Master of Architecture in Urban Design / Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design
Master of Architecture in Urban Design / Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design
Important Dates
January 5, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET
MAUD/MLAUD application deadline
Master of Architecture in Urban Design / Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design
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As a post-professional studio based program, the Master of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD) and the Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design (MLAUD) combines intense design instruction, extensive applied research, and knowledge of urban history and theory.
Taking advantage of the remarkable international makeup of the faculty and student body, the MAUD/MLAUD program establishes a common intellectual ground among architects who have a strong interest in engaging the practice and theory of contemporary urbanism.
Conceived as a two-year (four-semester) program, the MAUD/MLAUD core curriculum includes the Elements of Urban Design Studio and the Urban Design Contexts and Operations seminar in the fall, followed by an Urban Planning and Design Studio and the Cities by Design seminar in the spring. An otherwise flexible academic path in each of the four semesters allows students to engage in advanced studios and elective courses across all three GSD departments as well as other schools at Harvard and MIT. The curricular structure also encourages advanced research and the possibility to develop an individual elective thesis.
The MAUD/MLAUD program introduces post-professional students, already trained in architecture or landscape architecture, to the critical concepts, strategies, and technical skills associated with contemporary Urban Design research and practice. Through studio and coursework, students are challenged to imagine new formal and organizational strategies for the delivery of housing, infrastructure, and a democratic public realm by taking on issues of inequality, climate change, the environment, and public health. Through history and theory lecture courses, seminars, and research projects, students engage a range of critical frameworks and conceptual models for understanding the complex socio-spatial dynamics of urban design practices and the technological, institutional, and political contexts in which they operate over time and across cultures and geographies.
Since the emergence of Urban Design as a modern practice in the 19th century and its establishment as a distinct field of study at Harvard in 1960, the scope and ambition of Urban Design has significantly expanded. As cities grow and diversify, so does the landscape of urban and peri-urban conditions. Globally, the expansion and transformation of metropolitan regions have introduced new scales and urban archetypes, producing an even wider range of local characteristics, cultural identities, and community needs requiring attention and resolution. This increase in formal, social, economic, and environmental complexity has further complicated the field of urban design, shifting the geography and focus from rigid specialization in primarily western contexts to trans-disciplinary and internationally varied processes that embrace complexity and anticipate change.
During their two years of study, students develop the necessary literacies to critically engage with, interrogate the character, and transform the form of complex built environments. In addition to diverse course offerings, numerous research opportunities with faculty further enrich a dynamic and exciting learning environment for exploring and advancing meaningful responses to the challenges of our time.
Four terms of full-time study in residence are required for award of the degree. Under special circumstances, students may receive permission to reduce their course loads and extend their studies over a longer period. Concurrent and joint degree candidates must consult the rules governing concurrent and joint degrees for information on residency requirements.
Please note that the MAUD/MLAUD program is designated as a STEM program. Accordingly, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation. Each F-1 student must petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve the 24-month STEM extension, and Harvard does not represent or warrant that USCIS will grant any individual petition.
Students may study for a PhD degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. An additional track in Architectural Technology is also available. This degree is administered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Therefore, students benefit from a dual affiliation with both schools.
The program is mainly geared towards individuals who wish to enter academic teaching and research careers. Students are afforded a high degree of flexibility in their studies, however areas of work are broadly organized into the following areas: the Theory and History of Architecture, Architectural Technology, the Theory and History of Landscape Architecture, and the Evolution of Cities and Regions.
Theory and History of Architecture:
Students interested in this area typically study buildings, architectural texts, technologies, and their political, social, and cultural contexts through the early modern, modern, and contemporary eras.
Architectural Technology:
Doctoral research in architectural technology at the GSD aims to advance current knowledge in green building, for example, and will typically involve issues related to engineering, computation, and digital simulations.
Theory and History of Landscape Architecture:
Students whose research focuses on the theory and history of landscape architecture typically investigate the ways in which the natural environment has been thought of, represented, and transformed, from the early modern to the contemporary period.
Evolution of Cities and Regions:
Students may be interested in the subject of cities from a formal standpoint and/or develop an additional emphasis on various social, economic, technological, infrastructural, and ecological dimensions of urban life.
The two-year, post‐professional Master in Landscape Architecture (MLA II) degree program stream is for those who hold an undergraduate professional landscape architecture degree or its equivalent.
The MLA II augments that professional preparation with a particular emphasis on the design of the built environment at the intersection of urbanization and ecology, providing those who have already demonstrated professional competence with the opportunity to advance their critical, theoretical, representational, and technical skills through design.
The program of study for the MLA II includes a strong one semester core curriculum that includes studio and courses in representation, theories of urbanism, and a pro-seminar on current topics in the discipline of landscape architecture. The remaining three semesters offer a flexible academic path that allows students to engage in advanced studios and elective courses across all three GSD departments and the university. The curricular structure encourages advanced individual and collective research and the possibility to develop an elective thesis in the final semester.
