MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Landscape Architecture + Environmental Planning
MLA Design
THE MISSION
To inspire and guide design students in their scholarship and application of landscape architecture through design solutions focused on social and environmental justice impacting communities across global territories.
THE GOALS MLA
1 2 3 4 5 6
Experience of Learning:
Instill cultural, empathic skills, as well as critical thinking to challenge and elevate existing disciplinary knowledge and professional leadership.
Production and transfer of knowledge:
Create, apply, and engage through research, scholarship, and innovation within and beyond the LAEP community.
Cultural Competency:
Model and exercise a culture of equity, inclusion, belonging and well-being through daily practices among us and the communities we serve.
Community of Practice:
Engage and give back to local, national, and global communities through internal and external collaborations and partnerships.
Scaling UP:
Increase the recognition and visibility of LAEP through an expanded footprint with impacts at regional, national, and global scales.
Faculty Ecology:
Value, cultivate, and support LAEP’s faculty as integral members of our academic community and mission.
DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE + ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING (LAEP)
Welcome Letter
Thank you for your interest in our nationally ranked North Carolina State University Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program! Our fully LAAB* accredited program prepares graduate students for the rigors of professional practice, research, leadership, and community engagement. Students combine critical design thinking, technical and theoretical principles and apply their skills and knowledge to solve real-world spatial issues. Global communities and environmental impacts are explored through landscape architecture theory and professional practice.
As part of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP), faculty and students are advancing the discipline and addressing critical topics of the profession by exploring conditions of the built and natural environment. Design projects are considered through a range of scales, from site specific, parks and civic spaces, for instance, to community and regional planning that value the experiences and wellbeing of entire neighborhoods and regions. Resilient landscapes that address the conservation of natural resources and the impacts of environmental disasters are critical areas of the MLA program aimed at mitigating present environmental and social challenges. As department head, I envision expanding the lens for integrating natural and built systems by understanding broader geographies, territories, and the cultural values of the communities living there.
We are a STEM* designated MLA program, permitting international graduates to engage in Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the US for up to three years. This also means that landscape architects can seek project and research funding through STEM designated sources.
Please contact me directly at maria_bellalta@ncsu.edu, or Carla Delcambre cfdelcam@ncsu.edu or Kofi Boone at kmboone@ncsu.edu, Directors of the Graduate Program, if you have questions or wish to visit the College of Design to learn more.
Warmest regards,
María Bellalta, FASLA, IFLA
She/Her/Hers
Professor and Department Head
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
College of Design
North Carolina State University
*Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) *Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
DIFFERENT TRACKS TO COMPLIMENT YOUR BACKGROUND
We offer three Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program tracks to invite students with various educational backgrounds:
MLA Track III Curriculum
First Professional LAAB Accredited Degree
78 - 81 credit hours
The LAAB Accredited Track III curriculum is intended for graduate students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than landscape architecture, architecture or related design disciplines.
MLA Track II Curriculum
First Professional LAAB Accredited Degree, Advanced Placement Track
63-69 credit hours
This curriculum is designed for graduate students with prior degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, or related design programs that are not LAAB accredited; and/or for graduate students seeking concurrent degrees in Architecture, Urban Design or Urban Planning.
MLA Track I Curriculum
Post Professional Degree
30-48 credit hours
This curriculum is designed for graduate students with prior LAAB accredited undergraduate degrees in landscape architecture
Note: This is not an LAAB Accredited Degree program.
