MA in Landscape Architecture and Garden Design

Last modified: 26. November 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. Orsolya Bagi-Fekete senior lecturer (English)

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

Professional practice

The accredited Master’s program in Landscape Architecture and Garden Art (MA) requires students to complete a four-week professional internship as part of the training and outcome requirements. 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. 
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).
An important consideration when selecting and approving the internship site is that the design practice should be completed at a host organization where signing a confidentiality agreement is not required.

Obligations during the professional practice
Section 61 of the Study and Examination Regulations (TVSZ), along with Annex 1: Regulations on Professional Internships, contains the requirements related to professional internships. 

Evaluation and acceptance of practice

At the end of the internship, the student must submit a professional internship report.
The internship can be completed during the summer between the 1st and 2nd semesters or between the 3rd and 4th semesters, according to the student’s choice. The internship must be registered as a course in the Neptun Study System in the semester following its completion (2nd, 3rd, or 4th semester).
Upon course registration, the course coordinator will inform the student (in the course requirements) about the format, timing, and location of the report presentation. All interns are advised to take notes, make copies, and take photographs—of course with the host organization's permission—of the work they were involved in, so that it can be presented professionally and engagingly to fellow students and instructors during the 15-minute presentation.
 

Recognition prior to work experience
Access to description of professional practice of Landscape Architect and Garden Designer: 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:

• The comprehensive professional examination is based on the knowledge of the 4–6 most important professional subjects, for which a set of exam questions is issued. As part of the examination, students are also required to complete a professional drawing task, such as preparing a conceptual design for a landscape architecture element or an urban open space.
• 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 laborating, 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 thesis is written in Hungarian, but the student may request, in the manner specified in the Study and Examination Regulations (TVSZ), to submit the thesis in a foreign language with the approval of the program coordinator.
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