Our students and faculty conduct rigorous design-research to understand how we have arrived in our current circumstances. With a fuller understanding of how and why we are facing diminishing biodiversity, climate related challenges and social inequity we test innovative solutions to challenge conventional thinking. Whether we are exploring the history of indigenous people on Catalina Island or the lack of parks and urban canopy in South Los Angeles, we imagine a future where landscapes and natural systems shape urban spaces, cities, and infrastructures to create more resilient futures – socially and ecologically. 

The Southern California mountains, deserts, coasts, rivers, and the mosaic of urbanization surrounds us. Throughout our curriculum we explore this rare biodiversity hotspot and the incredible cultural forces that shape our creative economy.  There is no other place with the excitement and richness of people from around the world involved in music, visual arts, film, dance, culinary arts, architecture, and the other fields that fuel life in this vibrant city.  Across the globe we are in a period of great social and physical changes in urbanization. Our research at this scale in Los Angeles presents exciting challenges and opportunities as we plan for the 2028 Olympic games, address the urgent need for equitable housing, and see the first fruits of decades of transit infrastructure construction across the region creating new urban form while we plan for water scarcity, extreme heat, diminishing biodiversity and sea level rise.

Our program curriculum is focused on a balanced core of design studios, media and fabrication, history and theory, performance technologies, plant materials and ecology, construction and practice, and urbanism. It is field based with travel as close as across the street to the Museum of Natural History, in our local environs, and to more distant destinations to experience our unique region and to engage with the communities who live here. The studio sequence begins with local urban sites where intensive field work is critical to site understanding. In the second year we increase scale to territorial and global design-research studios. Our third-year courses are closely coordinated to provide students an in-depth experience in design research to test solutions.  In the fall seminar third year students engage in travel and research to explore a significant topic. In the recent past they have studied the intersection of natural systems and human interventions in wildfire prone lands in the San Gabriel Mountains and the history and future of stormwater as a resource and threat to communities adjacent to the Los Angeles River where over 9 million people reside in the watershed.  In the spring studio these students develop design responses to address urban development, climate change adaptation and social justice. The studio typically involves travel outside the immediate area to establish relationships with sites and communities, or to learn from precedents.

Throughout the program students synthesize their courses in media, history, plant materials, ecology, construction, and urbanism with their studio work. Elective courses in our curriculum come from a wide range of offerings in the School of Architecture and in other schools at USC including those in architecture, heritage conservation, urban planning, spatial sciences, or cinema. In the summer students may participate in international or domestic field study courses or find positions in professional internships. Our students work with colleagues in architecture, heritage conservation, building science, planning, real estate, and other disciplines in the annual Guild, ULI and NOMAS student design competitions where they form strong career bonds. 

Our dual degree programs in Heritage Conservation and Urban Planning in the highly ranked USC Price School, along with graduate certificate programs in Architecture, Building Science, Heritage Conservation, Sustainable Design, Real Estate and Geographic Information Science provide opportunities for students to develop in depth knowledge to prepare for careers across the spectrum of design and planning.

Our landscape architecture and urbanism program is focused on real impact on the ground. Our curriculum, our world class research university, the vibrance of our professional community and the experience of living in Los Angeles come together to create critical thinkers and design leaders prepared to tackle some of the most contested landscapes and environmental questions of our day. 

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS OFFERED

MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE / MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING

Qualified students who are admitted to the Master of Landscape Architecture program in the School of Architecture and to the graduate program in the USC Price School of Public Policy may complete both degrees in a highly integrated six semester program.

MASTER OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION / MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE + URBANISM

The Master of Heritage Conservation/Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism dual degree program facilitates highly related cross-disciplinary studies in heritage conservation and in landscape architecture at the master’s level. Those enrolled in the dual degree program will learn the histories, theories, and practices of landscape architecture and heritage conservation. Advanced Placement MLA students may complete both degrees in five semesters. Three-year MLA students may complete both degrees in seven semesters.

RELATED LINKS: Application Instructions & Requirements, Application Deadlines, Learning Objectives, Connect on Facebook, Landscape Justice Initiative

The Master of Landscape Architecture and the Master of Landscape Architecture/Master of Urban Planning Dual degree are STEM (CIP code 04.0601). International students who graduate from USC’s Master of Landscape Architecture or Master of Landscape Architecture/Master of Urban Planning Dual degree may be eligible for a 24-month extension of post-completion OPT (for a total eligibility of up to 36 months). The 24-month STEM OPT extension is adjudicated (approved) by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

ACCREDITATION

The three- and two-year programs in landscape architecture are accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. For more information on LAAB, see: ASLA Accreditation.