THE FACULTY
Mark Hoversten Ph.D., FASLA, FCELA, AICP
Dean, College of Design
Professor
Andy Fox FASLA, PLA
Professor
University Faculty Scholar Director, Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL)
Charles A. Flink II FASLA
Director, Initiative for Community Growth and Development Leaders Council Member
María Bellalta FASLA, IFLA Professor and Department Head, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
Celen Pasalar Ph.D. Associate Professor
Kofi Boone FASLA
Joseph D. Moore
Distinguished Professor
University Faculty Scholar Interim Director of the Graduate Program (DGP)
Gavin Smith Ph.D. Professor
Daniel Howe FASLA, AICP
Assistant Professor of the Practice
Travis Klondike ASLA
Assistant Research Professor
Associate Director, Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL)
Meg Calkins FASLA, FCELA, SITES AP Professor
Carla Delcambre ASLA, PLA Associate Professor
M. Elen Deming DDES, FASLA, FCELA Director, Doctor of Design Professor (DDES)
Dong Jae “DJ” Yi PHD Student Lecturer Community Designer and Researcher
Emily McCoy ASLA, PLA
Associate Professor of Practice
Principal, Design Workshop
Benjamin Monette ASLA, PLA
Assistant Professor of Practice
Principal, Mud
Nilda Cosco Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor Director of Programs for the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI)
Leslie Bartlebaugh PLA, ALSA, ISA
Certified Arborist
Community Extension Specialist
Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL)
Rodney Swink
FASLA, PLA
Professor of Practice
Sr. Associate for Planning + Development, Place Economics
Jesse Turner PLA
Assistant Professor of Practice
Principal, Lift Environmental Design
Tatiana Veloso MLA Instructional Support
Madalyn Baldwin ASLA
Assistant Research Professor
Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL)
Stephen Faber ASLA, PLA
Assistant Professor of Practice
Project Manager, Stewart Design
Matthew Babb
Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) Communication Designer
Art Rice FCELA Professor Emeritus
Robin Moore MCP, Honorary ASLA Professor Emeritus Investigator- Senior Manager Natural Learning Initiative (NLI)
Jeff Israel ASLA, PLA
Assistant Professor of Practice Surface 678
Adam Walters
ASLA, PLA, ISA Arborist Assistant Director, The Initiative for Community Growth and Development
Austin Bowman ASLA Lecturer Planner + Project Manager, McAdams
Mary Archer Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) Design Associate
Andrew Harrell Associate-ASLA, SITES AP Lecturer RATIO Design
Brandon Dupree Natural Learning Initiative (NLI)
Design Assistant
Evans University Program Specialist
Blake University Program Associate
Stephanie
Nikki
THE STUDENTS
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Student American Association of Landscape Architecture (SASLA)
SASLA plans several technical workshops, social events and brown bag seminars with practitioners, and provides important input and advice to the faculty about the curriculum, courses, and the overall quality of the program. SASLA also manages the Department’s Professional Development Mentor Program which pairs students with practitioners and the Peer-to-Peer Program which pairs incoming students with second and third-year students.
Women in Landscape Architecture (WxLA)
Women in Landscape Architecture (WxLA) is a student group in association with the SASLA that reaches out to the professional community to strengthen networking opportunities for women in the profession. WxLA hosts networking events regularly throughout the school year, attended by NCSU students and faculty, with local professionals.
National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA)
The National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in Los Angeles, California, in 2020. Its purpose is to increase minority representation at all levels of landscape architecture practice and academia by supporting and disseminating the landscape architecture knowledge, skills and creativity of minorities while challenging the longstanding status quo that has limited people of color from having decision-making roles on how U.S. landscapes are apportioned, designed, and taught.
Peer to Peer Program (P2P)
To help our new incoming students transition to the department, SASLA implemented a “buddy” system wherein each new student is paired with one of our continuing second or third-year students. This program is intended to connect you with someone who may be able to answer some of your questions and help you learn the “ropes” during your first semester in the department. You will receive an email message explaining this program to you and introducing you to your new peer buddy.
Professional Development Mentor Program
The Mentor Program connects LAEP students with practitioners having first-hand knowledge of and experience if the profession. Pairing new students with new mentors is planned for early October. If you are a returning student and have already been paired with a mentor, please continue communicating with your mentor. The co-chairs of the Professional Development Mentor Program will announce plans for the program at the beginning of the fall semester.
Student Advisory Group
The Student Advisory Group plays an important role that influences the making of our high performing/high quality MLA program. The Department Head and DGP and 9-12 students typically meet 2-3 times during the semester (on Wednesdays during the lunch hour, lunch provided) to discuss range of topics of concern to students. This past year, for example, the Student Advisory Group raised and discussed concerns about courses required in the first year that led to the making of curriculum adjustments and improved course delivery coordination to be implemented this year. While there are about 12 people serving in this Group, (3-4 representing each year in the program), the meetings are open to all who want to participate. Please inform the Department Head or DGP if you would like to serve.
