"I wanted to go to graduate school so I would be qualified to teach landscape architecture at the college level. Since I had an undergraduate landscape architecture degree and six years of professional experience, I enrolled in the Natural Resources and Environmentí¢â‚¬â„¢s two-year academic plan in Landscape Architecture rather than the three-year plan, which is designed for students with no previous background in the field."

í¢â‚¬Å“I particularly liked the two-year planí¢â‚¬â„¢s flexible structure, which enabled me to tailor my coursework to support my research interest in cultural landscapes without duplicating material Ií¢â‚¬â„¢d already learned in college and on the job. Michiganí¢â‚¬â„¢s strong research focus also influenced my decision, because I lacked experience in this area and wanted to develop my own research capabilities."

í¢â‚¬Å“Although I hadní¢â‚¬â„¢t planned to pursue a Ph.D. at Michigan, I reconsidered after learning that a doctoral degree is now the preferred qualification for hiring at university landscape-architecture programs and opens the door to more jobs. Furthermore, Michiganí¢â‚¬â„¢s doctoral program in Landscape Architecture is the oldest and by far the most well established of any nationwide. A Michigan Ph.D. is viewed very favorably by landscape-architecture academics. Fortunately, I was able to apply many masterí¢â‚¬â„¢s credits toward my Ph.D., which put me a year ahead in my doctoral studies."

í¢â‚¬Å“The highlight of my masterí¢â‚¬â„¢s experience was writing my thesis about the influence of immigrants on cultural landscapes in Midwestern cities. My advisor, Professor Larissa Larsen, guided me through the process, and a course on research methods gave me the skills and intellectual framework to conduct and understand research. I gained hands-on experience with Geographic Information Systems while assisting Professor Larsen in her own research project, which centered on coordinating the locations of food-bank resources and needy clients. Other faculty members enriched my experience as well, and I will continue to seek them out as resources as I develop my doctoral dissertation."

í¢â‚¬Å“Any student considering the two-year plan and Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture is well-advised to have a clear idea of the research he or she wants to pursue in order to maximize the educational process.í¢â‚¬ 