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Postgraduate

MA Landscape Design

A vibrant 3D garden scene featuring a serene pond and a charming fountain surrounded by lush greenery.
Jiyul Kwon, 2021 BA Interior and Spatial Design, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL
College
Camberwell College of Arts Start date
September 2027 Course length
1 year

MA Landscape Design advances your landscape architecture practice through creative design, ecological understanding and critical inquiry. Develop the expertise to shape sustainable futures.

Course summary

Applications closed 2026/2027

Applications are now closed for 2026/27 entry. Applications for 2027/28 entry will open in autumn 2026.

Course overview

MA Landscape Design will help you create and lead the future of landscape design. The course will enable you to develop your design skills and critical thinking. It will give you the confidence to shape ideas about how our natural and built environments connect.

On the course, you'll build a sustainable and resilient future design practice. You'll gain a deeper understanding of how spaces can bring people together and empower communities to drive change. You'll be part of a wider spatial design research community at Camberwell College of Arts. With strong research in circularity and eco-sympoiesis, UAL can help you shape the future of your research and landscape design practice.

What to expect

  • Design process: Gain an understanding of landscape design, planning and the engineering design process. 
  • Design and modelling software: Access to AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, SketchUp (3D Modelling Software), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite, Building Information Modelling, Adobe InDesign, Vectorworks and Computer-Aided Design (CAD).
  • Urban design: Look at the design of towns, cities, streets, spaces and green infrastructure. 
  • Data analysis: Analyse and manage data by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 
  • Environmental science: Engage with horticulture, ecology and arboriculture. 
  • Impact assessments: Become familiar with what they are and require, particularly environmental assessments. 
  • Landscape management: Cover key areas such as gardening, pruning, weed control, trimming, mulch, paving and grounds keeping. 
  • Tools: Use hand and power tools. 
  • Irrigation: Be taught both landscaping and agricultural solutions. 
  • Project management: Get an introduction to Agile methodology, contract management and planning permission. 
  • Business skills: Learn risk analysis, business development, sales prospecting, warehousing, enterprise planning systems and finance. 

Industry experience and opportunities  

The self-defined nature of projects allows you to develop approaches that align with your own career interests.  

Your studies will be complimented by a unique partnership the course has made with the nearby Royal Horticultural Society. They provide access to the RHS heritage collections and rare books and use the RHS reading room. Research visits to Wisley Garden will also be offered and led by expert staff who have knowledge of garden design past and present.  

We also encourage further study through MRes or PhD study for students who want to pursue careers in research and academia.

Mode of study 

MA Landscape Design is offered in full-time mode and runs for 45 weeks over 12 months. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, split between teaching hours and independent study. 

Contact us

Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Course units

Unit 1: Discover and define

This unit introduces you to research-led landscape design practice. You'll attend a series of research and writing workshops and seminars. These will present you with a variety of methods for developing an integrated approach to theory and practice.

You'll examine historical and current case studies by looking at their urban context, design and build. You'll reflect critically on these and begin to create your own landscape design proposal. You'll define a field of study in which to contextualise your research project. This will form the basis of your progression to becoming an accredited landscape designer.

Unit 2: Define and develop

In this unit, you'll analyse your research proposal in more detail. It is about situating your work within a contemporary context relative to other practitioners. You'll work on your portfolio and critical research paper. Through these, you'll develop the basis and theory that will inform and underpin your work.

With the help of specialist tutors, you'll refine your study plan and expand your range of references. Your research can draw on other disciplines and theories. During this exploratory phase, you'll produce a large body of work through testing and prototyping.

By the end of the unit, you'll have a clear direction for your practice and writing. The unit will finish with a presentation of your work.

Unit 3: Develop and deliver

In Unit 3, you'll complete the landscape design project proposal you honed in Unit 2. You'll research, develop and realise your landscape design. You'll gain a deeper understanding of appropriate landscape architecture concepts and techniques. You'll develop your critical and creative skills in communication and presentation techniques. Through experimentation and speculative design research, you'll form an original approach to landscape architecture.

Learning and teaching methods

  • Design exercises. 
  • Group work. 
  • Individual and group tutorials. 
  • Lectures. 
  • Presentations. 
  • Reviews. 
  • Seminars. 
  • Site visits. 
  • Workshops. 

Assessment methods

  • Design portfolio. 
  • Essays. 
  • Illustrated reports and diaries. 

Staff

Adrian Friend - Interior Futures Programme Director

Fees and funding

Home fee

£14,420

This fee is correct for 2026/27 entry and is subject to change for 2027/28 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£30,890

This fee is correct for 2026/27 entry and is subject to change for 2027/28 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Additional costs

You may need to cover additional costs which are not included in your tuition fees, such as materials and equipment specific to your course. For a list of general digital equipment you may need (and how you can borrow equipment), visit our Study costs page.

Accommodation

Find out about accommodation options and how much they will cost, and other living expenses you’ll need to consider.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

If you’ve completed a qualifying course at UAL, you may be eligible for a tuition fee discount on this course. Find out more about our Progression discount.