Ryan Anderson
May 2024 MLA Graduate
“My experience at the MLA program at NC State provided a really good balance of teaching the core skills needed to practice in the field of landscape architecture while also providing opportunities to explore and connect my own personal niche interests to the field through research and studios. Outside of the required classes, I was able to pursue my interest in coastal ecology and resilience through a research assistantship and the KIETS climate action scholar program, which allowed me to pursue an independent project-based internship in Hawai‘i. The professors at NC State genuinely care about helping students fully realize their interests within the field, and can become really valuable mentors beyond academia. I also feel like the courses allow students to learn so much from each other through studios and collaborative projects which is immensely valuable.
Since graduating, I’ve been working at Surface678 in Durham which has been a great opportunity to apply what I’ve learned from NC state to projects going on in the Triangle area. I feel that the education at NC State has prepared me quite well for working in a firm, and it’s great to get to work somewhere with other NC State graduates.”
SETTING OUR STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS
The Raleigh/Triangle area provides many opportunities for students to experience careers in Landscape Architecture. Students work in local firms for summer internships or part-time positions during the semester. Every year, a career fair is held that provides an opportunity for students to connect with these local firms. Some common places our students work include:
WITHERSRAVENEL
https://withersravenel.com/
DESIGN WORKSHOP
https://www.designworkshop.com/
URBAN DESIGN PARTNERS
https://urbandesignpartners.com/
SURFACE 678
https://surface678.com/
TOOLE DESIGN
https://tooledesign.com/
KIMLEY HORN
https://www.kimley-horn.com/
STEWART
https://wearestewart.com/
LAND DESIGN
https://landdesign.com/
RATIO
https://ratiodesign.com/studio/raleigh/
ARROWHEAD
https://www.arrowhead-nc.com/
STUDENT RESOURCES
Studio Spaces
Landscape Architecture studios are located on the second floor of Kamphoefner Hall. Joint studios delivered with Architecture faculty and students are also delivered in Brooks Hall. The studios are air conditioned. Access is controlled with key codes. Each student in the LAEP Department who is enrolled in a studio is provided with a desk and chair. Each desk has lockable storage and serves as the student’s home base “work station.” Studio infrastructure includes high speed WiFi, ceiling mounted electric extension access, and a digital equipment cluster consisting of several desktop workstations loaded with the same licensed software applications as the machines in the College’s computer labs, and small and large format printers.
College of Design Materials Lab
The Materials Lab for wood and metal applications is a resource available to all College of Design students and faculty. Landscape architecture students use the Lab to build site models. This facility provides space, equipment, and trained personnel to assist students in working with wood, metal, and plastic. It includes an extensive range of power equipment, hand tools, and large scale CNC router. Students are encouraged to use the lab resources to explore form, materials, and construction methods. The Lab is staffed with highly trained specialists who provide instruction and “check out” students in the safe and proper use of the equipment. In addition, there are three laser cutters in a separate room with their own specialized filtration and exhaust ventilation systems, capable of cutting up to 1/4 inch in cardboard, cardstock, wood or certain specified plastics. Usage of the laser cutter by landscape architecture students has dramatically increased during the past two years as students discover the ease of being able to produce models.
William Bayley Information Technology Laboratory
The William Bayley Information Technology Laboratory provides computer-based and communications-related equipment and facilities in support of an orchestrated professional design education. The facility provides three central computer labs/classrooms, 10 distributed departmental computer “clusters,” and a lending service of computing, audio-visual, and photographic and video equipment. Students are permitted to check out equipment and return it, normally within 24 hours. The Central Labs are open for use ninety-one hours a week. Use of these facilities is limited strictly to students currently enrolled in College of Design courses. All students are introduced to the William Bayley Information Technology Laboratory as they enter the Landscape Architecture program. They are expected to make full use of the equipment, software, and expertise that is available through the lab. Application of computer and information technology is a requirement of most of their curricular courses.
NCSU LIBRARIES
Harry B. Lyons Design Library
Harry B. Lyons Design Library, a branch of the NCSU Libraries, is located in Brooks Hall and houses a comprehensive collection of design-related books, periodicals, slides, videos and DVDs. The Design Library collection is especially strong in the areas of architecture, landscape architecture, and graphic and industrial design, although all Library of Congress classifications are represented.
