Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)
Requirements of the Focused Inquiry

Overview of the Focused Inquiry

All students in the post-professional MLA program are required to undertake a focused inquiry, constituting original research in some topical area of landscape architecture.

For students in the Independent Study track, this inquiry comprises the focus of their curriculum, with 14-19 credits of coursework devoted specifically to this effort.

For students in either Option, Watershed Stewardship (C.U.D.) or Community and Urban Design (C.U.D.), the focused inquiry serves as a corollary to the studio practica, with students typically choosing a topic that relates to some facet of their studio work. For Option students, the focused inquiry comprises a total of 3-7 credits of coursework.

All focused inquiry projects entail student selection of a primary advisor and master's committee or 2nd reader, a public presentation, fulfillment of specific requirements for the final document, and, for those on the Independent Study track, a defense. Sections below explain these requirements.

C.W.S. and C.U.D. Options-The Advisor and 2nd Reader

Both Options require a focused inquiry component in addition to studio activities. Because this undertaking is less extensive than a full Thesis or Master's Project, students in the Options follow the two-paper protocol for consultation and review:

Students in the C.W.S. or C.U.D. Option must select a primary advisor from the graduate faculty (including cross-appointed faculty) in the Department of Landscape Architecture. The Graduate Program Coordinator's guidance should be sought in the first semester for identifying and confirming the advisor by the first week of the student's second semester. The Option focused inquiry generally follows the requirements of the Thesis and Master's Project track, with one exception: rather than establishing a full committee, the student must identify and confirm a second reader in the second semester. The primary advisor and 2nd reader then review and sign the work to fulfill course requirements.

Thesis and Master's Project-The Advisor and Master's Committee

In the first semester the Graduate Program Coordinator's guidance should be sought on approaches to identifying and confirming a primary advisor to guide the student's focused inquiry. The advisor must be selected from among the graduate faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture (may include cross-appointed faculty), by the first week of the student's second semester. The primary advisor automatically serves as the student's "studio" faculty and assigns final letter grades for LArch 530, 540, and 550 (or LArch 600 for thesis-track students). A minimum of two other faculty must be added to the Master's committee during the second semester. One must be a faculty member in the Department of Landscape Architecture, and the other preferably from a unit outside the department, in a discipline related to the student's research area. In that second semester, the student develops a project proposal that must be approved by the full committee by semester's end to proceed with the project.

Two-Paper Product-The Advisor and 2nd Reader

Students who choose the Independent Study two-paper product must select a primary advisor from the graduate faculty (including cross-appointed faculty) in the Department of Landscape Architecture. The Graduate Program Coordinator's guidance should be sought in the first semester for identifying and confirming the advisor by the first week of the student's second semester. The two-paper product generally follows the requirements of the Thesis and Master's Project track, with one exception: rather than establishing a full committee, the student must identify and confirm a second reader in the second semester. Each paper must be reviewed and signed by the primary advisor and second reader, at least one of whom must be from the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Two-Paper Product-The Advisor and 2 nd Reader

The defense of the major focused inquiry in the independent Study track (thesis, project, or papers) is an examination conducted by the candidate's Master's committee.

The final draft of the research document should be made available to committee members at least two weeks before the defense to allow time for thorough review and defense preparation by committee members. The examination is graded on a pass-fail basis. A favorable vote of all members of the Master's committee, as certified on the signatory page of the final document, is required for passing and award of the degree. If a candidate fails, the committee will determine whether, and when, the student may repeat the defense.

Presentation of the Focused Inquiry

(required of ALL M.L.A. Students)

Every M.L.A. student is required to make a public presentation of his/her focused inquiry product at or near the completion of the student's curriculum. In the case of Independent Study track students, this presentation typically immediately precedes the Defense.

At least two weeks prior to the presentation, the candidate is responsible for having the time, place, and title posted in the department and distributed by e-mail to departmental faculty and graduate students.

Provision of Final Research Documents

All M.L.A. candidates must provide each member of their Master's committee (or primary advisor + 2 nd reader) with a complete, bound copy of their final focused inquiry research document. In addition, the Graduate Program Coordinator must receive two complete, bound copies, both of archival quality-i.e. hard binding and paper must conform to Thesis Guide protocols. "Cerlox" binding or other impermanent products are unacceptable. One copy is deposited in the Architecture-Landscape Architecture Library as part of its permanent collection; the other is retained by the Coordinator for departmental files.

In addition, all M.L.A. candidates must provide the Coordinator a signatory page, with each committee member's signature and the department head's signature signifying project approval. The signatory page is kept on file in the department.

MLA students in the C.W.S. option must elect one student representative to give the Graduate Program Coordinator two bound copies of the Keystone project. This final group document must be signed by C.W.S. directors and faculty fellows to certify that the project is acceptable as part of the M.L.A. degree requirements (i.e. that it follows thesis protocol). The Coordinator will place one copy of the report in the permanent collection of the Architecture-Landscape Architecture Library; the other will be retained by the coordinator for departmental files.

Project Schedules

In order to complete their graduate requirements in a timely manner, M.L.A. students are apprised by the Graduate Program Coordinator of upcoming deadlines and requirements on an ongoing basis. The following matrices provide a scheduling overview: