OVERVIEW

Landscape Architecture has developed to be a comprehensive and inter-discipline related with multi-disciplines such as Architecture, Urban Planning, Environment Sciences, Ecology and Tourism etc. over more than 100 years. Today, this discipline is oriented not only human settlement environment, but also the whole national and regional environments, as well as some important engineering fields such as ecologic protection, resources planning, environmental planning and so on. Its objective and core is to harmonize the relationship between human beings and nature. In 21st century, landscape architects play more and more important roles especially in such a speed-up developing country as China which presses for protecting, developing and improving the environment, of human inhabitation and settlement.

Tongji University firstly opened Landscape Architecture in China as an undergraduate program. Landscape Architecture is a comprehensive subject integrated with graphic thinking and logical thinking. It is based on Landscape Planning and Design (Landscape Architecture) and Tourism Management (Tourism Planning).

PROGRAMS

BLA

I.Educational Goal

The program aims at educating students to be top professional landscape architects, in areas such as garden design and planning, planning of scenic areas, landscape resource conservation, tourism planning and development, urban landscape construction.

It also aims at training students to become profession leaders, working in design and planning institutes or related administrative departments that are engaged in environmental construction of human settlements at national, urban and rural levels, landscape construction of cities and countryside, urban planning and design, planning and design for scenic areas, national forest parks and national geological parks, etc.

II.Program Duration 

4 years.

Students will be awarded degree of bachelor of engineering.

III.Main Courses

The discipline consists of theories of four fields: 

1. Landscape and Garden Design.

2. Landscape Planning and Ecology Regeneration.

3. Historical Theory and Heritage Conservation.

4. Landscape Engineering and Plant Application.

Courses include: Theory of L.A., Principles in Landscape Planning and Design, Studies on Landscape Resources, Landscape Ecology, Theory of Scenic Areas, Architecture, History of Chinese and Foreign Gardening, Garden Plant Design, Theory of Urban Green Space System Planning, Planting Design, Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture and Garden Engineering, etc.

MLA

I.Educational Goal

1. The program aims to turn out science and research talents with all-around development in moral, intellectual, physical education. 

2. The students are trained to have a solid foundation in basic theory and a systematic knowledge of the discipline, to have rigorous scholarship and professional pursuits; to have the ability to do hands-on work in the field of Landscape Architecture, and to command at least one foreign language for professional communications. 

3. The students are trained to be able to resolve the problems in landscape practice. 

II.Educational System and Duration 

The duration for master program is 2.5 years, including 1-1.5 years of coursework and at least 1 year of thesis work. All the required coursework and thesis work must be completed within 4 years. Students are granted with master degree of engineering. Those who finish their coursework in advance, if the requirements for thesis defense are met and their status is approved, can process their graduation work (including both defending and application)at an earlier time.

III.Research Orientations

1. History and theory of landscape architecture.

2. Landscape planning.

3. Landscape design.

4. Landscape conservation.

5. Plants and planting.

6. Landscape technology.

IV.Thesis-writing

Thesis-writing, as an important work in training master candidates, demonstrates graduates’ ability to do scientific and research as well as hands-on work. Master candidates must, with the help of their tutors, finish writing their thesis on their own to prove that they have reached all the requirements set in the “training program”. While the thesis must be written in Chinese, International students are allowed to write their thesis in English with its abstract translated in Chinese. All theses for master degree will be assessed in accordance with “The Provisions of Training Working for Master Candidates of Tongji University;” and are subject at random to a two-way anonymous examination of degree thesis, organized by the Academic Degree Administration of Tongji University. All the first draft of theses for master degree is subject to the two-way anonymous examination of degree thesis.

PhD 

I.Educational Goal

1. The program aims to turn out science and research talents with correct views of world, life and value, spirits of perseverance in truths and serving people, and professional ethics. 

2. The students are trained to have a solid foundation in basic theory and a systematic knowledge of the discipline; to have the ability to do both scientific research and hands-on work on their own in the field of Landscape Architecture; to have creative academic spirit and ability; and to command at least one foreign language for professional communications. 

3. The program aims to meet the increasing social needs for senior landscape architects with all-around development in moral, intellectual, physical education. 

II.Educational System and Duration 

The duration for PhD program is 3 years, including no more than 1 year for program courses and at least 2 years for a dissertation work for PhD degree. All the required courses must be finished within a period of 5 years. After completing all required courses, students are granted PhD degree of engineering. Students who finish their courses ahead the schedule and meet the requirements for dissertation defense can, after approval, defend their dissertation, graduate, and apply for PhD degree at an earlier time. 

III.Research Orientations

1. Landscape history and theory.

2. Landscape planning and design.

3. Ecologic landscape, Landscape plant, technology and management.

4. Tourism planning and design.

5. Environmental and art design.

IV.Dissertation 

PhD candidates must, under the guidance of their tutors, finish writing their dissertation on their own to prove that they have reached all the requirements set in the “training program”. The dissertation must be written in Chinese. International students are permitted to write their dissertation in English but they must write a detailed abstract in Chinese. Students who finish writing their dissertation in Chinese should write an abstract in English and submit at least one academic paper for publication in English according to their dissertation. All the first draft of dissertation for PhD degree is subject to the two-way anonymous review of degree dissertation. 

V.Research Papers 

To be granted a PhD degree, PhD candidates in Landscape Architecture must publish at least 2 academic papers about a subject of the discipline or relevant to the discipline with the signature of the PhD candidate placed first, or with the signature of the tutor first and PhD candidate second, and with the institution of Tongji University. At least 1 paper should be in the academic journeys or international academic conferences approved by the board of the discipline of College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University. At least 1 paper should be in the academic journeys or international academic conferences approved by the board of the Landscape Architecture discipline, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University.