D.H. Hill Library
The D. H. Hill Library, the main library at NC State University, is located within a 10 minute walk of the College. Patrons can use the main library reference service twenty-four hours a day, five days a week; reference service is also available through chat, text messaging, email, and instant messaging from early morning until midnight most days. The NCSU Libraries are ranked forty-first among research libraries in the nation. The Libraries’ collection comprises 4.3 million volumes and 69,223 print and electronic serial subscriptions.
James B. Hunt Library
The James B Hunt Library is located on Centennial Campus. “At the core of the vision for the Hunt Library is the ability for our students, faculty, and partners to immerse themselves in interactive computing, multimedia creation, and large-scale visualization—tools that are enabling revolutionary ways to see and use information. In bringing together a state-of-the-art research library with the Institute for Emerging Issues, the Hunt Library is an international destination for those who seek to explore how collaborative spaces and innovative applications of technology can inspire the next generation of engineers, designers, scientists, researchers, and humanists.” All electronic databases, e-journals, and e-books provided by the NCSU Libraries are available to Design students. Patrons can log into electronic resources from their studio workstations, from computers located in the library, or from remote locations. Patrons can also check their borrowing account and renew materials online.
• A number of collections in architecture, horticulture, and natural resources are available in the Special Collections Research Center at D.H. Hill Library. Landscape architecture students and faculty may also find materials of interest at the university’s Natural Resources Library. Students and faculty can request that material at other libraries on campus be delivered to the Design Library.
• The NCSU Libraries is a member of the Triangle Research Libraries Network, and NC State University students and faculty may use the libraries at Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina Central University. They may also have materials delivered from Triangle libraries or from libraries across the nation through interlibrary loan.
THE CITY
RALEIGH AND THE TRIANGLE AREA
The Triangle Area is a wonderful place to live, work and study. Long known as a “city in a park,” Raleigh, N.C., boasts a lushly planted environment and many offerings for outdoor recreation — more than 10,000 acres of parkland. The Triangle area is also growing and brimming with culture and opportunities to explore. Home to major sports arenas and outdoor amphitheaters, performing arts theaters, top-notch cultural institutions and museums, award-winning restaurants, and scenic surroundings, the Triangle area is rich in technology, research, culture, and diversity.
With festivals such as the Hopscotch Music Festival, SparkFest, Moogfest, and several free festivals offered throughout the year in the area, there is something for everyone’s unique interests. A variety of galleries and museum’s offer the chance to explore and find inspiration. The North Carolina Museum of Art is one of the premier visual arts museums in the Southeast, and is unique in it’s integration of art into the landscape.
There are a growing number of ways to easily travel to and through many of the area’s attractions. Utilize one of the bike share programs, hop on a scenic greenway (Raleigh is home to over 180 miles), take the bus, or take the Amtrak train from the stunning new Raleigh Union Station. You are only a few hours away from both the beach and mountains. There is so much to explore and we can hardly wait to welcome you!
THE CURRICULUM
III Curriculum MLA
First Professional LAAB Accredited Degree
The LAAB Accredited Track III curriculum is intended for graduate students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than landscape architecture, architecture or related design areas.
to change
Track II Curriculum MLA
63-69 Credit Hours
Advanced Placement Track, First Professional LAAB Accredited Degree
This curriculum is designed for graduate students with prior degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, or related design programs that are not LAAB accredited; also graduate students obtaining concurrent degrees in Architecture, Urban Design or Urban Planning.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a sample curriculum. The actual required courses, number of studios (either 4 or 5), and credit hours will be determined based on evidence of work from the individual student’s undergraduate degree, and a portfolio review after completion of the first semester in the NCSU MLA program.
Post Professional Degree
This curriculum is designed for graduate students with prior LAAB Accredited undergraduate degrees in landscape architecture.
