Applications for the 2025-2026 Academic Year Open September 1.
Prospective students are encouraged to review the admission and application requirements below. Once you are ready to apply, please complete your online application through GradApp. If you have any questions, consider attending one of our information sessions or contact our graduate programs coordinator.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
The non-refundable application fee for the MLA program is $90. Please note that we do not provide application fee waivers.
PROGRAM COST
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE REQUIREMENT
Students applying to the program must meet University of Arizona Graduate College admissions standards:
- Degree: Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-US institution of higher learning.
- GPA: A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.*
- English proficiency: International students must demonstrate English language proficiency and submit current test scores. Please review U of A Graduate College English Proficiency requirements for acceptable thresholds and exemptions.
- Entrance exams such as the GRE are not required.
*Applicants that do not meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement, may pursue admission in the future by enrolling in 6 to 12 units as a Graduate Non-Degree Seeking student. For more information, please contact capla-grad@arizona.edu.
Prospective MLA students must apply online using GradApp. Applications will not be evaluated until all application material has been submitted in GradApp and the application fee has been paid. The non-refundable application fee for the MA program is $90. Please note that we do not provide application fee waivers.
All applicants must upload the following documents using PDF format:
Statement of Purpose: Please submit a 2- to 3-page (single-spaced) statement of purpose articulating your interest in the MLA program in the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona. Please format your statement of purpose as indicated in GradApp.
Resume: Please include a resume outlining your academic and professional background.
Letters of Recommendation: Please provide the names and email addresses of 3 people who can speak to your potential for success in graduate studies. A combination of academic and professional recommendations is preferred.
Transcripts: Please include unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended. If not in English, please be sure to include English translations in addition to the original. Upon admission, you are required to submit official copies of all transcripts to the University of Arizona Graduate College by the end of your first semester.
Portfolio (optional): Creative portfolios are not required for the MLA program, but if you would like to submit a portfolio please follow the instructions as provided in the application.
The application process is the same for both the MLA and MLA advanced standing.
While CAPLA cannot guarantee funding through the MLA program, students are encouraged to apply for additional opportunities.
After their first full year in the program, students are eligible for a number of CAPLA-specific scholarships.
The university also offers other scholarship and financial aid opportunities for incoming and returning students. Please refer to Scholarships & Financial Aid for more information.
CAPLA also offers WRGP pricing for eligible incoming and returning students.
Graduate research and teaching assistantships may be available for students, but these are usually not awarded in the first semester of the program. Please refrain from contacting faculty and staff to solicit these opportunities during the application process.
From the West? Get Arizona Resident Tuition Pricing for the MLA!
If you're from one of 15 Western states, you're now eligible for Arizona resident tuition pricing for the Master of Landscape Architecture through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP).
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
The University of Arizona is one of only two universities in the country to offer Coverdell Fellowships to returned Peace Corps volunteers who are enrolled in a graduate landscape architecture program. Coverdell Fellows find a robust Peace Corps community at the university and in Tucson, and many are CAPLA alumni. View more information about the program, including scholarships: