Manchester School of Architecture has announced that the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) course has been added to the joint agreement between the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Manchester School of Architecture is a joint school between Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester and is currently placed 11th in the world in the QS 2021 Architecture rankings.

Starting from September 2021, students enrolling on the MLA course will gain a qualification from both Manchester Metropolitan and the University of Manchester and will benefit from having access to libraries, workshops and facilities in both institutions.

Professor Kevin Singh, Head of Manchester School of Architecture, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve been able to add the MLA to the joint agreement between Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester that brings so much benefit to our students and kudos to the School.

“Securing this was one of my top priorities when I arrived at the start of the academic year and I’d like to thank MLA colleagues in particular for their hard work to help achieve this. I have no doubt that this new found status will help us attract more excellent students to the programme and provide even more opportunities for the MLA to intertwine with our M.Arch and other post graduate programmes.”

‘The Ground Below Our Feet’ by Georgia Hartley

The MLA course is accredited by the UK Landscape Institute and is recognised worldwide by the International Federation of Landscape Architects, preparing graduates for the final stage of professional accreditation as a landscape architect.

The course offers students the space to experiment with two accredited routes, and through research, live projects and a studio atelier system, students can gain a wide range of experience across creative, academic and technical skills.

Landscape architecture first became part of the School of Architecture at the Manchester Municipal School of Art in 1934 and was one of the first specialist landscape courses in the UK.

In its early years, the course was part of a pioneering collaboration between the School of Architecture and the University of Manchester, a partnership which is now being revived once again.

Stephen Walker, Head of Architecture at the University of Manchester said: “This is a really exciting development for the Manchester School of Architecture. It brings clear benefits for all our students, and will help both students and staff to continue to explore responses to contemporary challenges—particularly around the climate emergency, where Landscape Architecture can promote new practice and thinking at regional and local scale.”

To find out more about the MLA course, please visit the Manchester School of Architecture website.