For students entering the three-year MLA I program, a minimum of six terms of full-time study in residence is required. Individuals admitted with advanced standing to the MLA I AP normally begin with the third term of the program and must complete a minimum of four terms of full-time study in residence. Students entering the two-year MLA II program must also complete a minimum of four terms of full-time study in residence.
Please note that the MLA I, MLA I AP, and MLA II programs are now designated as a STEM program. Accordingly, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation. Each F-1 student must petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve the 24-month STEM extension, and Harvard does not represent or warrant that USCIS will grant any individual petition.
Bas Smets and students explore The Ellinikon Experience Park in Athens as part of STU 1403 “Biospheric Urbanism – Changing Climates – Athens Greece”
Final review presentation for STU 1404 “Harnessing The Future; How the Internet’s Digital Infrastructure Influences the Global Landscape”
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. Combined with practical experience, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Individuals who hold an accredited professional degree in architecture, or a pre-professional undergraduate degree in landscape architecture or architecture, and a strong design portfolio, may be granted advanced standing of up to two terms, completing the MLA I in two years.
Applicants who are granted advanced standing must have completed the same pre-requisites in college-level environmental science, history of the built environment, and visual arts that are required for the MLA I, as well as courses that are roughly analogous to the course of study of the first year program in representation and history described in the MLA I curriculum, and demonstrate a high level of achievement in their design work.
Individuals admitted with advanced standing to the MLA I AP normally begin with the third term of the program and must complete a minimum of four terms of full-time study in residence.
Please note that the MLA I, MLA I AP, and MLA II programs are now designated as a STEM program. Accordingly, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation. Each F-1 student must petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve the 24-month STEM extension, and Harvard does not represent or warrant that USCIS will grant any individual petition.
Faculty and students collaborating in the Trays
Final Review for STU 1407 “KOREA REMADE: Alternate Nature, DMZ, and Hinterlands”
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. Combined with practical experience, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
The program stream leading to the Master in Landscape Architecture (MLA) is an accredited professional degree intended for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree with a major other than one of the design professions.
The curriculum of the three-year MLA I is rigorous and comprehensive, and prepares candidates for the full range of professional activities in landscape architecture. A four-semester core curriculum provides a solid intellectual base of knowledge in design, history, theory, technology, ecology, representation, and professional practice. The remaining two semesters offer the opportunity to engage in advanced studios and elective courses across all GSD departments. Particular emphasis is given to developing mastery in design in each of the six studios. For those students who want to pursue independent work, there is also the option to develop an elective design thesis in their final semester.
TESTIMONIALS
“Without the GSD, I wouldn’t be able to envision so clearly the possibilities that I have ahead of me in the next five to ten years. Much of that is because of my peers, and the passions and skill sets they bring to the school. I’ve learned so much from my cohort by digging into big questions amid discourse in the trays. It’s important to have different perspectives at the table—with classmates from different income levels and backgrounds—so that conversations aren’t one-sided or from a single point of view.”
Felicia Perez
(MLA ’24)
“Grad school at the GSD has been an honor of a lifetime. I have learned so much about landscape architectural practice, and urban planning, and have developed a network of connections I would never have been able to find directly out of my undergraduate degree.”
Chadwick Bowlin
(MLA ’25)
“The GSD’s emphasis on challenging conventional ‘design boundaries’ aligns with my drive to innovate and experiment within my work. Moreover, its diverse faculty and student body have enriched my perspective, encouraging me to rethink design’s role in advocating for environmental justice and climate resilience.”
Cory Page
(MLA ’25)
“The GSD is also the oldest landscape architecture degree program in the world, and I wanted to be a part of this well-established institution and rich tradition. I also wanted to be a part of the GSD’s network of outstanding global design leaders.”
Admission with No Previous Professional Education:
Individuals who have completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in any field are eligible for admission to the first term of the professional degree program. Preference for admission is given to applicants who have completed a balanced undergraduate education that includes study in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Three college-level, semester-long courses are specifically required as prerequisites for admission to the MLA I program: one semester of environmental science; one semester of history of the built environment (this could include history of architecture, history of gardens and designed landscapes, environmental history, urban history); and at least one semester of visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics). Applicants must achieve a grade of B- or better in each of these courses. Courses in the humanities, philosophy, literature, and economics are also recommended but are not required.
For students entering the three-year MLA I program, a minimum of six terms of full-time study in residence is required.
Please note that the MLA I, MLA I AP, and MLA II programs are now designated as a STEM program. Accordingly, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation. Each F-1 student must petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve the 24-month STEM extension, and Harvard does not represent or warrant that USCIS will grant any individual petition.
Landscape Architecture I: First Semester Core Studio Review
Carl Steinitz assists MLA students with the ICG Global to Local to Global Climate Mitigation Project
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. Combined with practical experience, it meets the requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
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