Accreditation
Accreditation is a non-governmental, voluntary system of self-regulation. Its core is the concept of self-evaluation. The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) accreditation process evaluates each program on the basis of its stated objectives and compliance to externally mandated minimum standards.
Fact Sheet
- Mission and Goals
- Accreditation Status
- Student Work & Student Awards
- Estimated Cost of Attendance
- Student Retention and Graduation Rates
- Degrees Granted Per Year
- Percentage of Students with Timely Graduation
- Required and Optional Costs
- Supplemental and Experiential Learning Opportunities
- Post-Graduation Employment
- Faculty Profiles
- Licensure Eligibility
- Prospective Student Information
Programs leading to first professional degrees at the bachelor’s or master’s levels in the United States are eligible to apply for accreditation from LAAB. LAAB is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the official accrediting body for first professional programs in Landscape Architecture. LAAB is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA).
Accreditation is intended to be a very transparent process that involves a broad constituent/stakeholder community consisting of university administration, faculty, students, practitioners, alumni, and a host of stakeholders from within the public realm. The process prescribes a number of activities within which various constituent parties have opportunities to examine the program and document findings. The goal is threefold: to advance academic quality, to demonstrate accountability, and to engage purposeful change and needed improvement. To this end, the department necessarily strives to increase and enhance its outcomes assessment process with the goal of providing both quantitative and qualitative evidence of its findings, proposed changes, and implemented changes.
The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) requires accredited programs to provide reliable information to the public. This information is intended to help potential students make informed application decisions.
Mission and Goals
To inspire and guide design students in their scholarship and application of landscape architecture through design solutions focused on social and environmental principles impacting communities across multiple scales and global territories.
- Experience of Learning: Instill cultural, empathic skills, as well as critical thinking to challenge and elevate existing disciplinary knowledge and professional leadership.
- Production and transfer of knowledge: Create, apply, and engage through research, scholarship, and innovation within and beyond the LAEP community.
- Cultural Competency: Champion a culture of belonging and well-being in everything we do and where ALL are welcome.
- Community of Practice: Engage and give back to local, national, and global communities through internal and external collaborations and partnerships.
- Scaling UP: Increase the recognition and visibility of LAEP through an expanded footprint with impacts at regional, national, and global scales.
- Faculty Ecology: Value, cultivate, and support LAEP’s faculty as integral members of our academic community and mission.
Accreditation Status
The NC State University Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) professional degree is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB). The MLA program successfully completed its last scheduled LAAB accreditation review in December 2015 and the program was awarded a full 6-year re-accreditation through December 2027.
Relevant Documents:
- View the Fall 2015-Spring 2021 Self-Evaluation Report (pdf).
- Download a copy of the program’s Fact Sheet (pdf).
As part of the LAAB requirements, NCSU’s MLA program maintains basic program metrics and makes them available to the public (see below).
Student Work & Student Awards
- Examples of student work can be found here.
- NCSU LA+EP students have won regional, state, and national awards in research, design, and graphic communication. An extensive list of student awards can be found here.
Estimated Cost of Attendance
The following estimated cost of full-time attendance for the year (2024-2025) for full-time landscape architecture and environmental planning students is summarized and provided for reference. Please note that certain graduate professional programs, including the Master of Landscape Architecture program, carry a tuition increment or “premium” in addition to the regular graduate tuition. This increased tuition charge is used to maintain or enhance the excellence of the program while assuring access to them.
Tuition totals are for full-time students taking 9+ hours/semester. For a more thorough breakdown of Graduate School tuition, please visit the Student Services website.
For more information on financial aid offerings, graduate assistantships, and scholarships, please visit the Paying for Your MLA page and the Student Services Financial Aid page.
| Tuition and Fees AY 24-25 | In-State Graduate | Out-of-State Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition/Fees | $13,699.50 | $34,472.50 |
| Health Insurance | $1,182.28 | $1,182.28 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,004 | $2,004 |
| Housing | $10,084 | $10,084 |
| Food | $5,994 | $5,994 |
| Books/Supplies | $876 | $876 |
| Transportation | $1,356 | $1,686 |
| Loan Fees | $162 | $162 |
| Total | $35,357.78 | $56,460.78 |
For more detailed information on costs, see: https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/finances/tuition-and-fees/tuition-and-fee-rates/graduate-students/.
For the premium tuition rate for the MLA program, please see https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/finances/tuition-and-fees/tuition-and-fee-rates/graduate-students/.
