Program Mission Statement
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) provides sustainable solutions to complex problems. We educate outstanding students, serve diverse communities, and undertake influential scholarship. We seek to exemplify a new generation of professionals and educators who work collaboratively across disciplines and cultures. This provides leadership to find regenerative, equitable and beautiful designs, spatial and social practices.
The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture Program is to educate students from broadly diverse backgrounds in the fundamentals of landscape architecture – its history, theory and practice – and to build the capacity to work in a range of professional environments.
Accreditation
The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Program (BSLA) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a professional degree accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB). LAAB granted the BSLA program a 6-year accreditation term, through June 2029. The next accreditation review is scheduled for Spring of 2029.
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture Program has a strong design, practice, and research focus. In our studios, students learn to design sustainable landscapes that balance human needs and ecological concerns. For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture Program objectives, curriculum, degree requirements, and admission requirements, please visit the BSLA Program Webpage and read the BSLA Program Handbook.
Program Goals
- Professional Development
- Inquiry and Analysis
- Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
- Teamwork
- Effective Oral, Visual and Written Communications
- Civic Engagement
- Sustainable Design – Environmental, Social, Economic
Faculty
There are 11 core faculty in the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA) Program. Four of the faculty are licensed landscape architects; four hold PhDs; and ten hold MLA degrees. Ten faculty are full-time.
The BSLA Program Director is Patricia McGirr ([email protected]).
Estimated Annual Costs
The chart below lists estimated costs for UMass Amherst undergraduate students for the 2025-2026 academic year (9 months).
| Description | In-State Residents, On/Off Campus | Out-of-State Residents, On/Off Campus | Regional Residents, On/Off Campus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees | $18,487 | $41,759 | $34,822 |
| Average Housing | $9,336 | $9,336 | $9,336 |
| Estimated Cost of Attendance | $38,455 | $61,727 | $54,790 |
*Additional fees may apply for first term enrollment, Commonwealth Honors College, certain majors and/or course fees. For detailed information about undergraduate tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar's Office website.
** New England Regional Student Program (NERSP) offers a tuition break to New England residents enrolled in certain programs not offered by the public colleges and universities in the student's home state. Billed costs will reflect the full out-of-state tuition and either the New England Regional discount OR, for those who are eligible, the out-of-state UMass Chancellor's Merit Award. Students receive either the regional discount or the merit award, but not both. Learn more about the New England Tuition Break Program here: https://nebhe.org/tuitionbreak/
Estimated Cost of Landscape Architecture Studio Supplies
The average annual cost for landscape architecture studio supplies is $1500. This cost is not included in the chart above.
To learn about printing and plotting costs, as well as computer requirements for landscape architecture students, please visit https://www.umass.edu/landscape-planning/technology-resources-0.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
UMass Amherst is committed to offering need-based financial aid and merit funding to every eligible undergraduate student. For general information about financial aid, please visit the UMass Undergraduate Financial Aid website. You may also consult your Undergraduate Program Director.
For a list of scholarships offered through the UMass Amherst AcademicWorks system and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, please visit https://www.umass.edu/landscape-planning/financial-aid-scholarships.
BSLA Student Retention and Graduation Rates
| BSLA Graduation Year | Academic Year, Entering Sophomore Studios | Number of Students in Sophomore Studios | Number of Students Continued to Senior Year Studio | Retention Rate (%) based on sophomore to senior year enrollment | BSLA Graduation Rate (%) within 6 years of entering UMass | Number of BSLA Degrees Awarded within 6 years of enrolling in sophomore studios |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2017-18 | 21 | 19 | 90% | 86% | 18 |
| 2021 | 2018-19 | 16 | 14 | 88% | 93% | 13, summer 2020 |
| 2022 | 2019-20 | 20 | 18 | 90% | 100% | 17 |
| 2023 | 2020-21 | 21 | 17 | 81% | 100% | 17 |
| 2024 | 2021-22 | 20 | 18 | 90% | 100% | 18 |
| 2025 | 2022-23 | 26 | 23 | 88% | n/a | n/a |
*Most BSLA majors do not enter the program as freshmen, but transfer into the major after they have already been enrolled at UMass. At that time, they begin the program as “sophomores“ and enroll in the sophomore-level studio. Therefore, the sophomore studio is the best measure of the number of students entering the BSLA program.
BSLA Alumni Employment One Year After Graduation
Each year, the UMass Amherst BSLA Program distributes a survey to members of the previous year's graduating class (i.e., a survey sent in 2025 collects responses from students who graduated in 2024.). The chart below shows survey results for BSLA alumni employment one year after graduation.
| Survey Year | BSLA Graduation Year | Percentage (%) of Alumni in Private Practice | Percentage (%) of Alumni in NGO/Non-Profit Practice | Percentage (%) of Alumni in Government Practice | Percentage (%) of Alumni in Landscape Horticulture/Design Build | Percentage (%) of Alumni in Academic Practice | Percentage (%) of in Graduate Education | Percentage (%) of Alumni in Volunteer Service | Percentage (%) of Alumni Not Employed in Landscape Architecture | Percentage (%) of Unknown/Other Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | 38% | 0% | 23% | 0% | 8% | 0% | 8% | 23% | |
| 2021 | 2020 | 17% | 0% | 17% | 0% | 11% | 0% | 0% | 55% | |
| 2022 | 2021 | 58% | 0% | 8% | 8% | 0% | 17% | 0% | 0% | 8% |
| 2023 | 2022 | 47% | 0% | 6% | 0% | 0% | 6% | 0% | 6% | 35% |
| 2024 | 2023 | 35% | 0% | 6% | 24% | 0% | 12% | 6% | 12% | 6% |
| 2025 | 2024 | 44% | 0% | 6% | 22% | 0% | 11% | 0% | 6% | 11% |