You can also find out more about the Postgraduate Masters Loan (Home students only) and scholarships for Home and International students. Discover more about student funding.

If you’re based in the UK and plan to visit UAL for an Open Event, check if you’re eligible for our UAL Travel Bursary. This covers the costs of mainland train or airline travel to visit UAL.

How to pay

Find out how you can pay your tuition fees.

Scholarship search

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Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

  • BA (Hons) degree or equivalent academic qualifications in Landscape Architecture or relevant subjects such as Environmental Design. On occasion, graduates from other degrees who can demonstrate comparable abilities will also be considered.
  • Personal statement
  • Portfolio of work

Entry to this course will also be determined by the quality of your application, looking primarily at your portfolio of work and personal statement.

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • A combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit, but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

All classes are taught in English. If English isn't your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:

Selection criteria

We look for:

  • Recognised subject-specific skills, including scale architectural drawing and representation, model making and understanding of context. Flexible consideration will be made for applicants with an alternative background who can demonstrate an equivalent exploration of spatial ideas.
  • A developed spatial awareness and an ability to creatively organise space and represent and communicate complex spatial ideas at both macro and micro scales.
  • Evidence of an engagement with the critical debates surrounding contemporary landscape architecture and design practice within current contexts.

Information for disabled applicants

UAL is committed to achieving inclusion and equality for disabled students. This includes students who have:

     
  • Dyslexia or another Specific Learning Difference
  • A sensory impairment
  • A physical impairment
  • A long-term health or mental health condition
  • Autism
  • Another long-term condition which has an impact on your day-to-day life

Our Disability Service arranges adjustments and support for disabled applicants and students.

Read our Disability and dyslexia: applying for a course and joining UAL information.

Apply now

Application deadline

Applications are now closed for 2026/27 entry. Applications for 2027/28 entry will open in autumn 2026.

Read more about deadlines

Apply now

Application deadline

Applications are now closed for 2026/27 entry. Applications for 2027/28 entry will open in autumn 2026.

Read more about deadlines

How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement and CV.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 500 words and include:

  • your reasons for choosing the course
  • your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
  • any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

CV advice

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

Read our advice on preparing the tasks and documents for your initial application.

Step 2: Video task and digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a video task and digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit these via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool. Please submit your video task on the first page followed by your portfolio.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you:

  • Please speak clearly in English and face the camera.
  • Your video task is submitted along with your portfolio.
  • Read our guidance for how to submit your video task and which file types we accept.

As part of your video task, we would like you to identify one project from your portfolio which challenged you and your understanding of Landscape Design. Explain how this experience has inspired you to apply to MA Landscape Design at Camberwell College of Arts?

Find advice on how to plan and film your video task. Then read our guidance on how to submit your video task, including the file types we accept.

Digital portfolio advice

The portfolio should consist of your recent work, and:

  • be a maximum of 30 pages, including your video task
  • show subject specific skills including architectural knowledge, drawing, model making, computer aided design (CAD)
  • demonstrate your spatial awareness and ability to creatively organise space and represent spatial ideas
  • illustrate your engagement with critical debates surrounding landscape design practice through writing or other creative practices
  • include at least 1 project produced as a part of a degree course and / or professional workplace that reflects your critical enquiry and design position
  • include any supporting research, examples of design thinking and experimentation.
  • acknowledge if any work was produced collectively or involved the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence).

For more support, please visit our Portfolio advice page and PebblePad advice page.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for a maximum of 3 courses.

As every course has its own entry and assessment requirements, we recommend tailoring each application to showcase how your experience, skills and interests match that course. Applying for many different courses may make it more difficult for you to show that you are suitable for each course in a competitive admissions process.

Only apply to the course(s) you are most interested in – applying for too wide a range of different courses may reduce your ability to clearly demonstrate your suitability for each. It’s better to make fewer bespoke applications than many generic ones. This will help you to stand out where we have high demand for places.

If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. If your course requires a portfolio and/or video task, we may request these before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If we are unable to consider you for the course you have applied to but your application is really strong, we may make you an alternative offer on a different course or at a different UAL College. This happens when our admissions tutors have found another course that they believe would be a strong match for your skills and interests.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

Most of our postgraduate courses have 2 rounds of deadlines: one in December and one in March.

As long as you apply ahead of each deadline we will consider your application alongside all the other applications in that round. We always make sure to hold enough places back for round 2 to make sure we can consider your application fairly, no matter which round you apply in.

If there are still places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until all places have been filled.

For our MBA courses, there is only 1 deadline. This is 31 July for international applicants and 31 August for UK applicants. This is to make sure you have enough time to apply for your visa if you are an international student.

For our January-start courses, the deadline is in October. If there are still places available after this deadline, the course will remain open to applications until all places have been filled.

Careers

Camberwell College of Arts

Contact

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 6302

Address

Camberwell College of Arts
45 - 65 Peckham Road
London
SE5 8UF