Pratt Institute

What you'll study

The curriculum pairs studio projects with land-based courses and fieldwork. Core approaches during the first year focus on regional dynamics and the second year on design in the public realm. Example courses and field studios named in the programme include:

• LAR-633: Plant morphology at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden — fundamentals of botany, plant morphology, horticultural techniques, and consideration of plants in public space and climate adaptation.
• LAR-601: Habitat studies in the Catskills Forest — studio work that reads landscape patterns across temporal and spatial scales, including geology, indigenous land-use, and species movement.
• LAR-602: Meadowlands Fieldwork Shore Studio — intensive fieldwork on shifting coastlines, testing adaptation, retreat, and management strategies for dynamic urban edges.

The pedagogy is designed to build technical, theoretical and practical competencies in landscape architecture, including technological skills, ecological understanding and design at multiple scales.

Entry requirements

The programme welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds who have strong interests in environmental studies, geography, botany or ecology. Applicants without prior design education follow the three-year, 85-credit track; applicants holding a first professional architecture degree from an NAAB-accredited program may qualify for the two-year, 56-credit track. The programme requires full-time commitment to both studio and land-based work.

Career prospects

Graduates leave with a portfolio of work and skills intended to support entry into landscape design practice, landscape stewardship, public service, research and academia. Alumni pursue roles across a spectrum of scales and contexts, working nationally and internationally on design, governance and management of landscapes.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

The course page does not list specific scholarships or funding; prospective applicants should consult Pratt Graduate Studies resources and the School of Architecture for updated information on financial aid, scholarships and assistantships available to graduate students.