Reply To: MLA Applicant for Fall 2011

[Tanya Olson]

Here’s what I know only from personal experience from dept heads / profs. They carry a lot of their interests with them and suddenly their program is the best in the country for whatever a particular prof is interested in.

Michigan, if its Ann Arbor, sounds like its best suited to what you want to do – Joan Nassauer is there still I think and has extensive interest / research / projects in brownfields, landscape ecology, reclamation, restoration. I worked with and studied under her at the University of MN before she moved to Ann Arbor….speaking of which the U of MN might also be a good place to look at – really good ecology and restoration and water resource management, not as much brownfields that I know of and leaning more heavily toward transportation is my impression. BUT it also has a Master of Science in Landscape Architecture, which would be more science-based and less drawing based. If Dr. Susan Galatowitsch is still there it would be a great program. She’s absolutely brilliant.
UVA is also a good restoration school – Julie Bargmann is there and has a background in fine arts, so you would probably get a lot of appreciation of your film experience there. And she has been working on some really interesting brownfield / reclamation projects for a number of years. If you are at liberty to choose, IMO, choose the program that best suits your interests – both on the biological side and the creative side. If many of the facets of your personality get a workout, you will be happier with your program.

I don’t know what criteria is used for admission – when I was in school we had about half non-trad students with a wide range of experience – theology, psychology, business, etc. I am certain its not all based on drawing abilities. The non-trads often worked and had families and went through the program at a slower pace as a result. Some took an extra year to get through, some never finished. They definitely missed out on the studio experience which I found to be one of the best parts of school, but they may not have regretted it. I don’t know. I was also a non-trad, but I took out loans to liveand for tuition and took research assistantships in the department. At the time you got paid and half-tuition credit, which was a great deal, but that was also waaay back when when living expenses were more than tuition so its not like I spent $100,000 on school.

Finally, for your thesis project…you might be surprised at the interesting things that come to your attention during your tenure at school. Being too myopic might cause you to miss something spectacular….