Accelerated Master’s Programs (4+1 and 4+2)

BS-SCD students may choose to pursue the 4+1 accelerated program towards a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning (MRP) or the 4+2 program towards a Master’s in Landscape Architecture (MLA). In these accelerated programs, students begin graduate coursework in the final year of their undergraduate degree, thereby reducing the total time required to complete the MRP or MLA.

The MLA and MRP programs offer a professionally accredited graduate education and training in their disciplines. These graduate degrees provide students with a rich educational experience in many areas of urban landscape design, management and planning, including sustainable development, policy analysis and implementation, environmental policy and planning, use of information technology, and other advanced planning tools and techniques.

The BS-SCD core curriculum is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary foundation in natural and social sciences, as well as design and planning fields, applicable to a wide range of planning and design issues. SCD students are therefore well prepared for graduate study in these fields.

Students pursuing accelerated graduate programs should plan to have their Gen Ed and major requirements nearly or entirely satisfied by the end of their junior year. Senior year coursework will primarily be classes required for the first year of the graduate program. To graduate from the BS-SCD program, students need a minimum of 120 credits, 12 of which can be counted toward the master’s degree. These 12 graduate-level credits (500 or above) must be taken as free electives during the senior year. Classes undergraduates take in the MRP or MLA curricula can count towards SCD concentration requirements with approval of the Program Director. Graduate courses taken as an undergraduate satisfy graduate curriculum requirements but not graduate credit requirements.

The BS-SCD + MRP (4 + 1 years) will prepare students for a professional career in public policy, resource management, economic development and planning at the national, state and local level. Undergraduate students working towards the 4+1 MRP will take SCD concentration classes in either City and Society or Climate Change and Green Infrastructure. In their senior year, they should take 12 credits of graduate-level MRP required courses. Students in the 4+1 program must take a total of 36 credits while enrolled as a graduate students, following graduation from the BS-SCD program. The 36 credits for the MRP may require students to take classes during the summer semester after completing their Bachelor’s degree, or to take additional coursework during the fall and spring semesters of their year in graduate school. As part of the MRP program, 4+1 students will also be required to do a professional internship, whether paid or unpaid, preferably for academic credit. This can be completed during the summer or the academic year. It provides a way to acquire relevant professional experience as a critical complement to academic work. For more information about MRP requirements, visit: umass.edu/larp/graduate/regional-planning-mrp.

The BS-SCD + MLA (4 + 2 years) will provide the fundamentals of the theory and practice of landscape architecture, including the history, principles, techniques, and materials of landscape design. Undergraduate students seeking the 2-year MLA will take SCD concentration classes in either Built Environment or Landscape Design and Build, and use electives to take 12 credits of the 500-level required MLA studio in their final year. Forty-eight credits are required to complete the MLA degree. SCD students should take as many requirements as possible to make room to graduate-level studios in the senior year. Six credits taken as free electives in the BS-SCD can be applied to MLA requirements. Graduate-level studios may count towards the BE concentration. LDB Concentration classes fulfill some of the MLA prerequisites. For more information about MLA requirements, visit: umass.edu/larp/graduate/landscape-architecture-mla.

Students considering the Master programs should plan their course of study with both the undergraduate and graduate Program Directors before their senior year. In their senior year, students must apply to the Graduate School, then be admitted by either the MRP or MLA program.

Sample Five-Year BS in Sustainable Community Development + Master of Regional Planning (4+1 program)

1st Year Undergraduate

2nd Year Undergraduate

3rd Year Undergraduate

4th Year Undergraduate

Twelve (12) graduate-level credits, taken as free electives during the senior year, count for the graduate degree. The additional 12 graduate-level credits can satisfy graduate curriculum requirements but not graduate credit requirements. A master’s degree requires a minimum of 36 credits earned while enrolled as a graduate student.

Graduate Summer

Graduate Academic Year

The accelerated MRP program requires 36 graduate-level credits: 6 or 9 credits for master’s project or thesis, respectively, 9 concentration credits (two required and one from the list of recommended courses), and 21 or 18 credits (depending on whether the student has done a project or a thesis) for the MRP core curriculum.

Please consult with the MRP Program Director to chart the best course for successfully completing the graduate degree.

Sample Six-Year BS in Sustainable Community Development + Master of Landscape Architecture (4+2 program)

1st Year Undergraduate

2nd Year Undergraduate

3rd Year Undergraduate

4th Year Undergraduate