We recently hosted a Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture information session with the program chairs and current students. Watch the recording.
Our Master of Landscape Architecture program offers a professional design education in a small program with a deep commitment to the discipline. Our program is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council (LAAC) of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA). The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recognizes Canadian programs accredited by the LAAC as equivalent to American accredited programs under a reciprocity agreement.
The Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of British Columbia fosters design oriented research and innovation in landscape architecture. Our mission is to cultivate global citizens and agents of positive change through rigorous coursework, engagement with critical social and environmental issues, and fostering a collaborative learning environment.
Reflection on the Mission Statement
The MLA program exists to address the complex environmental and social issues of our times. Through a rigorous and well-rounded curriculum, it equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become effective practitioners and innovators in the field of landscape architecture. The program’s mission is to prepare graduates who are capable of making meaningful contributions to society and the environment by promoting meaningful and equitable design practices.
Underlying Purposes and Values
Our MLA program is dedicated to prepare future landscape architects who are innovative, socially responsible, and environmentally conscious. By promoting design-oriented research and addressing critical topics such as climate change adaptation, health and well-being, and reconciliation, the program prepares students to tackle contemporary challenges with creativity and technical proficiency. Our program values exploration, technological innovation, and the integration of diverse perspectives to advance the field of landscape architecture.
Defining Values and Fundamental Purpose
For Faculty: The program provides a supportive educational platform that enhances their research and teaching. Faculty are encouraged to engage in cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation, guiding students through a curriculum that balances foundational knowledge with exploration and technological advancement. Faculty members are integral in fostering an environment where critical thinking and innovative design solutions are prioritized.
For Students: The program offers a comprehensive and immersive educational experience, developing technical, intellectual, and analytical skills. Students are engaged in a robust sequence of coursework and research opportunities that prepare them for diverse professional roles and leadership in addressing local and global challenges. The program emphasizes hands-on experience, collaborative learning, and intellectual breadth to support student growth and success.
For Prospective Students: The program represents an opportunity to join a dynamic and supportive community dedicated to making a positive impact through landscape architecture. With an emphasis on design fluency, innovation, and advocacy, our MLA program offers pathways to becoming well-rounded professionals equipped to address pressing environmental and social issues.
For the Institution: The MLA program aligns with UBC’s mission to foster global citizenship, advance a sustainable and just society, and support interdisciplinary research and learning. The program contributes to UBC’s reputation as a leader in environmental and social responsibility. By integrating new technologies and promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration, the program enhances the university’s commitment to preparing students for future professional challenges.
Relation to SALA’s Strategic Directions
The mission of our MLA program aligns closely with SALA’s Strategic Directions, which emphasize activism, advocacy, and engagement; design for impact; design fluency; and community engagement. Our MLA program integrates these directions by encouraging proactive engagement with environmental and social challenges, promoting collaborative and impactful design processes, and fostering connections with diverse communities, including Indigenous communities, professionals, local municipalities, and NGOs.
1. Laying a solid foundation
To enhance and maintain a robust sequence of coursework during the first “core year” of the MLA program. This core year of design studios and supporting courses deliver the foundational knowledge and skills during year one to ensure future success in years two and three.
2. Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Our students will have multidisciplinary educational experiences with our sister professional program, the Master of Architecture, because our program values cross-disciplinary ties which are needed to address the complex environmental and social issues of our times and in the future.
3. Technology integration
Enhance our program’s technological innovation and integration.
4. Strengthen professional ties
Because we value the diverse knowledge and expertise of practicing landscape architects we will increase the engagement of students and faculty with professional landscape architects in Vancouver, the province, Canada, and beyond.
5. Global citizens engaged in a range of scales and communities
Encourage our students to become global citizens and agents of positive change across a range of scales and communities, particularly in their work with Indigenous Peoples.
6. Promoting the work of landscape architecture students
Promote the work of our talented landscape architecture students.
- Why study landscape architecture here?
- Curriculum
- Admissions
- What can I do with my MLA degree?
- Handbooks
Our low student-faculty ratio means close and regular contact with our full-time and adjunct faculty. Our close connections within the school and across campus allow students to expand the reach of their studies to related disciplines, such as architecture and urban planning. Opportunities to study abroad at one of our partner universities around the world promote engagement with the ever-changing cultural concerns in architecture and landscape architecture.
Our students routinely pursue co-operative work experience in order to expand their professional network and to gain credit towards their degree. By working in firms or agencies related to their areas of interest, students can hone design development and documentation skills for future practice.
We have a strong connection with the local professional design community, which takes part in our studio reviews, graduate project committees, and mentorship programs. We coordinate an informal lecture series with students, faculty, and guests from local landscape architecture affiliates. These discourses offer feedback and advice from a broad audience for students presenting their initiatives and projects.
As a student at UBC Vancouver, you will have access to world-class facilities and a research library ranked among the best in Canada. As a student in Vancouver, you will have access to the city and region as a living laboratory, further enhancing your studies in landscape architecture.
