Course details

Summary

Are you an experienced landscape architect or recent graduate looking to explore design research at a postgraduate level? Undertake your own project in the Master of Landscape Architecture and explore key contemporary concepts in landscape architectural design and urbanism.

Programme overview

Are you currently practising in the field of landscape architecture, architecture or design, or do you have a degree in landscape architecture? The Master of Landscape Architecture is a qualification for people who have practised or studied in one of these areas and want to advance their skills and explore an area of their interest. In this master by project you’ll advance your knowledge of current design techniques, and learn to present your work effectively to interdisciplinary audiences.

The Master of Landscape Architecture offers landscape architects and graduates the chance to carve out a particular focus of investigation. It's a 'research through design' programme created to contribute to the landscape design discipline as well as your own professional development. The key outcome of this programme is a master level project that demonstrates your specialised skill and/or knowledge in your area of chosen expertise.

There are three possible pathways through the degree, each with an emphasis is on developing hands-on experience:

• Develop a research proposal focusing on a specific area that you’re passionate about
• Work with a member of our faculty to develop a collaborative research project
• Develop a research project with a leading Auckland landscape practice

Highlights

• 24 hour access to workspaces for full-time students in our refurbished studio
• Access to quality digital design tools
• Can enable practising landscape architects to study part-time, learn new techniques, sharpen their design skills and keep abreast of current theory
• Focus on practical projects: the degree is "by project", which means that you undertake a project based on an aspect of your landscape architecture practice to date
• No coursework
• Collaborative approach: the Master of Landscape Architecture together with the Master of Architecture is part of a suite of design programmes at Unitec. Students in both programmes get together for seminars and workshops in order to foster collaboration, new ideas and new approaches to interdisciplinary practice.
• Interaction and feedback with international academics and practitioners

CAREER OPTIONS

• Landscape architectural design leader, design educator and design researchers
• Architect and others who wish to develop landscape architectural design capabilities.

Qualification

Once you've successfully completed this programme you'll receive the qualification: Master of Landscape Architecture.

This qualification is a research master's, not an accredited postgraduate programme so you will not be able to become a registered Landscape Architect.

Entry criteria

For this programme, you will need the following:

1. Achieved one of the following:

• A recognised Bachelor’s degree in a discipline relevant to your proposed project, with an average grade of B- or higher in all Level 7 courses
• A recognised postgraduate diploma in a discipline relevant to your proposed project, with an average grade of B- or higher

2. A significant portfolio of professional work which enables us to critically reflect on your prior practice

3. 8 credits at NCEA Level 2 in English (4 in reading, 4 in writing).

English Language requirements:

• Have achieved NCEA Level 3 and New Zealand University entrance
• NZCEL (Academic) (Level 5)
• IELTS score of 6.5 with no band score lower than 6.0
• TOEFL (pBT) Paper-based test score of 590 (essay 5.5 TWE)
• TOEFL (iBT) Internet-based test score of 79 (writing 21)
• CAE, or CPE with a score of 176. No less than 169 in each skill. OET at Grade B in all sub-tests
• Pearson Test of English (PToE) Academic with a score of 58 with no score lower than 50