Apply to this Program

Admission Requirements

The M.S. in Landscape Design is designed for people interested in pursuing a professional career in landscape design. Admission to the program is highly selective. While no prior design experience is required, preference is given to those applicants who evidence creativity and an aptitude for design in their portfolios. All applicants must have an undergraduate degree.

Because this program is offered only on a part-time basis, enrollment in this degree program does not qualify international students for a student visa.

Note: Applicants for whom English is not a first language will be required to demonstrate English proficiency before being considered for the program, regardless of whether or not they have studied at colleges or universities where the instruction is in English.

Application Materials

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online and to submit supporting materials online (except transcripts and test scores, which must be submitted in sealed envelopes). Online applications can be processed more efficiently.

1. Completed Online Application form.

   Applicants who are unable to apply online may download a copy of the application, complete it, and mail it, together with all supporting documents, to the address below.

2. $50.00 nonrefundable application fee (U.S. currency). Applicants not applying online may pay in the form of a check or money order made out to Columbia University.  Do not send cash. Checks must be in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank.  If you would like to pay by credit card you must apply online.

3. Official transcripts, from all post-secondary schools attended, in envelopes sealed by the issuing institutions. Copies, opened or unsealed envelopes, unofficial printouts, or facsimiles will not be accepted. Many schools take a number of weeks to fulfill transcript requests; please plan accordingly. Academic transcripts in foreign languages must be accompanied by an official translation (as well as a guide or key where appropriate or necessary). Applications containing transcripts without translations will not be considered.

4. Statement of academic purpose (no more than 500 words). The statement should describe how the M.S. in Landscape Design connects the applicant's professional experience and enhances his or her professional goals.

5. Evidence of the applicant’s promise as a landscape designer. Students may fulfill this requirement with either a portfolio or an interpretive essay.

   Portfolios should consist of photographic reproductions--either prints or slides--of pieces of original art work. Submissions are limited to a maximum size of 8.5" x 11" and each must be labeled with applicant’s name; date, medium and scale of original piece; and the role that the applicant played in the piece’s production (e.g., artist, primary designer, delineator, model maker, photographer, etc.). No digital submissions will be accepted.

   Interpretive essays analyze a work of art or a landscape and should be no longer than five typed pages. Applicants are required to submit a photograph of the work of art or the landscape under consideration.

   Portfolios and essays are not returned and become the property of Columbia University.

6. Résumé.

7. Two letters of recommendation, written by supervisors or peers who can attest to the applicant’s capacity to engage in a rigorous, academic program that calls for maturity and stamina, as well as the ability to receive and provide criticism.

8. Non-native speakers of English must fulfill additional application requirements.

Submitting the Application

1. Applicants who apply online are encouraged to submit all remaining supporting application materials in a single packet. Applicants who apply by mail should submit their application and all supporting materials in a single packet. While the Office of Admissions will accept materials submitted piecemeal, such submissions substantially delay the admissions process.

2. All submitted materials should clearly bear the applicant's name, Social Security number, and the name of the program to which he or she is applying.

3. Because of the large volume of applications we receive, the Office of Admissions cannot accept application materials (e.g., transcripts) submitted in advance of applications themselves.

4. Applications are not considered complete until all required materials (including the application fee, and ALP scores if necessary) have been received. Only complete applications are reviewed.

Mailing Address and Contact Information

Landscape Design Program
Office of Admissions
School of Continuing Education
203 Lewisohn Hall
2970 Broadway, Mail Code 4119
New York, NY 10027-6902
212-854-9666
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 :00 AM-6:00 PM; Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Notification of Admissions Decision

Strong candidates (who submit their application early) may be admitted before the deadline. Once the deadline has passed, all remaining applications are reviewed. It usually takes three to four weeks to receive a decision after the review process begins.

Important: Because of the volume of applications we receive, please allow up to four weeks to receive your decision. Students will be notified of decisions via e-mail.