General Information

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Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

This is an Accelerated Master's Program (AMP).

Students applying to the program must meet University of Arizona Graduate College admissions standards.

• Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited United States college or university, or equivalent in a non-US institution of higher learning. The undergraduate degree can be in any field of study. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the last 90 graded quarter credit hours or last 60 graded semester credit hours is required.
• Applicants who do not meet the required 3.0 GPA can apply as Graduate Non-Degree Seeking. After completion of 12 consecutive semester units of 500 level courses, and a 3.0 GPA or higher, applicants can apply as graduate degree seeking using their graduate GPA.
• International students must demonstrate English language proficiency and submit scores from the TOEFL exam.

Application Requirements

Prospective students are required to submit application materials directly to the University of Arizona Graduate College. Please pay careful attention to the procedures described in the online application portal. You can access the online application system as many times as necessary to prepare your application up until the time you formally submit your materials. Applications will not be reviewed until all materials have been received.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required to apply.

All applicants must upload the following documents using PDF format:

• Personal Statement: You will be required to submit a Statement of Purpose, clearly and concisely delineating your focus or interest, special aptitude or personal characteristics and any other relevant factors related to your career aspirations in the profession of urban planning. Additionally, discuss your reasons for applying to the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and the University of Arizona.
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae: You will be asked to provide a biographical profile/resume including a complete record of academic and professional work.
• Letters of Recommendation: You will be asked to provide the names and contact information (email address) of three persons who can comprehensively evaluate your record and potential for success in the graduate program. A combination of academic and professional recommendations is preferred. As soon as you have entered this information, an automatic email message will be sent to your recommender, explaining what is required and giving him/her instructions on how to log in on our website. On the recommendations site they will be asked to complete a form, and will also be able to upload a letter or type in some text if they wish to do so.
• Transcripts: One complete set of official college transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework (diplomas, titulos). If these original documents are not in English, an official English translation must also be included. Submit these documents directly from the issuing institution to the Graduate College Online Application system. An official document must be submitted before formal admission to the Graduate College will be granted.

International students must also provide:

• Financial Guarantee: Applicants must submit a Financial Guarantee form certifying they have sufficient U.S. funds for their first year of education. If family members are to accompany the student, additional funds are required. If the student receives a fellowship or an assistantship, the amount of the award will constitute part of the financial guarantee.
• Proof of English Language Proficiency: TOEFL scores are required of applicants who speak English as a second language unless they have completed at least two years of full time academic study in the United States, English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or other official English speaking countries at an accredited institution, culminating in the receipt of a bachelors or graduate degree that is awarded within two years of the term of enrollment.
• Students must have 48 graded semester hours of upper division, undergraduate work or 30 graded semester hours of graduate work. If the student has been residing outside the English speaking country for more than 2 years since completing studies and earning a degree, he or she will be required to submit current TOEFL or IELTS scores as part of the admissions process. TOEFL results are valid for two years only.
• Only scores of 79 or greater on the TOEFL (with a minimum score of 26 required for the Speaking section) and 7 or greater on the ILETS are acceptable. The Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at The University of Arizona offers full-time English-language training for students who have not attained an acceptable score on their TOEFL.

Official transcripts may be mailed to:

CAPLA Graduate Programs Office
University of Arizona
1040 N. Olive
Tucson, AZ 85721

http://capla.arizona.edu/

 

 

Standardized Tests

Required test(s): N/A
Required GRE Subject tests: N/A

Recommended tests: N/A
Recommended GRE Subject tests: N/A

Minimum GRE Verbal: N/A
Minimum GRE Quantitative: N/A
Minimum GRE Written: N/A
Minimum GMAT: N/A
Minimum MAT: N/A
Minimum TOEFL: 79
Minimum IELTS: 7

 

Funding Opportunities

Financial aid is available to qualified students based on the program, merit and financial need. Many of our students receive some form of financial aid excluding loans. 

• The program provides financial support to offset tuition for its students in the form of: Graduate Tuition Waivers; Fellowship Funds; Program Fee Set Aside Funds; Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships; Program level scholarships; Graduate Access Fellowships; Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR) Waivers for UA employees and affiliates; and student travel support offered by the program. 
• The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) allows residents of fifteen participating western states to enroll in this participating University of Arizona graduate program and pay Arizona resident tuition rates. To be eligible, students must be admitted and enroll in a participating program, show proof of residency in a participating WRGP state, and apply with and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  WRGP Arizona resident tuition pricing does not include fees, which are not discounted through WRGP. See https://grad.arizona.edu/funding/opportunities/western-regional-graduate-program for more information. 
• The University of Arizona and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture have an array of scholarships available to qualified students. Awards are based on need, merit, program, class year, and/or other specifications. Students can apply for additional scholarships through Scholarship Universe (https://financialaid.arizona.edu/scholarshipuniverse). Admitted students will be notified of the opportunity to apply through Scholarship Universe. 
• Applicants are eligible to apply for federal financial aid through Free Application Federal Student Aid(FAFSA). Please visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (https://financialaid.arizona.edu) for more information. 
• Additional funding resources and opportunities can be found on the graduate college website, at https://grad.arizona.edu/funding/opportunities and with the graduate center.