PUBLIC INFORMATION POLICY

Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredited programs are required to provide reliable information to the public. Programs must report on accreditation status and its performance. This information is to help potential students make informed application decisions.

USC’s MLA program was first accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) in 2011. Our accreditation was renewed in 2018 for a period of 6 years, expiring in December of 2022. A one-year extension was granted to the program in the fall of 2022. A visiting team will review the program in October of 2023. A decision from the LAAB is anticipated in the spring of 2024, our current accreditation remains in good standing. 

RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES

Our highly desirable faculty to student ratio and tailored curriculums play a central role in supporting student retention and graduation rates. Over the last 6 years 100% of students who entered the second year of the program have earned their degrees on time. 

Student Graduation Rates

% of Entering Students Completing Their Degree within 3 years

2017 - 100%

2018 - 100%

2019 - 93%

2020 - 92%

Number of Degrees Granted

2017 - 12

2018 - 13

2019 - 19

2020 - 16

2021 - 14

2022 - 14

Student Retention Rates

% of Students Who Remained in the Program by the year they matriculated.

2017 - 81%

2018 - 94%

2019 - 94%

2020 - 87% 

2021 - 87%

2022 - 84%  

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

USC requires students to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to earn a graduate degree. The average grade point average (GPA) of Master of Landscape Architecture students is 3.70 (on a 4.0 grade point system).

POST-GRADUATION EMPLOYMENT 

Graduates of the USC MLA + Urbanism program find positions in a wide range of practices, non profit organizations and public agencies. Many graduates begin their careers in traditional practice and as their careers advance they take on leadership roles in award winning design practices, planning agencies and other related fields. The MLA degree program is excellent preparation for digital design and UX positions. 

95% of graduates from 2020-2022 who remained in the United States had a full-time position in the field of landscape architecture as of June 2023

LICENSED FACULTY 

Our 2022 - 2023 academic year faculty included 5 instructors who hold landscape architecture licenses, one licensed landscape contractor and two licensed architects. 

ELIGIBILITY FOR LICENSURE

USC has been fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1949, affirming that our University meets the highest academic standards in terms of our mission and the quality of our academic programs. 

Each state has specific education requirements for licensure in Landscape Architecture. These two sites provide detailed information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia Check Eligibility (clarb.org) American Society of Landscape Architects (asla.org)

PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Information on tuition, related costs of attendance, and financial aid can be found at the following links: 

Current USC Graduate Programs Tuition and Fee Information

USC School of Architecture Financial Aid and Scholarships 

Additional Information on USC Financial Aid https://financialaid.usc.edu/graduates/graduate-professionals.html

Additional Costs

Students should anticipate additional program expenses for personal equipment including a laptop computer capable of running sophisticated graphics software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Auto CAD, Rhinoceros and Grasshopper. Some courses will require textbooks, local and regional travel, materials for physical models and other incidentals. All courses are required to identify anticipated costs in their syllabi.  

Software: All students are provided with free Google storage and Google suite apps through USC. The School of Architecture provides access to student rates for Adobe Creative Suite. Many programs are available with free academic licenses. USC provides ARC GIS at student rates. Large format printing is available free of charge in our School printing center. All required software is available on shared student workstations in the School of Architecture.  

Scholarships and Fellowships

The School of Architecture awards a limited number of merit scholarships based on applicants’ previous achievement. These scholarships are provided as a percentage of annual tuition and are renewed during the students’ degree program as long as students maintain academic eligibility. 

Two MLA students per year receive California Landscape Architecture Student Scholarship Funds. Our students have successfully won LAF student scholarships for research and in the LAF Olmsted Scholar program. The School of Architecture supports student travel via annual travel fellowships. 

Students may find opportunities for paid positions as class assistants and faculty research assistants pending availability. Domestic students may apply for campus work study positions. All students have access to Connect SC, the University’s career center for students and alumni. Firms in the Los Angeles area frequently hire USC MLA students for summer internships. For some students, these positions lead to full time employment following their degree completion.