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landscape.risd.edu
contact: ldardept@risd.edu
 more info on applying/curriculum/facilities/faculty/visiting artists + critics
Landscape architecture is a creative discipline situated at the interface between the cultural and natural worlds. The profession addresses design issues inherent in a range of landscape typologies and scales, from localized interventions to global systems. RISD's program prepares students to critically examine the increasingly complex issues facing these environments and to develop innovative design solutions.What makes RISD's Landscape Architecture Program unique is its interaction with the College's other art and design disciplines. Students develop a common language that serves as a base for future development and discourse by sharing core courses. This cross-disciplinary framework encourages individual exploration and forms of expression. At the core of the curriculum is the design studio, the forum for the investigation of aesthetic, ecological, cultural and technological issues. Student are challenged to think critically, work creatively, and develop a self-reliant design process. Integral to the curriculum is the study of drawing, history, theory, ecology, cultural geography, plants and technology. In addition, RISD students can cross-register for courses at Brown University, as well as study abroad or in other departments during the six-week Wintersession. The department offers two paths to the Master of Landscape Architecture: MLA I, a three-year program for students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than landscape architecture, and MLA II, a two-year program for students entering with accredited pre-professional degrees (BLA). Qualified applicants with previous degrees in architecture and related design fields may apply for the two-year advanced standing program within the MLA I. In the final year students test their conceptual premises through a design thesis. The MLA program is fully accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Core Values of the Department In order to make a difference within the existing framework of landscape architectural practice, it is necessary to challenge the profession's conventions and one's role within landscape architecture, and to address the complex problems facing the environment today. Therefore, our expectation for students is that they are: Committed to a concept of stewardship: they act responsibly toward the natural environment and are committed to public awareness of the fragility and interrelatedness of landscape, nature and humanity; Open to interdisciplinary discourse: they are able to simultaneously benefit from other viewpoints and contribute their own expertise; Mentally prepared to be pioneers: they are secure in following their own creative path; Entrepreneurial: they are conceptually and strategically agile so as to recognize opportunities and pursue them; and Technically proficient: they have the skills to work within their own discipline, as well as a wide disciplinary spectrum. |