This
ELECTIVE COURSES OFFERED
CODE COURSE NAME
LAR 445/582.601
LAR 520
LAR 582.611
LAR 546
LAR 552
LAR 582.009
LAR 582.004
LAR 582.602
LAR 554
LAR 582
LAR 582.XXX
LAR 607
LAR 535
LAR 543
LAR 545
LAR 630
LAR 650
LAR 697
LAR 582.XXX
LAR 221/582.601
Sustainable Design and Development
Environment and Culture
Computational Design and Parametrics
The Landscape Imperative
Survey of Natural Hazards & Disasters
Intro to Real Estate Development
Walking and Drawing
Smart and Healthy Cities
Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering, and Design
Biophilic Design
Urban Planning Seminar
Natural Hazards, Disasters, and Climate Change Adaptation Lecture Series
Environmental Social Equity and Design
Landscape Performance and Metrics
City Planning, Landscape Architecture, and the Public Realm
Independent Study
LA Internship
Independent Study for Design Research Project
AutoCAD and Drafting Fundamentals
Intro to Environment and Behavior
*Note: This is a non-exhaustive list; subject to change.
In this first landscape architecture studio, students discover and explore ideas of landscape architectural design. Several studio projects serve as vehicles to learn concepts and methods associated with design thinking, placemaking, and representation. Various representational methods including drawing, physical, and computer modeling are learned and applied to explore site conditions, program relationships, scale, and placemaking.
The studio introduces students to landscape architectural design by focusing on fundamental problem solving, and graphic concepts, methods, and skills that set the stage for more advanced studies.
Image Credit: Kathleen Elliott, Fall 2022
Manassa T. Pope Heritage Museum
Pope House
Lincoln Theatre Shaw University Student Housing
Stronachs Plaza
The Playground The Lawn
LAR 501: Landscape Architecture Introduction to Design Studio
LAR 502
The Site Design and Environmental Planning Studio expands upon the ideas, practices, and complexity associated with creating landscapes responsive to the needs of people, site, and context. Upon completion of this course, students apply concepts and methods associated with site assessment, programming, and site planning and design. A balance between rational and intuitive thinking is integral to the studio structure and project assignments. Central to studio investigations are questions that pertain to how landscapes are understood, represented, revealed, and transformed.
This studio is delivered in tandem with LAR 527, Landform, Grading, and Environmental Site Systems. The final design project in the studio includes detailed landform, grading and infrastructure plans.
Image Credit: Elissa Boster, Spring 2024
LAR 502: Site Design + Environmental Planning Studio
In this intensive studio, students are given a relatively small site, typically less than one acre, on which to develop a design for an urban open space functions. Upon completion of this course students will be able to refine their respective design proposals to a level sufficient to generate construction documents including grading, layout, and planting plans and an array of construction details. A teaching team consisting of registered landscape architecture practitioners and faculty deliver this studio.
Image Credit: Anna Desmone, Fall 2023
LAR 503
LAR 506
The Design + Build Design Studio enhances students’ understanding of sustainable site strategies through exposure to the design -build sequence having a comprehensive scope, content, and depth of inquiry. Students design, produce construction documents and construct a project on a small site.
Upon completion of this course students will be able to apply current and emerging design/build concepts that bridge disciplines while promoting a healthy environment through the development of sustainable construction practices that are transferable nationally and globally.
These integrated skills are essential to the practice of landscape architecture and specifically tied to current professional licensure and continuing education requirements.
Syme Hall, 2010
Artists Backyard, 2011
Owen’s Refuge, 2015
Artists Backyard, 2016
Wood Hall, 2023
Syme Hall, 2018
Wood Hall, 2024
506: Design + Build Studio
LA Advanced Topics
Design Studios are inquiry focused.
Upon completion of this course students will be able to apply important professional practices, venture into emerging areas, test and evaluate known practices, and literally experiment with evolving design theories or technologies that advance knowledge and capability of the profession.
The LA Advanced Topics
Design Studio requires rigorous thinking to identify, clearly define, and engage more complex sets of questions or issues that influence or become influenced by situations of increasing complexity at multiple scales of resolution.
Image Credit: Ryan Anderson and Hannah Clarke, Spring 2024
These studios often reflect the specific research interests of the faculty delivering the studio. Recent topics addressed in the advanced studios include community planning and design, coastal dynamics, brownfield re-development, sustainable design, community food systems, campus planning, large area resource planning, design competitions, and city design.
