Sustainable Design, BS and Landscape Architecture, MLA
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science Major in Sustainable Design and Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture
The six-year joint BSSD/MLA 4 + 2 program combines a B.S. in Sustainable Design with a MLA in Landscape Architecture. Current University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduate students enrolled in the Sustainable Design undergraduate major who have completed between 30 and 96 credit hours and maintain superior academic performance are eligible to apply for this program. Students admitted to the program will receive the B.S. degree after four years and the M.LA. degree after two additional years.
Students interested in the BSSD/MLA 4 + 2 program will need to plan their schedules well in advance of their Junior year to ensure they have taken the appropriate course work. By judicious selection of general education courses and major electives, students will be prepared to apply to the 4+2 program in their sophomore year, and to the Graduate College in their senior year.
For additional details and requirements refer to the MLA department's website and the Graduate College Handbook.
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science Major in Sustainable Design and Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 168 hours.
- Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design: 120 hours.
- Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture: 48 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
fulfilled by LA 314 | ||
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
fulfilled by LA 222 | ||
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
fulfilled by FAA 201 | ||
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
fulfilled by LA 314 | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
Sustainable Design Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 18 | |
| FAA 101 | Arts at Illinois | 1 |
| FAA 230 | Sustainable Design of the Built Environment | 3 |
| LA 101 | Introduction to Landscape Arch | 2 |
| ARCH 171 | Introduction to Design I | 3 |
| ARCH 172 | Introduction to Design II | 3 |
| FAA 201 | Black Arts Today | 3 |
| ARTH 211 | Design History Survey | 3 |
| Urban Scale Sustainability (select one course) | 3 | |
| UP 136 | Urban Sustainability | 3 |
| UP 205 | Ecology & Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
| ARCH 237 | Urban Scale Sustainability | 3 |
| Drawing (select one course) | 3 | |
| ARTD 225 | Design Drawing | 3 |
| ARTF 102 | Observational Drawing | 3 |
| ARTF 103 | Design I | 3 |
| LA 280 | Design Communications I (limited seats solely for BSSD/MLA 4+2 students) | 3 |
| Core | 15 | |
| FAA 330 | Making Sustainable Design | 5 |
| ARTD 326 | Sustainability & Manufacturing | 3 |
| ARCH 321 | Environment, Architecture, and Global Health | 3 |
| ARTD 451 | Ethics of a Designer in a Global Economy | 4 |
| Senior Capstone | 8 | |
| FAA 430 | Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| FAA 431 | Capstone Studio | 5 |
| Total Hours | 47 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Electives | ||
| All 16 hours of major electives are met with the full completion of the requirements below. | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required LA Coursework taken prior to Senior Year | ||
| Students who follow this program will be eligible for a minor in Landscape Studies regardless of their admission to the 4+2 program. | ||
| GEOL 100 | Planet Earth | 3 |
| or GGIS 103 | Earth's Physical Systems | |
| LA 222 | Islamic Gardens & Architecture | 3 |
| LA 281 | Design Communications II | 3 |
| LA 314 | History of World Landscapes (Completing this requirement in undergraduate waives the requirement of LA 513 in MLA) | 4 |
| LA any 300 or 400-level course | 2 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Year Courses | ||
| LA 241 | Landform Design & Construction | 3 |
| LA 250 | Environmental Site Analysis | 3 |
| LA 352 | Woody Landscape Plants (OR any UG Free Elective) | 4 |
| LA 433 | Graduate Foundation Studio | 5 |
| LA 434 | Graduate Site Design Studio | 5 |
| LA 501 | Landscape Arch Theory & Prac | 4 |
| Total Hours | 20 | |
Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture Pre-Professional degree program with Advanced Studio Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The following coursework is required of MLA students in the Pre-Professional degree program. These courses do not count toward the graduate degree. Therefore, 4+2 students may elect to take these during the undergraduate portion of the 4+2. | ||
| LA 342 | Site Engineering | 4 |
| LA 343 | Landscape Construction | 4 |
| LA 346 | Professional Practice | 2 |
| LA 352 | Woody Landscape Plants | 4 |
| MLA Requirements | ||
| Studio | ||
| LA 533 | Planning & Design Studio I | 5 |
| LA 534 | Design Workshop G-I | 5 |
| LA 537 | Planning & Design Studio II | 5 |
| LA 539 | Design Workshop G-II | 5 |
| Additional Seminars/Coursework | ||
| LA 452 | Planting Design | 3 |
| LA 482 | Advanced Communication in Landscape Architecture | 4 |
| LA 597 | Research Design & Methods | 3 |
| Additional Required Electives chosen in consultation with MLA Advisor | ||
| Social/Cultural Factors in Design | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Methods | ||
