Master's degree (2 years)
Full time
Landscape Architecture for Global Sustainability

Engage in the most pressing issues of our time: This Master's degree offers a unique combination of practice from landscape architecture with studies in global development, planning and ecology.

Apply here

Application deadline:

Applicants outside EU/EEA: 1 December

Norwegian, Nordic, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens: 15 April

Start of Studies:

Autumn

Number of students:

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent status in one of the following disciplines: Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Landscape Planning, Landscape sciences, Geography, Development Studies, Resource Management, Environmental Studies, Landscape Engineering and other relevant fields.

Requirements in detail
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent background in one of the following fields: Landscape Architecture, Landscape engineering, Architecture, Landscape planning, Urban Design and Regional Planning.
Admission will be partly based on the applicants' transcripts from previous educations, but to ensure that well-qualified and motivated applicants are admitted, all applicants must send a motivation letter of a maximum of 600 words where the following questions must be answered:
In what way do you think studies in landscape architecture will supplement your current academic qualifications and what career path do you imagine that the education at NMBU will give you?
In what way do you think your personal background and your current professional qualifications may expand the academic perspective and enrich the learning environment of the NMBU Master programme?
On one extra A4 page, present graphically one of your professional or academic projects/assignments that relate to the Master you want to enroll in.

Applicants are expected to be able to express themselves visually. Those applicants who have no formal education within visualization are recommended to address their experience with visualization in their motivation letter.
The study program Landscape Architecture for Global Sustainability comprises field trips (not mandatory). Students must be prepared to cover their own travel expenses. Please contact the study advisor of the programmme for more information.
NMBU requires that you have your own personal laptop in connection with learning activities or forms of assessment. The university provides the necessary software licenses.
You can find general information on admission to NMBU here.
Applicants must meet the University’s requirement for English language proficiency

Urban agriculture with plants growing in a rooftop garden in a Chinese city.

Mississippi River School November 2019, Louisiana USA. Part of research project: Mississippi: An Anthropocene River 2018–19 HWW and MPI, Berlin.

The Master in Landscape Architecture for Global Sustainability is a two-year, full-time degree course acknowledged by the International Federation of Landscape Architects. The teaching is conducted in English.

Situated within a Life Science University, the programme is propelled by research. The core of the curriculum is project work, spanning design, landscape ecology, theory and history. This programme enhances your pre-existing qualifications (BA or MA) in relevant studies, elevating your understanding of landscape architecture within the framework of a globalized world.

The programme consists of an introductory course, a theory course, and a series of three studio courses with a focus on design and research-driven projects. Your studies will culminate in a thesis. There are also additional elective classes available across the Life Science University.

You will study within an international environment. Group work provides opportunities for the exchange of intercultural experiences and knowledge. Courses cover contemporary concerns and a suite of methods, as well as insights into working internationally and experiencing cultural differences.

During your studies, we encourage you to explore and develop contemporary ways of working that advance landscape architecture as a productive, generalist profession. Both scientific and artistic methods are used, involving an interactive design process with regular supervision, presentations and feedback.

Online exhibition

Take a look at our digital exhibition of student works

Hear what our students have to to say:

Diverse teaching methods

The climate change approach

Career opportunities

Graduates of the programme can look forward to various employment and professional opportunities including work in private practice, multidisciplinary firms, and public agencies. Our graduates are hired in private design firms, small and large, in multidisciplinary engineering consultancies, state and government agencies and planning authorities.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of this programme shall have the following knowledge, skills, and general competences:
Knowledge: Graduates will have advanced knowledge within landscape architecture and particular insight regarding landscape practices in a global context that consider sustainability, climate change, post-disaster and post-conflict situations. They will have in-depth knowledge of the design-thinking approach along with field-based methods for qualitative research, landscape- and context analyses. Their exposure to inter- and trans-disciplinary teamwork will prepare them to apply and assess knowledge from different disciplines and to develop original and suitable landscape architecture projects. They will further understand historic and contemporary theory in landscape architecture related to global sustainability.
Skills: Graduates will have the skills to analyse and critically consider different information sources and apply these to argue for their landscape architecture projects. They will be able to critique and apply landscape design theories and methods to respond to particular physical, social, environmental, and governance contexts with independent theoretical and practical proposals. They will be able to identify landscape analysis purposes, as well as use them to inform sustainable scenarios – both individually and in teams.
General competences: Graduates will be able to apply research methods and ethics while responding to contemporary critical concerns with landscape architecture proposals. The programme will prepare them to apply their knowledge and skills to landscapes in crisis due to environmental, societal, and territorial challenges. The studio courses will prepare the students to independently communicate and disseminate their ideas through various modes of representation, while accepting and incorporating critical feedback. The programme will prepare the students to contribute with new approaches and innovation in landscape practices, by looking across geographical scales and disciplinary boundaries for inspiration and understanding. Students will be encouraged to critically reflect on and advance their work by recognizing historical and theoretical perspectives.
Exchange possibilities
All courses in the programme will be conducted in English giving international students the opportunity to join the regularly outlined semesters and choose from a preselection of relevant electives (in English).
NMBU has exchange agreements within many disciplines and with many universities across the world. You will find more information at NMBU' s website. HERE
Program structure
The programme is an international programme recognized by the International Federation of landscape Architects. The program is research, question and project driven. The core of the curriculum is project work developed in a sequence of three studios culminating in a thesis. The programme is developed as an international master’s degree programme, where students will be attracted from different parts of the world. The courses include group work that will provide many opportunities for exchange of intercultural experience and knowledge. Courses will cover ethical concerns, a suite of methods as well as knowledge about working internationally and experiencing cultural differences. We encourage students to explore and develop contemporary ways to work, which advance landscape architecture as a productive, generalist profession between science knowledge and artistic methods. These methods involve processes of iteration, with regular presentations and feedback.