Student Retention and Graduation Rates
MLA Program Retention Rates for New Enrollments
Retention rates consider the percentage of students who began studies and continued into the following academic year. The years below (2020-2024) represent the fall they started their studies and whether they re-enrolled for the subsequent fall.
| Entering Year | 1-Year Retention Rate |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 96% |
| 2021 | 82% |
| 2022 | 86% |
| 2023 | 74% |
| 2024 | 93% |
Time to Completion
The program has an average time to completion of 2.58 years over the past five years (2020-2024):
| Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) | Time to Completion (Years) |
|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 2.2 years |
| 2021-2022 | 2.7 years |
| 2022-2023 | 2.7 years |
| 2023-2024 | 2.7 years |
| 2024-2025 | 2.6 years |
Degrees Granted Per Year
The program has awarded the following number of degrees over the past five years (2020-2025):
| Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) | Degrees Awarded (MLA) | Certificates Awarded* |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 19 | 3 |
| 2021-2022 | 22 | 3 |
| 2022-2023 | 29 | 12 |
| 2023-2024 | 24 | 8 |
| 2024-2025 | 21 | 5 |
*Certificates awarded represent students who have earned the Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering and Design Certificate.
Percentage of Students with Timely Graduation
Timely graduation is based on the percentage of students graduating within two or three years of starting the program.
| Track II | Within 2 Years | Within 3 Years |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | 100% | 100% |
| 2019-2020 | 53.8% | 92.3% |
| 2020-2021 | 25% | 100% |
| 2021-2022 | 25% | 66.7% |
| 2022-2023 | 80% | 80% |
| 2023-2024 | 10% | 10% |
| Track III | Within 2 Years | Within 3 Years |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | 23.1% | 61.5% |
| 2019-2020 | — | 52.6% |
| 2020-2021 | 5% | 95% |
| 2021-2022 | — | 70.6% |
| 2022-2023 | 6.7% | 100% |
| 2023-2024* | — | — |
*No students who began Track III in 2023-2024 have yet completed the program.
Required and Optional Costs
Laptop requirements are listed on the website and can be found here. A typical computer needed for work in the MLA program will cost between $1,500 and $3,000. Students may incur additional costs for miscellaneous supplies and software for personal computers. Students can participate in optional field trips to visit built works related to their studio subjects.
Supplemental and Experiential Learning Opportunities
Students complete an elective (optional) internship at local design firms during fall, spring or summer semesters. The program offers opportunities to study internationally in locations such as Prague, Mexico City and Colombia, and these programs may incur additional costs. Students also have the opportunity to regularly attend state and national landscape architecture conferences and engage with an innovative student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (SASLA).
Post-Graduation Employment
The MLA program prepares students to work in a wide range of fields. Our graduates work in local private practice around the Triangle to internationally known firms, to the public sector government jobs, to teaching and further advanced research. Alumni are encouraged to stay in touch through our Department LinkedIn page!
| Present Occupation | Totals |
| Graduate Education | 2 |
| Academic Practice | 4 |
| Private Practice | 52 |
| Public Practice | 3 |
| Landscape Hort/Design Build | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Unknown | 18 |
| Total | 81 |
Faculty Profiles
- The program is delivered by 11 tenure-track faculty and 15 instructional faculty.
- Three tenure-track faculty members have professional licenses.
- Nine instructional faculty members have professional licenses.
Licensure Eligibility
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program at NC State University is LAAB-accredited and meets the educational requirements for licensure. License requirements for each state can be found on the ASLA website (access individual state details here) or through the ASLA fact sheet on this topic. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Landscape Architecture Registration Exam (LARE), and the program offers opportunities for accessing LARE. While the MLA degree qualifies graduates to sit for the licensure exam, it does not grant licensure.
Prospective Student Information
Information for prospective students can be found on the following websites:
- Master of Landscape Architecture Program Admissions Information: https://design.ncsu.edu/landscape-architecture/academics/mla-admissions/
- Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Homepage: https://design.ncsu.edu/landscape-architecture/
- Financial Aid and Scholarship: https://design.ncsu.edu/resources/financial-aid/
Program Contact Information
María Bellalta, FASLA, IFLA AR
Department Head and Professor of Landscape Architecture + Environmental Planning; Director for Global Engagement
maria_bellalta@ncsu.edu
Carla Delcambre, ASLA, PLA
Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Director of Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture
cfdelcam@ncsu.edu