 

Admissions Deadlines

SPRING 2021
October 11: Round 1 (Deadline for GA Consideration)
November 1: International Student Deadline, Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)-Eligible Deadline
December 6: Final Deadline (Domestic/International with Visa)

FALL 2021
November 30: Priority Admissions Deadline
February 4: Round 2
March 7: Round 3 (Deadline for Graduate Assistantship Consideration and International Students without Visa)
April 4: Round 4
May 15: Final Deadline (Domestic/International with Visa, Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)-Eligible)

International Conditional Admission

• International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion. See http://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/types/international-admission-types#intl-conditional for more information.

 

International Conditional Admission

International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion.

Other Information

The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

30 

Core Coursework Requirements

30 units of approved coursework are required to obtain the degree. The 30-unit minimum is comprised of the following courses:

MLA Core (30)

• LAR 420/520 Plant Materials (4 units)
• LAR 423/523 Landscape Ecology (3 units)
• LAR 426/526 Planting Design (4 units)
• LAR 440/540 Contemporary Landscape Architecture (3 units)
• LAR 460/560 Professional Practice (2 units)
• LAR 623 Landscape Planning Studio (3 units)
• LAR 596B Landscape Architecture Seminar II (1 units)
• LAR 596C Landscape Architecture Seminar III (2 units)
• LAR 596D Landscape Architecture Seminar IV (spring) (2 units)
• LAR 909/910 Master's Report/Master's Thesis (6-9 units)

In addition to completing the 30-unit core, to complete this degree students must also complete coursework or demonstrate competency in the core skills and desired learning outcomes in the following courses for a total of 76 units.

• LAR 510 Design Studio I (6 units)
• LAR 511 Design Studio II (6 units)
• LAR 610 Design Studio III (6 units)
• LAR 611 Design Studio IV (6)
• LAR 612 Design Studio V (6)
• LAR 541 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture (2 units)
• LAR 554 Site Engineering (4 units)
• LAR 555 Landscape Construction (4 units)
• LAR 570 Introduction to GIS for Planning and Landscape Architecture (4 units)
• LAR 530 Intro to Digital Media (2 units) (or alternate elective)

Upon admission to the program, students may demonstrate competency through coursework in an undergraduate related degree such as a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) or Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch). Courses can be reviewed for comparative competencies in one of our master level courses by reviewing samples of work, projects or references along with passing scores of A or B.

Competency may also be demonstrated by extensive applied field experiences in landscape architectural practice. This will be reviewed by faculty based of references, resume and CV review.

See program curriculum on the Master of Landscape Architecture program website.

 

Elective Coursework

Electives may be needed to meet minimum credit requirements, and must be approved by the academic advisor.

Suggested elective options:

• LAR 530 Introduction to Digital Media (2 units)
• LAR 571F Introduction to Heritage Conservation (3 units)
• PLG 501A Planning Theory and Practice (3 units)
• PLG 597S Sustainable Urban Development and Design (3 units)
• RED 507 Survey of Responsible Real Estate Development (3 units)
• SBE 580 Research Methods (3 units)
• LAR 530 Introduction to Digital Media (2 units)
• LAR 597J Documentation and Interpretation of the Historic Built Environment (3 units)
• RED 521 Placemaking and Urban Form (3 units)
• PLG 508 Climate Action Planning (3 units)
• PLG 560 Land-Use Planning Law (3 units)
• PLG 576 The Land Development Process (3 units)
• PLG 595A Geodesign Studio (3 units)
• LAR 599 Independent Study (requires program approval)
• LAR 593 Internship

 

Additional Requirements

None.

 

Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Additional Information

This is an Accelerated Master's Program (AMP).

The Graduate College offers exceptional undergraduate students in selected majors the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in as few as 5 years. The Accelerated Master's Program is for the top undergraduates in participating majors who plan to continue in a graduate program in the same, or closely related, UA discipline.

Programs will select from among a qualified pool, based on the following criteria. Individual programs may have more stringent or additional requirements:

• Completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of application; a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of entry into the AMP. If the student's GPA falls below 3.30 at the time s/he has completed 90 units, the student will not be admitted into the program. Courses taken for audit may not be included in the total number of units counted for eligibility or admission.
• Completion of at least 12 earned units of undergraduate course work in the major at the UA.
• Units still graded Incomplete, units graded Pass/Fail or units taken as audit will not count toward the requirement of the 12 undergraduate units in the major.
• Completion or near completion of general education requirements.
• Submission of a graduate application and payment of a graduate application fee.
• Demonstration of the maturity necessary for success in an accelerated, highly competitive program.
• Expectation to complete the undergraduate degree within four years. The undergraduate degree requirements must be completed before the student is eligible to have the Master's degree awarded.
• Interested students should verify departmental requirements as they may have additional or more stringent requirements than the Graduate College minimum requirements.

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