Why Master of Landscape Architecture?
Landscape architecture is the art and science of designing outdoor spaces and built environments that harmonise with nature, enrich communities and promote sustainability.
From urban parks and gardens to sustainable cities and ecological restoration, landscape architects shape the spaces where life unfolds and buildings are constructed.
How can we create communities with a positive impact on the planet?
In Adelaide University’s Master of Landscape Architecture, you’ll tackle global challenges like climate change and urbanisation. If you’ve ever dreamt of pursuing aesthetics and purpose, study with us to design landscapes and environments – at many scales and in diverse contexts – that nurture both humanity and the earth.
Overview
With our Master of Landscape Architecture, you can design landscape architecture projects that honour community health and wellbeing, while championing diversity and sustainability.
You’ll grow your understanding of ecology and create planting plans for liveable spaces that work in harmony with the natural environment. Explore how landscape architecture connects people, culture and the economy, to nature and the environment. Learn key skills such as site planning, analysing landscapes, and working with topography and grading.
You’ll examine issues and opportunities in both urban and regional contexts with an emphasis on understanding and respecting Aboriginal knowledge, culture and connection to land. Develop expertise in advanced digital and graphic tools as you use industry-standard technologies such as GIS and 3D CAD.
You’ll graduate ready to make a real difference in the field.
Key features
Bring your designs to life in our supervised fabrication and prototyping workshop, experimenting with space and materials using analogue and digital technologies. - Learn to use surveying equipment, AR and VR facilities and industry-specific software, including remote sensing (Lidar) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- Access historical architectural records in our internationally recognised architecture museum.
- Learn about planting, design and horticulture for arid regions in our unique Waite Arboretum. It has over 2,500 specimens representing more than 800 species in 200 genera, all growing under natural annual rainfall of 624mm.
- Get career-ready through industry-engaged courses, internships and project management fundamentals.
- Begin the journey to qualification as a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA).
What you'll learn
In this future-focused degree, you’ll combine advanced theoretical landscape architecture knowledge with hands-on, real-world problem-solving. The curriculum is all about experimenting with designs in the collaborative and creative studio learning environment.
You’ll take courses that may include:
- Landscape architecture creative cultures studio
- Designed ecologies
- Case studies in landscape architecture
- Landform modelling
- Landscape architecture urbanism studio
- Landscape architecture technologies
- Landscape architecture nature by design studio
- Landscape research
- Landscape architecture capstone studio
- Architectural professional experience
- Electives, such as GIS for environmental management.
You’ll learn how to work within the profession, collaborating with people from different fields such as local communities, authorities, stakeholders and other design and built environment professionals.
You’ll become career ready as you examine practices and project management in architecture and landscape architecture professions through real-world case studies. You’ll consider every angle – from ethics, contracts, law, finance and business to risk and professional liability.
Throughout your studies, you will:
- Generate and investigate design concepts embedded in place, Country, culture and ecology
- Design and document earthworks and landscape structures, exploring different ways to visually represent healthy and inclusive future cities and communities
- Conduct environmental analyses to understand the full complexity of ecosystems and encourage restoration of nature and habitats
- Communicate your concepts and vision through site plans, 2D or 3D artistic representations, models, reports and technical drawings
- Discuss and debate your designs with others in the studio to get immediate feedback and spark new ideas to refine your projects.
You’ll also develop research skills by choosing and investigating a research question that’s deeply relevant to you. You’ll apply these skills to a design challenge in your final capstone project that encapsulates all you’ve learned.
What courses you'll study
Complete 96 units comprising:
- 78 units for all Core courses, and
- 6 units for all Work integrated learning, and
- 12 units for Electives
Complete 78 units for ALL of the following:
| Course name | Course code | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Creative Cultures Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5201
|
Units
12
|
|
|
Course name
Designed Ecologies
|
Course code
ARCH5202
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Nature by Design Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5203
|
Units
12
|
|
|
Course name
Landform Modelling
|
Course code
ARCH5204
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Urbanism Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6201
|
Units
12
|
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Technologies
|
Course code
ARCH6202
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Landscape Research
|
Course code
ARCH6203
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Capstone Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6204
|
Units
18
|
| Course name | Course code | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | |||
| Semester 1 | |||
 |
Course name
Landscape Architecture Creative Cultures Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5201
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Designed Ecologies
|
Course code
ARCH5202
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
Case Studies in Landscape Architecture
|
Course code
ARCH6800
|
Units
6
|
| Semester 2 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Urbanism Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6201
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Landform Modelling
|
Course code
ARCH5204
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
|
Course code
-
|
Units
6
|
| Year 2 | |||
| Semester 1 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Nature by Design Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5203
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Technologies
|
Course code
ARCH6202
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
Landscape Research
|
Course code
ARCH6203
|
Units
6
|
| Semester 2 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Capstone Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6204
|
Units
18
|
|
Course name
|
Course code
-
|
Units
6
|
Complete 6 units for ALL of the following:
| Course name | Course code | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Course name
Case Studies in Landscape Architecture
|
Course code
ARCH6800
|
Units
6
|
| Course name | Course code | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | |||
| Semester 1 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Creative Cultures Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5201
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Designed Ecologies
|
Course code
ARCH5202
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
Case Studies in Landscape Architecture
|
Course code
ARCH6800
|
Units
6
|
| Semester 2 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Urbanism Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6201
