2-year MLA programs for a student with a pre-professional landscape arch degree?

This topic has 1 reply, 3 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by Wyatt Thompson, PLA.

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April 15, 2013 at 9:18 pm #155176

Justin Panganiban
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I’ve noticed that many MLA graduate programs only have 2-year programs for students with professional, accredited landscape architecture degrees (BLA, BSLA), and that there’s quite a bit of grey area for students with pre-professional landscape architecture degrees. It seems like there’s a greater chance to spend a little over 2 years (possibly 3?) completing the program if they can’t get some of the courses exempted.

Coming from UC Berkeley with a pre-professional landscape architecture degree (B.A. Landscape Architecture) and looking to hopefully cut down some tuition costs by looking for a program that can be completed in 2 years, does anyone happen to know a list of grad schools outside CA that offer 2-year MLA degrees for someone with a landscape arch (albeit not professionally accredited) background?

I know UC Berkeley, Cal Poly Pomona, and USC’s programs can be completed in 2 years with a pre-professional landscape arch degree.

April 15, 2013 at 11:42 pm #155179

Wyatt Thompson, PLA
Participant

Kansas State University has a program such as this.
http://www.capd.ksu.edu/prospective-students/degree-programs/post-baccalaureate-degree-programs/master-of-landscape-architecture

April 16, 2013 at 5:09 pm #155178

Chris Whitted
Participant

I’m a little fuzzy on exactly what you’re asking. The purpose of accreditation is to ensure that graduates meet a certain competency level – they’ve been exposed to a core set of skills and knowledge that is necessary to be an LA. If your B is accredited, then you’ve got that. If it hasn’t, then you may or may not meet those requirements, and it’s up to the M program to evaluate your education to see if it meets the standards or has some gaps to fill. If it does meet them, great, you can be done in two years. If it doesn’t, then well maybe you have to take a couple of extra courses to fill in the gaps and it will take more than two. I don’t think you’re going to find any program that will guarantee a two year completion without an accredited degree UNLESS they’re already familiar with the curriculum of the non-accredited degree. Even looking at your first two examples, that’s how I read those programs to work.

April 16, 2013 at 5:30 pm #155177

Wyatt Thompson, PLA
Participant

With regards to my previous comment, K-State offers a 2-year or a 3-year post-baccalaureate MLA. I’m not sure how your specific situation would work out though.
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