Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering

Tulane's Master of Landscape Architecture and Engineering is the only program in the world that combines a professional Master of Landscape Architecture (MLAN) with a Master of Science in River-Coastal Science and Engineering (MS RCSE) into a single dual degree. The Gulf Coast region faces some of the most severe social and economic challenges from climate change, and it needs interdisciplinary professionals equipped to address them. This New Orleans-based, 3.5-year program trains students to design landscapes that hold up against real climate and water pressures, grounded in the same scientific and technical training engineers use to solve them

Key Facts

• Program Entry: Summer cohort start (currently accepting for Summer 2027); the graduate application opens September 1
• Total Credit Hours: 110 (minimum 55 credit hours, or 50%, must be completed in residence at Tulane)
• Cost Per Credit Hour: [PLACEHOLDER] 
• Class Structure: Full-time, in-person, co-taught by professional engineers and landscape architects
• Time to Completion: 3.5 years (a 7-semester curriculum: one intro summer term plus six academic semesters)
• Advanced Standing: Applicants with prior landscape architecture, engineering, or related experience can request a portfolio assessment to potentially shorten their time to degree (see below)
• Career Opportunities: Landscape architecture, landscape urbanism, civil and ecological engineering, and urban and environmental planning, in both private and public sectors

Program Highlights

MLAN/MS RCSE Curriculum

The Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science in River–Coastal Science and Engineering (MLAN/MS RCSE) dual degree is a 110-credit-hour, seven-semester curriculum built around design studios, a technical science core, and a thesis. It unfolds in three phases: an introductory summer, a "green year" focused on living systems, and a "blue year" focused on water systems (rivers, coasts, estuaries, wetlands), followed by a third year for individual thesis research. 

Core coursework includes:

• History of Landscape Architecture I, II, & III
• Design Media I & II (visualization, GIS mapping, and geospatial analysis)
• Landscape Building Technologies I & II
• Design studios spanning streetscapes, forest urbanism, and coastal and riverine landscape-engineering challenges
• Introduction to River-Coastal Science and Engineering, and the Role of Soils in Riparian Landscapes
• Professional Practices and Concerns in Landscape Architecture
• Thesis Research Methods and Thesis Studio

Students also complete one MLAN elective and three RCSE electives, selected from options across math/physics-intensive and non-intensive tracks, depending on background.

View individual course descriptions here. 

Learning Outcomes

The program builds skills at the intersection of design and engineering, not one discipline layered onto the other. By graduation, students develop:

• Design and orthographic representation skills for landscapes under real environmental pressure
• GIS mapping and geospatial analysis for reading terrain, hydrology, and territory
• Model-making and visualization across both physical and digital media
• Environmental data analysis and modeling to evaluate a site's ecological and hydrological behavior
• The technical grounding to collaborate directly with engineers, scientists, and other built-environment specialists on the same project

Program Format

The MLAN/MS RCSE is a full-time, in-person, 3.5-year program based in New Orleans. Design studios are co-taught by professional engineers and landscape architects, so studio work functions as the shared "lab" where design and technical coursework are tested against the same site problems. Applicants with relevant prior experience can request an Advanced Standing Portfolio Assessment to shorten their required coursework. See advanced standing information below.

How the Studios Work

Design studios serve as the program's labs, where landscape architecture, engineering, and science converge to solve real, site-specific problems that involve both quantitative and qualitative variables. Co-taught by professional engineers and landscape architects, these studios prepare graduates to address urban- and territorial-scale climate challenges and collaborate directly with scientists, engineers, and other stakeholders across the built environment.

Advanced Standing

We recognize that each student's path to a dual degree is unique. We offer an Advanced Standing Portfolio Assessment for applicants with previous education or experience in landscape architecture. This assessment allows students to potentially accelerate their progress toward the dual Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science In River-Coastal Science & Engineering degree.

Applicants with pre-professional degrees, prior learning experiences, and demonstrable landscape architecture skills can request an advanced standing evaluation during the application process. Qualified previous experiences may satisfy specific degree requirements. A faculty admissions committee will review each applicant's portfolio, academic records, and previous experience to determine if they meet our degree requirements, granting advanced standing for relevant courses.

Career Outcomes

Graduates of this STEM-designated program are prepared for careers in landscape architecture, landscape urbanism, civil and ecological engineering, and urban and environmental planning, in both the private and public sectors. The program also offers internship opportunities through the Water Institute of the Gulf, engineering firms, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

National Career Outlook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Figures below come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for occupations related to MLAN/MS RCSE career paths. Actual pay and availability will depend on where you work, your experience, and your employer.