MA in Landscape Architecture and Garden Design

Last modified: 13. March 2025

The purpose of the program: the settlement environment becomes an increasingly significant, determining factor that significantly affects the quality of life. The social demand and expectations for the quality of the environment are generally increasing and affecting ever wider strata. The certified landscape architect-garden artist contributes to the creation of high-quality, attractive and at the same time livable landscape and settlement environment, he is its spiritual creator.
The creative role of the landscape architect-horticulturist is significant not only in the attractive design of public areas, streets, public spaces, public parks, but also in the design of institutional gardens and private gardens. Their important tasks are the cultural heritage, the historic environment and historical gardens, or reconstruction and rehabilitation of historical landscapes. The graduates work as independent creators or as employees of architectural and landscape architecture workshops and studios in local governments, institutions, companies, civil organizations, or they act on behalf of private individuals.

Qualification of the degree:

• level of degree: Master of Science (MSc);
• qualification: Landscape Architect and Garden Designer.

Length of program: 4 semesters
Work schedule: full-time (HU, EN)
Financial options: state scholarship or self-funded
Program Leader: Dr. Albert Fekete university professor
Deputy program leaders: 

• Dr. Balázs Almási associate professor (Hungarian)
• Dr. Eszter Karlócai-Bakay associate professor (English)

Training location: Budapest (Buda Campus)
Language of Conduction: Hungarian or English

Professional practice

The professional practice is a four-week, independently completed professional practice outside the institution, the credit value of which is 5 credits. The professional practice can be completed both in Hungary and abroad. The 4-week (160-hour) professional practice shall be completed continuously during the summer vacation if possible; professional practice with a different duration (e. g. 2+2 weeks, 3+1 weeks) shall be agreed with the subject supervisor. In the case of a passive semester, the professional practice can also be completed during the academic year.
The professional practice of the MA training is emphatically a design practice, where it is advisable to look for landscape architecture workshops with primarily object design activities, where there are (lead) designers with K(1) authorization. Since landscape architecture is a related profession to architecture and town planning, it is also acceptable to contact offices with an É1 and TT1 (lead) designer - even if there is no professional (K) designer - but only if the office regularly carries out open space planning (e. g. public spaces).

Obligations during the professional practice
During the professional practice, the student works under the supervision and guidance of the host's professionals. Starting and ending work is governed by the regulations of the company's work schedule, but the student's weekly working hours may not exceed 40 hours. The student's working time is a maximum of 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, of which a maximum of 4 hours per week may be exempted only in particularly justified cases. The student is obliged to comply with the applicable company labor safety rules. During the professional practice, the student's work shall be regularly checked by the University's designated instructor (responsible).

Evaluation and acceptance of practice
Completion of the practice is confirmed by the workplace manager by completing and signing the "Certification and evaluation of the completion of the professional practice". A copy of this will be given to the student on the last day of the practice.
If the subject is registered, the student submits the certificate and evaluation of the completion of the professional practice as described in the subject requirements to the lecturer.
The subject supervisor informs the student (in terms of subject requirements) about the method, time and place of the report. All interns are requested to make notes, copies, photos - of course with the permission of the host - of the works with which they came into contact, so that they can be presented to fellow students and instructors in a sufficiently professional and informative way during the 15-minute ppt.

Recognition prior to work experience
The professional practice belonging to the training can also be completed by taking into account work experience. Crediting of previous work experience shall be initiated at the Institute's Study and Credit Transfer Committee. Only work performed in the field corresponding to the training can be counted as work experience, if the duration of the work is at least as long as the professional practice according to the curriculum of the training, in terms of the working hours completed.
In the case of a request to count the work experience as a professional practice, the Institute's Study and Credit Transfer Committee may request the opinion of the specialist, and may request additional data from the student.

Access to description of professional practice: https://landscape.uni-mate.hu/practical-training

Skills and professional competences acquired on completion of the program

The graduated landscape architect-horticulturist is able to identify the professional problems of landscape architecture and horticulture, their versatile, interdisciplinary approach, and to explore and formulate the detailed theoretical and practical background necessary for their solution.
With a landscape architect-horticulturist degree, a planning authorization can be obtained as a member of the Landscape and Garden Architecture Department of the Hungarian Chamber of Architects (Landscape and garden architecture planning area).

Conditions of obtaining pre-degree certificate (absolutorium)

• completion of: all the compulsory subjects of the program, the required number of optional credits according to the curriculum and the number of credits for the preparation of the thesis, for a total of 120 credits.
• completion of 4-week long professional training

Final exam

Condition to attend final exam:

• obtained pre-degree certificate (absolutorium);
• submission of thesis and its acceptance by reviewers;
• the student shall not be in debt to the University.

Parts of final exam:

• comprehensive complex exam;
• thesis defense.

Field of knowledge and subjects of final exam 
From 2021/22 academic year:
In the course, as part of the complex exam, a professional drawing task shall be prepared (preparation of a sketch plan of a landscape architecture object, urban open space).

Thesis defense
The result of the final exam is given by the arithmetic mean of the marks of the professional complex exam and the diploma defense. If the result of either the diploma defense or the complex exam is failed, the result of the final exam is failed. In the event of a failed final exam, both the professional complex exam and the diploma defense shall be repeated.
Diploma plan topics are announced by the departments. Departments teaching foundation subjects can also announce a diploma plan topic. By developing it, the students prove that they can apply the learned material independently. The diploma plan contains its own exam, survey, analysis, proposal and planning work. The students can choose from among the proposed topics or initiate their own idea as a topic that suits their interests at the relevant department.
The language of the diploma plan is Hungarian, but it can also be prepared in a foreign language with the permission of the supervisor.
The diploma plan shall be prepared under the guidance of the specialist department and the supervisor according to the schedule fixed in the educational program and the sample curriculum of the training.
 

Evaluation of final exam and qualification of degree from 2020/21 academic year

Accordingly, to chapter 4.3.16 Final exam and chapter 4.3.17. Degree certificate.

Model curriculum of the program