Throughout MA Landscape Architecture you will develop an understanding of materials and technology, alongside cultural and ecological processes, enabling you to design sustainable environments fit for the locations they inhabit.

Who is this programme for?

If you care deeply about the living planet and the environment, or if you are a creative person with a passion for nature, this programme is for you.

We will help develop your individuality, curiosity and creativity. We aim to produce graduates who can go out into the world and make a positive change through their future careers.

Throughout the programme, you will develop an in-depth understanding of how to read the landscape around you.

You will develop complementary skills that will help you understand how landscapes might be transformed or protected to safeguard their value for future generations.

To make sure you can communicate your ideas to a wide range of people, you will be taught how to apply new skills in:

• drawing
• digital media
• visual culture
• urban design
• geography
• ecology
• construction
• horticulture

Learning about key theories that exist within and around the discipline of landscape architecture will help you to think critically about the positioning and implications of your ideas. 

Global challenges

Landscape architects play an essential role in building a sustainable future for our planet.

Many of society’s greatest challenges are embedded in landscapes, including:

• climate change
• land degradation
• biodiversity loss
• sustainable cities
• inclusive societies
• social wellbeing

In response, you will work creatively across a diverse range of environments. 

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over five years.

The five-year programme is a fully integrated Masters level programme, enabling students to enter at undergraduate level and advance directly to graduate at postgraduate level.

The key benefits to studying a five-year degree programme include:

• The flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.
• The integrated pathway allows you to progress automatically to postgraduate study, while fully supporting you during professional placements.
• You are charged fees at an undergraduate rate for the whole programme.
• You will benefit from a reduced fee for the year in professional practice.
• In Year 5, you do not need to attend the final summer semester, which is common to most postgraduate programmes.

Accreditation

Our MA Landscape Architecture programme has full accreditation from the UK Landscape Institute.

As a graduate landscape architect, you’ll be eligible to join the Landscape Institute as an associate member and to proceed on the pathway to become a chartered member

This means the skills and knowledge you will acquire during your studies are aligned with the requirements of the chartered body for the landscape profession in the UK.

This accreditation is recognised internationally, allowing many of our students to work in the UK, Europe or further abroad. Many students find employment in exciting design offices directly after graduation.

Career paths

At Edinburgh we have established an international reputation for developing students of the highest calibre, making them highly employable within a vibrant profession.

The HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022 indicates that our graduates have 100% employability in highly skilled jobs, reflecting the quality of our graduates entering what is a vibrant and growing market.

Landscape architecture is a globally established profession, offering the potential for our graduates to find work across the world. Numerous landscape architecture practices can be found in any major city, meaning our you will have great scope in finding employment in your region of choice.

A professional career in landscape architecture encompasses an exciting range of options, from working for:

• design offices
• local authorities
• environmental agencies

When you graduate, you will have the transferable skills that will allow you to diversify your career path across a range of related disciplines.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

• access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
• try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
• get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
• attend careers events and practice interviews
• get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

• a masters degree
• a postgraduate diploma or certificate
• a PhD
• a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study 

Postgraduate degrees you might be interested in could include:

• Landscape and Wellbeing
• Architecture, Landscape and Environment
• Landscape Architecture (PhD, MPhil)
• Cultural Heritage (PhD, MPhil)

If you'd like to study on an undergraduate programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through UCAS. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh website, where you'll also be able to: 

• See the structure of the programme and what you will study each year
• See detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder
• Get information on what to expect after you apply
• Find out about fees
• Find out where to go for further advice and guidance.