Integration, application, and reinforcement of subject area course material including history and theory, landscape technologies, plants, media, and professional practice courses is expected.
Image Credit: Hesha Pathak Shabnam Mohammadzadeh Joe Lamonica, Fall 2023
LAR 508: Design Research
Project is intended for students wanting to pursue independent research in a specific area of design.
Upon completion of this course a student or team of students (up to 4 people) will be able to engage independent inquiry leading to the completion of a selfdirected definitive scholarly, research-oriented landscape architectural design project.
The expectation is that the research be integrated and applied within the context of a landscape architectural design application. Students eager to continue their education at a PhD level or possibly pursue a career as a university instructor often pursue this option.
Image Credit: Marybeth Campeau, Spring 2023
LAR 630
630: Independent Study
The work derived from an independent study should be of the quality suitable for scholarly publication, dissemination at a scholarly/professional conference, or submission to an awards competition venue.
Students who pursue this option are motivated by a research question requiring research and a design application, an extension-based project situation requiring research and a design application, or another project situation requiring research and a design application.
Image Credit: Britt Davis, Fall 2022
CONCURRENT DEGREES
Master of Architecture (NCSU)
Landscape architecture students have the opportunity to earn a dual degree in both landscape architecture and architecture. DGP and Department Head review of academic work plans are required.
Master of City and Regional Planning (UNC Chapel Hill)
NC State’s landscape architecture students can combine their landscape architecture education with studies at UNC Chapel Hill to pursue a dual degree in city and regional planning. You must apply and be admitted separately to each program. Students may apply to both programs at once or may choose to apply to a second program during the fall of their first semester. Consult your DGP or Department Head.
CERTIFICATES
Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering, and Design Certificate
The imperative motivating the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering and Design is to educate the next generation of practitioners and scholars to apply knowledge gained in the classroom and in the field to reduce the rise in disaster losses and assist communities to adapt to a changing climate.
City Design Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in City Design focuses on design at the scale of the city, and within neighborhoods and urban districts. Studios and seminars focus on the, challenges, and opportunities facing communities and cities in the 21st century, with a particular emphasis upon principles of sustainability and urban ecology.
Public Interest Design Certificate
Public Interest Design (PID) is a participatory and issue-based design practice that places emphasis on the “triple bottom line” of sustainable design that includes environmental, economic, and social challenges across the world. PID seeks to broaden access to the benefits of sustainable design to all.
Real Estate Development Certificate
The Real Estate Certificate Program, students and industry professionals enroll in classes that emphasize building resilient and sustainable communities, with a focus on architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, financing, and environmental sciences. To do this we’ve built our program in collaboration with 4 colleges while maintaining independence at every level of our structure.
Please visit the Graduate School website for more information: https://grad.ncsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/program-development/graduate-certificate-programs/
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL)
https://www.coastaldynamicsdesignlab.com/
The mission of the Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL) is to organize and lead trans-disciplinary research and design teams to address critical ecological and community development challenges in vulnerable coastal regions and shoreline communities, with a concentrated focus on Eastern North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain.
Natural Learning Initiative (NLI)
https://naturalearning.org/
The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) is a research and development, community engagement, and professional development unit of the College of Design. They have employed several LAEP students as research associates. Embracing the overall land grant mission of NC State University, the NLI mission focuses on design applications to support the health of children, their families, and the outdoor spaces of daily life: “Creating environments for healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come.” NLI works in four areas: Design Assistance, Research and Evaluation, Professional Development, Information Dissemination/communications.
Just Communities Lab
https://design.ncsu.edu/research/just-communities-lab/
The Just Communities Lab aims to support the impact of environmental justice strategies by co-creating with communities. The lab explores how we can use landscape architecture, design, and planning to rethink how we protect people, ecosystems, and environments. Their work emphasizes the importance of education by finding ways to help people who live in those areas discover the beauty and value of their own local communities and habitats. Just Communities follows a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) model, working in communities to effect change. All of the work is done directly in communities and in partnership with other entities.
