advanced topics that connect design, representation, technology, research, and landscape systems.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Science in Landscape Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin is designed for students who already hold a professional landscape architecture degree and want to deepen their expertise through advanced scholarship and professional development. The two-year program explores advanced areas such as sustainable design, cultural and historic landscapes, and urbanism, supporting progression into specialized design, research, and leadership roles.

Typical job roles: Landscape Architect, Landscape Design Consultant, Urban Landscape Designer, Landscape Architecture Researcher: the program’s advanced focus can support specialized professional and research-oriented careers in landscape architecture.

Career services: UT Austin provides career resources that include salary research through SeekUT, job and salary resources, offer evaluation and negotiation guidance, and career-development support, helping graduates research opportunities and make informed employment decisions.
Employment statistics: A UT Austin School of Architecture employment report provides historical employment and salary information by degree, including a Master of Landscape Architecture category; however, a current MSLA-specific employment percentage is not stated on the official sources reviewed.
Salary figures: The official School of Architecture employment report shows historical Master of Landscape Architecture salary bands ranging from below $30,000 to $59,000, but this is historical MLA data rather than a current MSLA-specific salary figure.
Industry connections: Students engage with contemporary professional practice through the School of Architecture’s landscape architecture activities, including the Landscape First Essay Series, which features practitioners such as Gullivar Shepard, Partner at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, connecting academic discussion with leading landscape architecture practice.
Professional value: The MSLA is a post-professional degree for graduates who already hold an LAAB-accredited professional landscape architecture degree or international equivalent, making it particularly valuable for advanced specialization rather than initial professional qualification.
Accreditation and licensure: An important distinction is that the MSLA itself is not LAAB-accredited. Students seeking U.S. landscape architecture licensure should instead pursue UT Austin’s LAAB-accredited Master of Landscape Architecture first-professional degree; UT states that its accredited MLA meets the educational requirements for licensure in U.S. states and territories, subject to additional jurisdictional requirements.
Graduation outcomes: The MSLA provides 48 semester hours of advanced study, normally completed in two years, and can also incorporate graduate portfolio programs for interdisciplinary credentials alongside the master’s degree.
STEM advantage: Landscape architecture is recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a STEM discipline, and UT Austin identifies the MSLA as STEM-eligible, adding value for eligible international graduates considering U.S. post-study opportunities.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MSLA, graduates can pursue doctoral-level study or other advanced research in architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, environmental design, or related fields. At UT Austin, the School of Architecture offers Ph.D. in Architecture and Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning programs, providing potential routes toward advanced research, teaching, and academic careers.