The three-year Master of Landscape Architecture degree requires the completion of 108 credits, which includes your graduate project. If you already have a design degree or advanced design education, you may receive advanced placement into a two-year variant, subject to faculty approval.
Typical course of study
Term 1
- LARC 501 Landscape Architecture Design Studio I
- LARC 316 Trees and Shrubs in Landscape
- LARC 522 Landscape Architectural History
- ARCH 515 Design Media I
Term 2
- LARC 502 Landscape Architecture Design Studio II
- LARC 531 Landscape Technologies I
- ARCH 517 Design Media II
- LARC 541 Landscape Planning and Management
Summer
Electives
Term 1
- LARC 504 Landscape Architecture Design Studio IV
- LARC 532 Landscape Technologies II
- LARC 540 Site Analysis and Planning
+ Elective
Term 2
- LARC 503 Landscape Architecture Design Studio III
- LARC 523 Landscape Architectural Theory
- LARC 524 Landscape Architectural History II
+ Elective
Summer
Electives
We accept applications for the Master of Landscape Architecture program between early-October and late-January each year. Admissions decisions are sent out in mid- to late-March. We receive many outstanding applications, and admission to our programs is competitive. Unfortunately, we cannot offer admission to all qualified applicants. Please note our graduate programs are full-time and in-person.
Please note that tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors and are subject to change each year. Tuition fees for international students are expected to rise for the forthcoming academic year. For information about current tuition fees for domestic, international, and continuing students please see the UBC Academic calendar.
Admissions requirements
You must hold a degree that is academically equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree at UBC. There is no requirement for the discipline of your previous degree. We accept students from a wide variety of academic fields.
If you have completed your degree at a Canadian or American university, you must have a B+ average in your third- and fourth-year-level coursework. If you completed your degree at an international university, you must have a B+ average in all coursework.
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of application submission.
For accepted tests and the minimum required scores, please refer to the program page on UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) website.
While not required, you may submit GRE results as additional evidence of scholastic promise and aptitude.
Application materials
All application materials should be submitted through the online application.
You must submit an online application form, complete application materials and the non-refundable application fee by the deadline of January 31.
A summary of your experiences in education, work, travel, volunteering, and other relevant areas. The maximum length is two pages, double spaced.
All MLA applicants must provide a statement (600 words maximum) that responds to the following questions:
- Please tell us how your academic background and lived experiences have prepared you for your studies at UBC SALA.
- Include a description of a contemporary landscape project, condition, or issue that you find compelling, and why.
- Please elaborate on an aspect, theme or topic within landscape architecture you would like to pursue in the future.
Your portfolio is submitted digitally in your online application. The PDF can be a maximum of 20 letter-sized (8.5″ x 11″) pages (or 10 spreads) and must be under 10MB in size. These 20 pages do not include your cover page or table of contents.
Tip: Use 150 pixels-per-inch or even 72 ppi images, or try saving the file as a Reduced Size PDF (“Save as Other”) in Adobe Acrobat, to bring down the file size.
The intent of the portfolio is to highlight design potential and visual thinking. You should use the portfolio to showcase your interests and accomplishments, and to show how you could contribute artistically and socially to a demanding professional program.
Your portfolio should demonstrate your ability to conceptualize ideas, observations and projects in two and three dimensions through a variety of media, not just one or two. The portfolio may contain drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, installation, printmaking, ceramics, fashion design, woodworking, writing samples, and/or other media. Showing your creative process and ability to think conceptually will also provide context for your work.
You should organize your portfolio into a clearly legible, well-crafted document. The portfolio should have concise, descriptive text on each page to adequately explain the work. All text and visual material you include must be legible. Applicants with previous design degrees may show a variety of media expressing their design process and intent. In addition to text describing the overall project, you should select key images in your portfolio and include a few sentences that explain your process – both technical and conceptual – for creating that key image. We are interested in your design process, not just the finished product or image.
Your portfolio should focus mainly on your own work. If work was produced in collaboration with others, please clearly indicate your precise contribution to the submitted work and only use a maximum of 3 pages of collaborative work.
For tips on putting together your portfolio, please watch our graduate portfolio information session:
You must upload scans of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions previously attended, including transcripts from universities attended on exchange. Uploads of unofficial transcripts will not be accepted. If you are currently completing a degree, submit your transcripts to date. In that case, UBC will not grant final confirmation of acceptance until you have submitted the final transcripts after the degree is conferred. If offered admission, you will be asked to send official transcripts in hardcopy.
If the academic records are in a language other than English or French, you must submit scans of the official transcripts in their original language and accompany them with scans of official translations.
You must arrange for three letters of reference, two of which should be academic and speak to your past performance and ability to succeed in a graduate program. Referees submit their letters through the online application system.