| Total Minimum Hours | 48 | |
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: | 24 |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 18 |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
Summary of Credits for the Joint Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design | 120 | |
| General Education | ||
| Major Requirements | 47 | |
| Major Electives | 0 | |
| Additional LA Course Requirements | 15 | |
| Senior Year Courses | 20 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| A minimum of 40 credits at the 300 or 400 course level are required | ||
| Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture | 48 | |
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science Major in Sustainable Design and Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. This may require up to three semesters of language depending on high school coursework or placement. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| FAA 101 | 1 | UP 136 | 3 | ||
| ARCH 171 | 3 | ARCH 172 | 3 | ||
| Composition I or Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 | ARTH 211 | 3 | ||
| General Education Course | 3 | Composition I or Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 | ||
| LA 101 | 2 | LA 222 | 3 | ||
| Free elective course | 2 | ||||
| 15 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| FAA 230 | 3 | FAA 330 | 5 | ||
| LA 280 | 3 | LA 281 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 100 or GGIS 103 | 3 | General Education course | 3 | ||
| ARCH 321 | 3 | General Education course | 3 | ||
| General Education course | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 14 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| FAA 430 | 3 | ARTD 326 | 3 | ||
| ARTD 451 | 4 | FAA 431 | 5 | ||
| General Education course | 3 | LA 314 | 4 | ||
| LA 300 - or 400- level course | 2 | Free elective course | 3 | ||
| Free elective course | 2 | ||||
| 14 | 15 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| LA 433 | 5 | LA 434 | 5 | ||
| LA 501 | 4 | LA 250 | 3 | ||
| LA 241 | 3 | Additional MLA course or Free elective course | 3 | ||
| LA 352 | 4 | Additional MLA course or Free elective course | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||||
| Fifth Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| LA 533 | 5 | LA 534 | 5 | Graduate Internship | 0 |
| LA 342 (4 credit hours, prerequisite) | 0 | LA 343 (4 credit hours, prerequisite) | 0 | ||
| LA 482 | 4 | LA 597 | 3 | ||
| Graduate Elective course | 4 | Graduate Elective course | 3 | ||
| 13 | 11 | 0 | |||
| Sixth Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| LA 537 | 5 | LA 539 | 5 | ||
| LA 452 | 3 | Graduate Methods course | 3 | ||
| LA 346 (2 credit hours, prerequisite) | 0 | Social/Cultural Issues course | 3 | ||
| Graduate Elective course | 4 | Grad Seminar or Elective, if any remaining | 2 | ||
| 12 | 13 | ||||
| Total Hours 168 | |||||
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science Major in Sustainable Design and Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture
- Have a deep level of understanding of the fundamentals of sustainability and their functional links to the built environment.
- Have a deep level of understanding of the fundamentals of design thinking and practice.
- Be proficient in applying basic principles of visual and material communication, including sketching, drafting, model-making, 2-d and 3-d design software and geographic information systems.
- Be able to combine design theory and practice with sustainability principles to address environmental issues at the product, building, neighborhood, city, landscape, and global levels.
- Be comfortable working in multidisciplinary teams to solve complex design problems.
Upon the successful completion of a Master of Landscape Architecture in Landscape Architecture students will have:
- Knowledge and skills in process, principles, and theories of design in landscape architecture.
- Knowledge of histories and theories of the art and science of landscape architecture.
- Knowledge of plants, ecosystems, and climate science.
- Knowledge of resilience and landscape performance.
- Knowledge of the legal context of the landscape architecture profession.
- Knowledge of professional practice.
- Skills in the application of assessment and analysis of site context and suitability of program, data, and other criteria in site design and planning.
- Skills in developing design concepts, material detailing, and construction, including accessibility.
- Skills in design communication with diverse audiences, including verbal, visual, and written forms.
- Knowledge of construction materials and methods, including the use of specifications, construction techniques, material selections, and preparation of relevant documents.
- Knowledge and skills of landform, engineering, and green infrastructure to facilitate ecological design, safety, and accessibility.
- Knowledge of landscape performance, including the quantifiable assessment of benefits of landscape design.
- Skills in collaboration, including interdisciplinary teams, and application of knowledge from different disciplines into design.
- Knowledge and skills in research theories and methods, research ethics, and the understanding of research as it affects the current and future practice of the profession.