Environmental Design (MA) (Master's) at Michigan State University

Programme overview

The MA in Environmental Design is a post-professional degree shared by the Interior Design and Landscape Architecture programmes, training students to address environment-related issues in research and design using scientific, evidence-based approaches. It serves students with undergraduate design backgrounds who want to work in an interdisciplinary setting on an individual area of interest.

Faculty: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources | Department: School of Planning, Design and Construction | Duration: 30 credits (Plan A thesis or Plan B non-thesis) | Study mode: full-time | Location: East Lansing, MI, United States

What you will study

Core courses are IDES 892 Research Fundamentals in Environmental Design, LA 816 Environmental Design Theory, LA 817 Environmental Design Studio and LA 883 Environmental Design Seminar (12 credits), plus guided electives. Plan A requires 6-9 credits of LA 899 thesis research with an oral examination; Plan B requires 6 credits of LA 898 practicum and a major planning/design project or comprehensive examination. Core areas include social and behavioural science, ecological and natural resource science, humanities and arts, the built environment, and landscape engineering in planning and design.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

A bachelor's degree in a design-related field such as horticulture, park and recreation, interior design, landscape architecture or architecture (the school also lists graphic design and urban design); a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in design and technology courses; a portfolio of design work; and acceptance as an advisee by a participating environmental design faculty member.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants can start in fall (late August), spring (January) or summer (May) in the MPH programme; intake terms for other graduate programmes are set by each department or program.

The graduate application fee is $75 for domestic and international applicants, with one fee per application; applicants may submit up to two applications to different graduate majors per semester. Applications are reviewed by the department or program, which sets its own deadlines.

MPH application deadlines (SOPHAS completion): fall May 18, spring October 18, summer February 15; MSU supplemental application: fall June 1, spring November 1, summer March 1.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/graduate-students

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