Master of Landscape Architecture-First Professional Degree (M620)
The first professional degree curriculum includes technical as well as theoretical courses and design studios that utilize urban and rural settings in the state and region as learning laboratories. The 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.
The objectives of the first professional degree are to produce graduates who:
M620 Curriculum
Studio Sequence: LA 5515, LA 5525, LA 5535, LA 5545, RCPL 5525.
Technical Sequence: LA 5243, LA 5343.
Graphics and Communication Sequence: LA 5513, LA 5613.
Planting Design and Technology Sequence: LA 5713, LA 5924.
History: LA 5943.
Environmental Requirement: 1 course selected from approved list.
Professional Practice Requirement: 1 course selected from approved list.
Research Methods Requirement: LA 5403
Professional Electives: Minimum of 3 courses, minimum 9 credit hours.
Graduate Project Sequence: LA 5950, 6950, 6596.
Graduate Hours Required: For those entering the program with a degree outside of the design fields, this program will take six semesters and approximately 79 credit hours to complete as a full time student. For those entering the program with an undergraduate or professional degree in architecture or a pre-professional degree in landscape architecture, this program may take five semesters as a full time student to complete and may consist of as few as 60 credit hours if equivalent coursework was completed as part of the previous degree. Equivalent coursework will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
International students who enter with an undergraduate landscape architecture degree may be required to take some of the first year courses depending on GPA, portfolio, and language ability.
The Plan of Study for the Master of Landscape Architecture – First Professional Degree
First Year: August Intersession
LA 5513 LA Dwg & Graphics (3/5) **
First Year: Fall
LA 5515 Intro Grad Studio I (5/12)*
LA 5243 LA Tech- Const. Matls (3/5)
LA 5713 Plant Matls & Tech (3/5)
First Year: Spring
LA 5525 LA Intro Grad Studio II (5/12)
LA 5924 Planting Design (4/7)
LA 5343 LA Tech-Site Issues (3/5)
LA 5943 LA History (3/3)
Second Year: Fall
LA 5535 LA Intermed Grad Studio III (5/12)
LA 5613 LA Computer Apps. (3/5)
LA 6643 Urban Design Theory
(3/3)
LA 5403 Research Methods (3/3)
Second Year: Spring
LA 5545 LA Intermed Grad Studio IV (5/12)
LA 5950 Grad Project Proposal Devel (2/2)
Environmental Requirement (3/3 to 4/7)$
Professional Elective (3-4/3-4)
Third Year: Fall
RCPL 5525 Comp Plan Studio (5/12)
LA 6950 Applied Research (2/-)#
Prof Practice Requirement (2-3/2-3)$
Professional Elective (3-4/3-4)
Third Year: Spring
LA 6596 Graduate Project (6/-)#
Professional Elective (3-4/3-4)
* Numbers in parentheses represent credit hours/contact hours. Credit hour ranges are provided to account for differences in credit hours in courses offered by other departments.
** Please refer to the Admissions Requirements page for more information regarding this course for Fall Semester 2009.
$ The Environmental Area and Professional Practice Requirement are to be selected from pre-approved lists of possible courses available from other departments such as architecture, geography, botany/microbiology, regional and city planning, sociology, and so on. Lists are developed by LA faculty in consultation with the host department.
# There is no contact hour listed for those courses in directed reading that have variable contact hour format.
General Notes
The studio sequences are by semester rather than year, which permits entry into the program in the fall or the spring, although fall entry is preferred. Both Introductory Studios (LA 5515 and 5525) must be completed before the student may attempt the Intermediate Studios (LA 5535 and 5545), and the Intermediate Studios must be completed before the student may attempt the the Comprehensive Planning Studio, RCPL 5525. However, LA 5515 is generally not required to be taken before LA 5525, nor is LA 5535 required to be taken before LA 5545 in the instance of a spring admission. The only exception to this is in the case of a student entering the program with a BArch or equivalent who may take LA 5535 prior to taking LA 5525, if LA 5515 has been waived.
In the first year, the technology courses are in essence corequisite with the Introductory Studios. Thus, LA 5243 and LA 5515 should be taken together, and LA 5343 and LA 5525 should be taken together.
The Research Methods/Graduate Project sequence consists of four courses which must be taken in order, starting with the fall of the second year in residence. The sequence consists of a Research Methods course (3 credit hours), followed by LA 5950 Graduate Project Proposal Development (2 credit hours), followed by LA 6950 Applied Research(2-4 credit hours), and finished with LA 6596 (6 credit hours) Graduate Project which will be completed in the final semester of residence.
The planting design sequence consists of LA 5713 Plant Materials and Technology and LA 5924 Planting Design. These courses must be taken in this order, however LA 5924 does not have to be taken in the semester immediately following LA 5713.
Advised Requirements and Advanced Professional Electives
Below are lists of approved courses which may be taken to fulfill the Research Methods Requirement, the Professional Practice Requirement, and the Environmental Requirement. Courses may be added or dropped from these lists only upon consultation with and approval of the Division Director and the Graduate Liaison, and with appropriate notification of the Graduate College. A student may petition in writing to the Division Director and the Graduate Liason to add a course in the Research Methods or Environmental Categories.
1. Professional Practice Requirement--1 course, 2-3 credit hours
ARCH 4033 Project Documents
ARCH 5043 Project Management
CNS 5413 Construction Management
2. Environmental Requirement--1 course, 3-5 credit hours
BOT G3451 Methods in Plant Ecology and BOT G3453 Principles of Plant Ecology
BOT G4115 Principles of Plant Physiology
BOT 5553 Plant Geography
ES 4473 Soil Science
ES 5324 Biological Aspects of Environmental Science
ES 5493 Environmental Evaluation and Management
GEOG G4203 Geomorphology
GEOG G4233 Landform Regions of North America
GEOG 5283 Biogeography
GEOG 5293 Hydrologic Science
GEOG 5443 Urban Ecology
ZOO G3403 Principles of Ecology
3. Advanced Professional Electives
For students in M620 the requirement is three courses with a minimum of nine credit hours, and for students in M621 the requirement is five courses with a minimum of 15 credit hours. The professional electives are an important part of the Master of Landscape Architecture program. Accreditation requires that graduate programs provide opportunities for concentration or specialization. The advanced professional electives are the primary vehicle for organizing and delivering this concentration or specialization. Any graduate level course at the 5000 or 6000 level, or "G" designated undergraduate course at the 3000 or 4000 level may be taken that is appropriate to the student's interests and area of concentration or specialization. Students are encouraged to work with an advisor--either the Division Director or the Graduate Liaison--to develop a "package" of appropriate electives. Allied departments at OU that may have useful offerings include Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Botany, Business Administration, Construction Science, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Communications, Geography, Geology, Health and Sports Sciences, Human Relations, Political Science, Regional and City Planning, Sociology and Zoology.