Academic breadth (area, level, scope)
The programme has a transdisciplinary focus, and spans the traditional landscape architecture curriculum from landscape management, planning and design, including landscape ecology, as well as theory and methods from development studies.
Academic depth (area, level, scope)
The programme has a research focus and is at a master level.
The internal disciplinary connections
The programme builds up from the Bachelor’s level of landscape architecture and related studies to an advanced level of global landscape architecture.
Compulsory parts and electives
The programme consists of 60 ECTS compulsory credits including an introduction to Landscape Architecture for Global Sustainability, a theory course about ‘Landscape in a globalised world’ and a series of three studio courses with a focus on analysis and design of contested landscapes.
In addition, 30 ECTS are electives and the master thesis is 30 ECTS, both of which can be chosen by the students together with study and academic advisors.
Master of Landscape Architecture for Global Sustainability (M-GLA) - Programme structure
More about the program
- Societal relevance
  Global transformation processes, developments towards the planet’s limits to growth, drive systemic landscape change at a global scale; increased frequency of environmental disasters, climate change and migration, affect how people interact with and perceive their everyday surroundings. Shaping these surroundings in a manner that is locally responsive to such challenges is the goal of a landscape architecture which takes a global perspective. Landscape architecture education in a globalized world provides specific skills for working in ways that are sensitive to different socio-cultural and ecological contexts. The programme responds to the dynamic evolution of the landscape profession to navigate the challenges our environment presents. As such, it will train and prepare professionals who will work in designing, planning and managing sustainable and resilient places. Students will learn skills and methods to be equipped when confronted with undeterminable /(unknown) future challenges.
- Learning activities
  Preparation for and participation in lectures – with the use of academic literature and case studies will support the knowledge and critical thinking dimensions of the learning outcomes. Students will be able to connect their experiences and specific cases to relevant theoretical literature.
  Participation in seminars with teachers present – will teach the students to discuss subjects across disciplinary backgrounds and to explore and interrogate different sides to global and local landscape challenges. Students will be able to develop and frame their own projects and will review and critically assess relevant literature and case-study material, upon which to base the development of their projects.
  Studio-based project work will be related to physical sites with diverse contexts that the students must learn to analyse in order to develop their proposals. This studio work will offer both independent and group work projects, and group presentations will call upon the students to critique and constructively argue for and against each other’s work. The studio courses provide opportunities for and expect students to work independently within the thematic framework of the courses. Peer teaching based on an exchange of diverse disciplinary backgrounds and perspectives among participants will be encouraged and supported.
  Exercises – will be assigned in and outside the classroom for the students to practice different analysis methods, modes of representation and presentation skills. These will allow each student to spend time with a variety of methods, which they can later apply independently to project and research work.
  Fieldwork will be encouraged in order for students to experience new contexts, so that they can reflect upon contextual differences and ground their master’s research and proposals on complex, real-life situations. The students will be able to determine and design their own fieldwork experiences according to their particular interests, learning goals and needs, with the help of study advisors.
- Examination
  The learning objectives of each course will be assessed through written assignments and project presentations, written and oral. The final presentations and written assignments must show and describe the student’s progress, process and use of methods throughout each term. Studio courses will include one-to-one feedback sessions throughout the term, as well as mid-term presentations or group discussions, along with the final presentations. Periodic course assessments to obtain student feedback will be run by the course responsible in the middle and end of each term.
- Information for students from partner universities
  Courses from the first two semesters can be offered to students from partner universities.