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Landform Modelling
|
Course code
ARCH5204
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
|
Course code
-
|
Units
6
|
| Year 2 | |||
| Semester 1 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Nature by Design Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5203
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Technologies
|
Course code
ARCH6202
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
Landscape Research
|
Course code
ARCH6203
|
Units
6
|
| Semester 2 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Capstone Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6204
|
Units
18
|
|
Course name
|
Course code
-
|
Units
6
|
Complete 12 units comprising:
- 12 units from Program electives
| Course name | Course code | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Course name
Architectural Professional Experience
|
Course code
ARCH4900
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
GIS for Environmental Management
|
Course code
ENVI3011
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Environmental Planning, Climate Change and Sustainability
|
Course code
ENVIX300
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Advanced Study Tour
|
Course code
ARCH5700
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Urban Design for Health and Sustainability
|
Course code
ARCHX304
|
Units
6
|
|
|
Course name
Urban Regeneration
|
Course code
ARCHX305
|
Units
6
|
| Course name | Course code | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | |||
| Semester 1 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Creative Cultures Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5201
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Designed Ecologies
|
Course code
ARCH5202
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
Case Studies in Landscape Architecture
|
Course code
ARCH6800
|
Units
6
|
| Semester 2 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Urbanism Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6201
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Landform Modelling
|
Course code
ARCH5204
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
|
Course code
-
|
Units
6
|
| Year 2 | |||
| Semester 1 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Nature by Design Studio
|
Course code
ARCH5203
|
Units
12
|
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Technologies
|
Course code
ARCH6202
|
Units
6
|
|
Course name
Landscape Research
|
Course code
ARCH6203
|
Units
6
|
| Semester 2 | |||
|
Course name
Landscape Architecture Capstone Studio
|
Course code
ARCH6204
|
Units
18
|
|
Course name
|
Course code
-
|
Units
6
|
Career outcomes
You’ll graduate ready to use your creative, technical and environmental expertise to create innovative and sustainable landscape solutions.
You could design urban park systems, parks, urban spaces, gardens or recreational areas that promote community wellbeing and mental health. You might contribute to large-scale projects that are energy efficient, improve water management and support biodiversity. Perhaps you’ll work in a consultancy role, helping cool cities while storing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Or, maybe you’ll find your calling in heritage conservation, preserving culturally or ecologically significant sites.
You could also work in:
- Architectural, urban, sustainable or interior design
- Green infrastructure design and development
- Public sector and policy advising
- Private design consulting
- Climate-based solutions and education
- Environmental restoration
- Urban planning, development and construction
- Conservation and biodiversity projects
- Sustainability consulting
- Policy development.
Industry trends
The landscape architecture profession is growing, driven by increasing interest in sustainable design and urban development, as well as the broader environmental and societal benefits that landscape architecture can offer. Landscape architects are particularly needed in areas focusing on climate change resilience, green infrastructure and environmental restoration.
With around 22,162 full time equivalent employees, landscape architects contribute $23.7 billion to Australia’s gross domestic product and $8.2 billion in direct economic contribution. They also generate an additional $8.1 billion in indirect supply chain impact (AILA).
This means landscape architects do much more than support healthy communities and a sustainable planet. And you can too, with a master’s degree from Adelaide University.
Accreditation
This program is accredited by the Australian Institute of Landscape (AILA).
Graduates are eligible for membership of AILA.
Ready to apply?
Your study experience and support
Adelaide University sets you up for success in your studies – and your social life. You’ll have access to work placement and internship opportunities, overseas study tours and exchanges, networking events with guest speakers and more. Our campuses are equipped with purpose-built facilities including lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and spaces that simulate real work environments. These are all supported by the latest technologies and a 24/7 online learning platform with personalised study information and resources.
You’ll have everything you need to live well and thrive during your studies, with health services on campus, gymnasiums, technology zones and modern student lounges. Get involved in campus sport or join our student clubs that will connect you to your passions – and the people who share them.
Adelaide also has a variety of accommodation options to suit your individual requirements and budget, with options ranging from dedicated student accommodation to private rentals. One of the world’s most liveable cities, Adelaide has lots of leafy parks, gardens and social hubs – and some of the highest living standards globally. No matter where you are in Adelaide, you’re only a short distance from beaches, vineyards, museums, art galleries, restaurants, bars and parklands. Visit the accommodation web page to find out more.
Student services
We’re here to support you on your student journey. Adelaide University offers a range of support services and facilities, including:
- Career advice and mentoring services
- Personal counselling
- LGBTQIA+ support
- Academic support
- Fees and finance help
- Security services
- Accommodation services
- Common rooms
- Prayer rooms.
You’ll also have unlimited access to our dedicated student support hub. Visit in-person or online, or contact our friendly team by phone. We can assist you with anything study-related including enrolment, identification cards, timetables, fees and more.
Your campus
You'll be studying at one of our renowned campuses, accessing cutting-edge facilities and contemporary study spaces.
Study hours
Your courses will require a combination of different learning formats, including lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. Aside from your classes, you’ll also need to allocate additional time for independent study. This may include assignments, readings, projects and contributing to online discussion forums. As a rough guide, full-time studies may require 12-26 hours of class time and 14-18 hours of independent study per week.
Assessment
During your studies at Adelaide University, you’ll complete a mixture of practical, professional and research-based learning. Your assessment types will vary depending on the degree you’re studying, but may include:
- Case studies
- Essays and assignments
- Examinations
- Group projects
- Internships and placements
- Practicals
- Presentations
- Reports and project documentations
- Research projects
- Workplace and classroom contributions.
