About Landscape Architecture

As described by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), "landscape architecture is the art and science of analysis, planning, design, management, preservation and rehabilitation of the land.

"Landscape architects design the built environment of neighborhoods, towns and cities while also protecting and managing the natural environment, from its forests and fields to rivers and coasts. Members of the profession have a special commitment to improving the quality of life through the best design of places for people and other living things.

"In fact, the work of landscape architects surrounds us. Members of the profession are involved in the planning of such sites as office plazas, public squares and thoroughfares. The attractiveness of parks, highways, housing developments, urban plazas, zoos and campuses reflects the skill of landscape architects in planning and designing the construction of useful and pleasing projects.

"Depending on the scope of the project for clients, ranging from a local developer to the federal government, landscape architects may plan the entire arrangement of a site, including the location of buildings, grading, stormwater management, construction and planting. They may also coordinate teams of design, construction and contracting professionals.

"Already, federal and state government agencies ranging from the National Park Service to local planning boards employ a large number of landscape architects. More and more private developers realize that the services of a landscape architect are an integral part of a successful, more profitable project."

Further information about the profession of landscape architecture may be found by visiting the ASLA web site.

 

Program Mission

The program’s mission is to provide students with an interdisciplinary setting in which to learn and think critically and creatively in addressing environmental issues that are rooted in (though not limited to) the physiographic region of the Great Plains, the metropolis of Oklahoma City, and smaller communities within the state. Significant in this regard is the graduate level education of future landscape architects who will be versatile in the various aspects of practice typifying the profession, including an environmental ethic, design development, project management at multiple scales, communication, emerging technologies, ethical conduct, as well as areas of research.

The First Professional Degree curriculum, i.e., for those not having a degree in landscape architecture, includes technical as well as theoretical courses and design studios that utilize a range of urban and rural settings from the state and region as learning laboratories. Of particular interest to the program is sustainable urban landscapes and their importance in the global arena. Overall, students will be prepared to design and manage landscapes that are environmentally sound and socially responsible. Design projects are a balance of real and theoretical programs ranging from small to large scale.

 

Master of Landscape Architecture Curriculum Objectives

The specific objectives of the First Professional Degree Program are to produce graduates who:

  • Are qualified to enter the profession of landscape architecture;
  • Possess theoretical and conceptual insight in the field and practice of landscape architecture;
  • Are interdisciplinary by training and conversant with the professions related to landscape architecture;
  • Possess a specialization relevant to particular student interests and the needs of both society and the profession of landscape architecture;
  • Possess an in depth facility with the body of literature significant to landscape architecture.

 

Why choose OU's MLA Program?

The Masters in Landscape Architecture Program at OU offers these unique advantages:

  • A small, dynamic, accredited program that aggressively pursues innovative and cutting-edge projects
  • Studio projects that focus on sustainability, land stewardship, "real-world" community outreach, with emphasis on common problems affecting the urban landscape
  • A comprehensive curriculum offering a strong foundation as well as modular components that allow students to customize their education
  • Strong, extensive and integrated use of computers and traditional forms of design development and presentation.
  • Multi-disciplinary setting with opportunities to take course work in architecture, regional and city planning, geography, geosciences, botany, management and public administration, among others
  • A flexible program, of interest to students with an undergraduate degree in a design field as well as to those who may have a degree in a non-design field of any kind
  • Opportunities to work closely with faculty engaged in research activities concerning urban design, urban ecology, sustainability, professional practice and theoretical perspectives of the profession of landscape architecture.

Why choose the University of Oklahoma?

The University of Oklahoma is a doctoral degree-granting research university serving the educational, cultural and economic needs of the state, region, nation and hemisphere. More than 25,000 students and 1500 full-time faculty create a lively atmosphere of learning on OU's original campus in Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. A comprehensive university, OU offers 160 undergraduate, 125 master's, 79 doctoral, 4 professional and 20 dual professional/master's degree programs.

The Landscape Architecture program is in the College of Architecture on OU's Norman campus. The College of Architecture offers a comprehensive planning and design curriculum leading to degrees in Architecture, Construction Science, Interior Design, Regional and City Planning, as well as Landscape Architecture. Norman is a town of 90,000 that boasts award-winning public schools, a caring community, low crime rate, and a diversity of cultural and recreational events. Norman is eighteen miles south of Oklahoma City, and is considered part of the metropolitan area with a population of over one million and the various resources and amenities one associates with such a population. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro-plex is three hours to the south offering a broad range of resources associated with a large and diverse area, as does the Tulsa metro area less than two hours to the east.

In addition, the cultural and natural landscapes of Oklahoma are rich and varied with ten major ecological provinces, fourteen vegetation associations, and a unique settlement history. The state's population is largely urbanized and presents numerous opportunities for community based initiatives in support of teaching, research, and service.