The Pappas Program
https://communitygrowthnc.ncsu.edu/
The Pappas Program champions community building through placemaking by fostering student and professional growth in design-focused, STEM-integrated real estate development education and applied research. The Pappas Program strives to cultivate a robust community of interdisciplinary community development leaders, empowering them to shape our growing region through meaningful placemaking, innovative research, and engagement. Grounded in NC State University’s land-grant mission, we aspire to excellence in teaching, the practical application of knowledge, and collaborative problem-solving. Integrating design, science, technology, and diverse academic perspectives, we aim to equip our students with the comprehensive skill set needed to plan, design, and build a future for our State that is both equitable and prosperous.
ORAL EXAMS
All MLA students in their final semester are required to successfully complete the MLA Oral Examination. The purpose of the MLA Oral Examination is to provide students with the opportunity to reflect upon their years of study in our program and to (1) present their views on what they believe is a major or significant imperative that motivates their pursuit of a career in landscape architecture and environmental planning AND (2) to explain their own approach or strategy or process for undertaking a design/planning project. To illustrate their points students are encouraged to address how their design and landscape thinking evolved by showing examples of work they themselves produced during their time in our program as well as to incorporate research, readings, and/or examples derived from and credited to others.
FINANCIAL AID
MLA Students can apply for Teaching and Research Assistantships with faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture + Environmental Planning. Teaching assistants are involved in the process of developing course syllabi, course materials, delivery, grading, and other tasks assigned by the instructor. Research assistants are responsible for a wide variety of tasks related to research, scholarship and engagement activities of faculty members.
If you are interested in learning more about teaching or research assistantships within the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, please contact the specific faculty member or Department Head, María Bellalta.
SIMPLE PAID ASSISTANTSHIP:
• Assigned to work with a specific class and instructor
• Paid a flat rate based on predetermined number of hours
• No academic credit for the course
GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT PLAN (GSSP):
• Assigned to work with both a specific class/instructor and the department/ department head
• Paid a flat rate based upon a predetermined number of hours worked per week
• Receives tuition for the semester (fees not included)
• Receives health care benefits
• No academic credit for the course
MASTER’S SUPERVISED TEACHING:
• TA registers for LAR 685, Master’s Supervised Teaching
• Not paid
• Acquires teaching experience under the mentorship of a faculty member who assists the student in planning for the teaching assignment
• Faculty member observes and provides feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluates the student upon completion of the semester
• Academic credit is documented on the official transcript
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SCHOLARSHIPS
The Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department offers multiple academic scholarships to qualified applicants. Additionally, there are many fellowships, scholarships and funding opportunities available from outside sources. The NCSU Graduate School provides links to national listings at: https://grad.ncsu.edu/students/ fellowships-and-grants/national/
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum 3.0 GPA from all previous study at the college level. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 will be considered and conditional acceptance must be approved by the Graduate School.
All applicants must use the online system and provide the following:
þ Personal Statement stating career objectives, prior experience, intention of graduate study, and their relevance to the selected program at NC State University.
þ A portfolio of work. Portfolio should demonstrate applicant’s intelligence, creative potential, passion for landscape architecture and design, and breadth of experience through a collection of graphic, photographic, and written material. Portfolio should be no larger than 10 mb.
þ Uploaded unofficial transcripts for each institution attended (official transcripts will be required if admitted).
þ Three uploaded letters of recommendation from people who know your academic record.
þ TOEFL or IELTS scores for international students only (TOEFL institution code for NC State is 5496).
þ Residency statement for US citizens only (http://go.ncsu.edu/NCRes).
þ Personal résumé (include under “PDF Documents” in the online system).
No admissions decisions will be made on the basis of email correspondence.
For International Students
Acceptable minimum online TOEFL score (combined score of 80 and at least 18 on each individual component); OR minimum IELTS score for international students (overall band score of at least 6.5 in each individual component). International students with at least one year of full-time study at a four-year US College or university do not have to submit TOEFL and/or IELTs scores.GRE Scores are not required.
APPLY TODAY! APPLY
design.ncsu.edu
facebook.com/NCStateDesign
instagram.com/NCStateDesign
instagram.com/NCSTATELAR
MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Landscape Architecture + Environmental Planning
Design MLA
