Landscape Architecture, PhD
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture
The Department of Landscape Architecture offers the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree, the Master of Sustainable Urban Design degree (MSUD), and the PhD degree.
The programs enable students to gain fresh insights and to conduct new research pertaining to land and its use by people. The PhD program is jointly administered with the School of Architecture and emphasizes both interdisciplinary study and cross-disciplinary inquiry. Areas of concentration include history and theory; technology and environment; and behavioral and cultural factors in design. Before submitting an application, students should consult the department website for information regarding the specific areas of study and the time needed to complete the requirements.
Several faculty members in the department also participate in the doctoral program administered by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. See the program description under Regional Planning, PhD for more information.
Admission
The Graduate College admission requirements apply. Students are admitted on an individual basis according to a review of their prior accomplishments with an emphasis on academic achievement. The doctoral program prefers candidates with master’s degrees: MLA, MArch, or related fields such as art history, ecology, geography, or planning. All graduate students must begin their studies in the fall semester.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in the PhD program.
Financial Aid
Students compete for fellowships, tuition and service fee waivers, and assistantships. Selection is based on the academic achievement and qualifications of the student.
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's PhD Handbook, Program Curriculum and the Graduate College Handbook.
The requirements may vary slightly according to students' area of focus. Please consult the PhD Handbook for more explicit details.
Students are required to defend their dissertation, Policies on format of the doctoral examination can be found in the Graduate College Handbook.
96-hour program for students entering with a Baccalaureate Degree
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All students are required to enroll in the PhD colloquium during the fall of their first year of course work. | ||
| ARCH 589 | PhD Colloquium (Taken twice) | 2 |
| Research methods | 4 | |
| Elective Coursework in Major Field | 26 | |
| Language Requirement: Required for all students in the History/Theory option and for some Social and Cultural Factors students | ||
| Elective Coursework | 32 | |
| LA 599 | Thesis Research | 32 |
| Total Hours | 96 | |
64-hour program for students entering with an MS/MA
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All students are required to enroll in the PhD colloquium during the fall of their first year of coursework. | ||
| ARCH 589 | PhD Colloquium (taken twice) | 2 |
| Research methods (unless previously waived) | 4 | |
| Language Requirement: Required for all students in the History/Theory option and for some Social and Cultural Factors students | ||
| Elective Coursework | 26 | |
| LA 599 | Thesis Research | 32 |
| Total Hours | 64 | |
80-96-hour program for students admitted with maximum 16 hours approved from a prior MLA.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All students are required to enroll in the PhD colloquium during the fall of their first year of coursework. | ||
| ARCH 589 | PhD Colloquium (taken twice) | 2 |
| Research methods | 4 | |
| Elective Coursework in Major Field | 10-26 | |
| Language Requirement: Required for all students in the History/Theory option and for some Social and Cultural Factors students | ||
| Elective Coursework | 32 | |
| LA 599 | Thesis Research | 32 |
| Total Hours | 80-96 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall (not including LA 599) | 24 |
| Professional Degree Required for Admission to PhD | No |
| Qualifying Exam Required: | No |
| Preliminary Exam Required: | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required: | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required: | Yes |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
| Language and statistics course requirements vary by focus area. To develop proficiency, students may be required to take more than one course. Specific requirements are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Chair of the PhD Committee in consultation with the student's advisor. |
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture
PhD students in the Department of Landscape Architecture will:
- Research Skills. Develop and practice a variety of research skills. Students will design their research strategy; obtain and analyze evidence; develop evidence-based arguments; identify and evaluate the existing critical literature of the field; master languages in some cases, and in other cases master advanced computer programs.
- Communicate with Clarity. Develop and demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and original ideas through clear writing supplemented by graphic representations and delivered as text (dissertation), speech (lecture presentations), and image (PowerPoint to accompany lectures). Doctoral students will gain an advanced level of written, visual, and technical literacy.
- Original Research. Develop and carry out a major, original research investigation; develop it into an extended argument(the dissertation), the outcome of which might be a book, policy guidelines, a series of journal articles, or a patent.
- Design Research. Use ideas and methods from design research to explore questions that advance knowledge that supports design.
- Pedagogy. Demonstrate understanding of basic concepts about teaching and practice a range of instructional techniques in classrooms and studio contexts.
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture
Landscape Architecture
Department Head: David L. Hays
PhD Coordinator: Benjamin Bross
Landscape Architecture Department website
Landscape Architecture faculty
101 Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, 611 Lorado Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-0176
Landscape Architecture email
College of Fine & Applied Arts
Fine & Applied Arts
Admissions
FAA PhD Admissions & Requirements
Graduate College Admissions & Requirements