Master of Science in Landscape Architecture (MSLA)
The MSLA program at WSU Spokane provides advanced study in landscape architecture and planning through critical investigation, research, and scholarship.
The MS degree requires a minimum of 30 credits, including the completion of a research thesis, and is offered in two- and three-year options.
Two-Year Option
The two-year option allows professionals already possessing professional degrees in landscape architecture to acquire a strong interdisciplinary knowledge and practical background in support of research topics that contribute to the body of design and planning knowledge and the related growing innovative application of cognitive and technical skills.
Three-Year Option
The three-year option offers the opportunity for applicants without a design background to pursue research and advanced specialization in landscape architecture that complements their current knowledge and skills.
Applicants to the three-year option may be admitted to the program in Spokane but will be required to spend their first year on the Pullman campus.
Course of Study
- LA 520: The Northern Rocky Mountain Regional Landscape
- LA 521: Cultural Interpretations of the Regional Landscape
- LA 530 Philosophies and Theories of the Built Environment
- LA 540 Research Methods
- LA 560 Interdisciplinary Seminar I
Students round out required coursework with electives taken in consultation with their advisor and master's thesis research.
Areas of Research
The program gives students the opportunity to explore landscape design and planning through research, such as:
- Gardens as healing spaces
- Sustainable urban neighborhood design
- Chinese imperial gardens
- Earth art playgrounds
- Watershed rehabilitation
- Pavement and urban use
- Street tree diversity
What Our Students Say
"It has been great to work with quality professors and with state-of-the-art equipment to further my understanding of GIS and its application within landscape architecture. It has certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities of landscape analysis, landscape ecology, and sensitive planning within the arena of large landscapes. I know the skill and contacts that I have garnered . . . will open new doors and new possibilities for the future."
—Michael Bishopp (MSLA, 2004), GIS Specialist for the EPA–Indus Corp.