SALA offers advanced placement to qualified Master of Landscape Architecture applicants who, during their undergraduate degree, have undertaken a sufficient number and type of courses equivalent to the first year of SALA’s traditional 3-year Master of Landscape Architecture degree track. This includes specific training at the 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate level in the form of design studios, landscape architectural technology courses, representation and design media, and courses on landscape architectural history and theory.
Based on this criteria, students possessing the following undergraduate degrees will receive 30 credits of advanced placement and will complete the MLA program in 2 years:
- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (professional track program)
- Bachelor of Environmental Design (from University of Manitoba)
- Bachelor of Design in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urbanism (from UBC)
The following undergraduate degrees are not eligible for advanced placement and prospective students will complete a 3-year MLA program:
- Bachelor of Architectural Studies
- Bachelor of Technology
- Bachelor of Engineering
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Fine Arts Bachelor of Design
Whilst SALA cannot waiver its criteria for admission to the advanced placement track, it is understood that in some exceptional circumstances, prospective students may have satisfied the admission criteria for advanced placement through elective courses, diploma programs, technical schooling, or other extracurricular activities that are not covered by their bachelor’s degree. If you are in this position, please email the Student Services Coordinator(contact details below) after you apply to inquire whether you may still be considered for advanced placement. A strong justification will be required.
Our Master of Landscape Architecture program prepares you to enter the world of practicing landscape architects. Your degree is certified by the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, which is recognized in Canada and the US. British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario have regulatory bodies for the landscape architecture profession, and non-regulatory bodies in the other provinces. In British Columbia, you must complete the internship program to become eligible to register as a licenced landscape architect with the BCSLA. In November 2024, SALA had one (1) student who earned an MLA degree and in May 2025, SALA had twenty-five (25) students who graduated with an MLA.
The practice of landscape architecture is growing quickly. Awareness of the profession is also on the rise. Municipal governments are especially looking for the specialized knowledge of landscape architects for green space projects. Today’s firms range from small, one- or two-person teams to large multinational groups. Similarly, landscape architects can work on a huge scale of projects, from individual sites to large-scale developments. The Government of Canada predicts fair growth in several regions across the country for the profession, with low levels of unemployment due to a shortage of landscape architects.
While the majority of our graduates have gone on to careers directly in landscape architecture, that path is by no means the only one. Over the course of your studies here, you’ll gain invaluable skills in:
- design and visualization
- a variety of digital media tools
- communication and presentations
- project management and organization
- sustainability and resource management
There are a number of positions that benefit from an education in landscape architecture. Some of our alumni have pursued:
- urban design planning and policy
- sustainability research
- energy management
- resort planning and analysis
- construction
- farming
You can also pursue further education through a post-professional degree program. Our Master of Urban Design and Master of Advanced Studies in Landscape Architecture programs are geared towards those who already have degrees in landscape architecture and want to continue exploring the academic side of the field.
Tara Deans
larc@sala.ubc.ca
604.822.3445
Daniel Roehr
Chair, Landscape Architecture program
droehr@sala.ubc.ca
The Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects accredits the Master of Landscape Architecture professional degree through its Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council. The council evaluates, advocates for, advances, and maintains the quality of education in Canadian landscape architectural programs. It typically evaluates university programs every five years to determine compliance with its published minimum standards and the programs’ own stated goals.
First recognized in 1997, the LAAC last accredited the MLA program in 2024 for six years.
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recognizes Canadian programs accredited by the LAAC as equivalent to American accredited programs under a reciprocity agreement.
Alignment with LAAC Core Values:
Our MLA program’s mission also corresponds to the core values outlined by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council (LAAC), reflecting a commitment to educational excellence, ethics, diversity, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.
Educational Excellence: We uphold the highest standards in teaching and learning, providing an environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and innovation. By maintaining rigorous academic standards, the program ensures that graduates are well-prepared to meet the demands of the profession and contribute to the advancement of landscape architecture.
Ethics and Professionalism: We instills a strong sense of integrity and ethical responsibility in its students. Through coursework and professional practice opportunities, students learn to navigate the ethical challenges of the profession, ensuring they are prepared to uphold the highest standards of conduct in their future careers.
Diversity and Inclusion: We are deeply committed to inclusivity and values the contributions of diverse communities. This commitment is reflected in the program’s diverse student body, recruitment of preferential hires, and engagement with a different groups and communities through both faculty research and coursework in collaboration with local municipalities, Indigenous communities, and NGOs.
Environmental Stewardship: Social and environmental responsibility are central to our MLA program’s mission. Students are educated to foreground and address design practices addressing the challenges of climate change, spatial justice, health and well-being, and reconciliation. This focus on stewardship aligns with the LAAC’s core value of promoting sustainable and resilient landscapes.
Community Engagement: Active participation and collaboration with communities are fundamental to the MLA program. Students engage with various community groups through course work, research projects, and outreach activities, fostering a sense of responsibility and connection to the broader society. This engagement ensures that graduates are not only skilled practitioners but also active contributors to their communities.