Thank you for your interest in the Master of Landscape Architecture, housed in the School of Environmental Design at the Temple University Ambler Campus. The Master of Landscape Architecture has an emphasis in ecological landscape restoration. It provides graduates with the knowledge to make informed and creative environmental design decisions. Graduates are highly marketable and have the basic skills required of professional landscape architects, including design, computer graphics, horticultural knowledge, technical competence, and knowledge of restoration.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) describes landscape architecture as a profession encompassing "the analysis, planning, design, management, and stewardship of the natural and built environments." Program objectives are to educate students to become capable practitioners with knowledge of a specialty area of the discipline; educate practitioners who are trained to think critically and creatively about each ecological situation; and develop a body of knowledge through research, long-term monitoring of restored landscapes, and comparison of methods upon which current and future professionals can draw. (Note: Forinformation on licensure and professional practice as a landscape architect, go to asla.org)

Landscape architecture is a professional discipline that is receiving wider recognition as an environmentally focused profession whose mission is to promote environmental balance and human well-being through sustainable design. Ecological landscape restoration, the emphasis of this Master of Landscape Architecture degree, has emerged as a critical dimension of landscape architecture over the past few decades. This is in response to the enormous negative impact that human activity has had on our environment resulting in ecosystem degradation. Landscape restoration increases local and regional biodiversity and mitigates potentially dangerous consequences of degradation through projects such as stream bank stabilization, created wetlands to help infiltrate storm water, mine reclamation, industrial brown field remediation, and reforestation of urban land.

Understanding the ecological processes and natural history that constitute a site is fundamental to the design process.

The U.S. Department of Labor cited landscape architecture as a top growth profession through 2016, projecting a needed increase of 16%. Organizations related to the profession indicate that the number of graduates from professional degree programs is insufficient to meet current or projected demand. Temple University's location in the tri-state region supports professional opportunities for graduates. This area has a very high concentration of prominent landscape architecture firms, public agencies, and ecological restorationists.

Temple University is ideally situated to sponsor a program in Landscape Architecture. The Temple University program can draw upon the repository of local ecological landscape restoration examples and practitioners existing in the Philadelphia region. Furthermore, the undergraduate programs in horticulture and landscape architecture at Temple have been intertwined since their establishment and emphasize field knowledge, handson experience and application of science in the landscape setting. Likewise, the master's program is distinguished from other graduate landscape architecture programs by integrating ecosystem knowledge directly with design: The program's curriculum is modular, integrating scientific knowledge of ecosystems with design and field experience. Each semester has a particular ecosystem focus and application. For example, the "woodland" ecosystem semester will include an ecology course on northeastern forests and a woodland design studio in which the scientific concepts are applied on a "real life" project.

Accreditation by the national landscape architecture board: The Master's program has been structured to be an accredited program from the licensing body of the discipline, Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB). This provides more credibility and job opportunities for its graduates. We will apply for candidacy soon after the program starts. Accreditation review cannot occur until after the first class has graduated. Past graduates would be grandfathered in upon the program's accreditation.

For more information, contact us at: mlarch@temple.edu or visit the website at:

For information on how to apply to the Graduate School: www.temple.edu/grad (select Graduate Application)

For information regarding the program at Temple University Ambler: www.temple.edu/ambler