The new Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design has received full accreditation for a three year term from The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council (LAAC).
The University of Calgary program is the first new professional landscape architecture degree in Canada since 1980 and the first program in Alberta.
“The mission of the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council (LAAC) is to evaluate, advocate for and advance the quality of education in Canadian landscape architecture programs. The LAAC is delighted that the University of Calgary has achieved just this, by developing a program, which will encourage experimentation and innovation in our profession,” said Heather Cram, chair of the LAAC.
Accreditation of the professional landscape architecture program by the LAAC means that the program meets the required standards established by the CSLA for professional practice in landscape architecture.
The CSLA Accreditation process involves periodic program reviews by visiting review teams appointed by LAAC. Program self‐assessment, teaching faculty credentials, and student course work are reviewed as part of Accreditation visits to promote continual program and student experience improvement. Programs accredited by CSLA through LAAC are also recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB).
The Faculty of Environmental Design MLA is a three‐year program which takes students through specialized courses dealing with design theory, environmental and land‐use issues, and the use of landscape construction technologies in preparation for students to become future leaders in the landscape architecture profession.
“This is a big day for the University and Alberta’s design and construction industries,” said Dean John L. Brown, “as we now offer accredited degrees in all three major design professions ‐ architecture, planning, and landscape architecture.”
