Landscape Architecture Department
Our Programs
Our Mission
We deliver a fully accredited Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) for first-professional degree students and post-professional students (those already holding a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture or Bachelor of Architecture degree). Our program balances
theory and practice, emphasizing design to support human well-being and environmental balance.
Our students engage with issues of social justice, sustainability, and environmental racism and explore responses to these constructs through research and design. Our core values align with those of the college; we adhere to the ethos
of real people + real projects = real difference.
Landscape Architecture Contacts
Jody Beck PhD
Associate Professor and Chair of the Landscape Architecture Department
Email:jody.beck@ucdenver.edu
Accreditation
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program has been fully accredited since 1983. The program had its scheduled accreditation review by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) on October 2-5, 2022. The current accreditation was awarded for a six-year period through December 31, 2028.
The MLA program is a STEM-designated program that allows international students on student visas an extended option of practical training in the United States following graduation.
Department News
Landscape Architecture Students Reflect on the Natchez Trace Parkway Immersive Studio Experience
Each year, the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Colorado Denver takes third-year Master of Landscape Architecture students to locations across the United States, expanding their experiences beyond the familiarity of Denver and introducing them to new places, people, and community needs. In recent years, students visited the Great Basin Desert, New Orleans, and, most recently, the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Learn More About the Immersive Landscape Architecture Studio
Landscape Architecture Students Win National Design and Build Competition
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) students Aidan Nowell and Stevie Pearlman won first place in the 2024 Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA) National Design and Build Competition. This year’s competition theme was “Land Art: Celestial Architecture.” Their project, Listen to the Moon, invites visitors to the Farewell Spit in the South Island of New Zealand, to reignite their connection with the Moon and its tidal influence on life on Earth.
CAP Students Visit Finland, Japan, and Mexico City
Students visited Finland, Japan, and Mexico City this summer as part of the CU Denver Global Education program. These international study opportunities offer experiences beyond the classroom and immerse students in diverse cultures and perspectives, expand their worldviews, and shape their future careers.
Professor Lois Brink’s Learning Landscapes Promote the Health, Well-being, Sustainability, and Economic Value of Our Communities
Landscape Architecture Professor Lois Brink began her research and the implementation of Learning Landscapes in 1998 when she experienced first-hand the inadequacies of her child’s elementary schoolyard. Today, Learning Landscapes has become a $50 million design and construction initiative that has transformed all 96 Denver public elementary schools.