Master of Urban Design / Landscape Architecture

The M.L.A./M.U.D. Dual Degree is a student-initiated dual degree in the programs of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. Students especially interested in urban design research and speculation at the scale of the city or region and landscape / environmental issues can decide to get both a Master of Urban Design and a Master of Landscape Architecture.

The dual degree equips students to be critical thinkers and designers about both the city, its form, building typology, urban morphology, technological systems, infrastructure as well as its impact on landscapes, resource territories and natural environments.

Students develop design skills using advanced fabrication labs, visualization labs (TVlab), digital/robotic tools, emphasizing the development of design projects through the production of 3D models and miniatures at multiple scales (overall urban models and detailed urban transects). Students propose speculative urban visions and scenarios while considering the social, economical, political and ecological impact of their design proposal on the built environment.

Having both degrees enables graduates to design both landscapes and three-dimensional urban worlds while understanding their dual relationship. Graduates can address questions such as: sea level rise and questions of resilience, waterfront development between conservation and adaptation, sacrificial landscapes and the growth of dense urban environments, water scarcity and urban growth, super storms and urban infrastructure.

Course of Study

Students admitted to the combined program are required to complete the first year courses in one school during the first year and to complete the first year courses at the other school in the second year. Students may begin at either school. Students will need to enroll in a minimum of 22 credits under their Rackham career to meet the Rackham residency requirement.

Degree Requirements

The M.L.A. / M.U.D. degree is a 89-credit-hour program that can be completed in 4 years. The M.U.D. requires 45 credits; the 3YR M.L.A. requires 44 credits. Fourteen of these can be double-counted. Effective Fall 2024, M.L.A. students take approximately 10 credits of prerequisites early in their program; these do not count toward the 44-credit total for the M.L.A. degree; that is the degree and its prerequisites ordinarily comprise about 54 credits. A student in the dual degree must meet the requirements of both programs.