This fall, international studies major Mikaela Murphy ’16 will begin work on completing a Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree in the College of Environment and Design (CED) at the University of Georgia (UGA). She will receive full funding for two years through an assistantship.
UGA’s CED is consistently ranked as having one of the best M.L.A. programs in the country alongside Harvard University, Cornell University, and Virginia Tech. Each year, the program selectively admits only about 16 new students.
This past January, Murphy completed an internship at UGA’s CED that was coordinated by Laura Kviklys ’07, who finished her Master of Historic Preservation at UGA and now leads FindIt!, the CED’s public outreach program.
“My very positive internship experience with Laura and the FindIt! program prompted me to apply to UGA for a degree in landscape architecture,” Murphy said. “I will concentrate my M.L.A. studies on urban design and planning.”
After completing her M.L.A. degree, Murphy hopes to practice landscape architecture through either a private firm or a municipality, and someday work abroad. “Landscape architecture is a growing field in China, a country that has captured my academic interest during my time at Hollins,” she explained, adding that after gaining a few years of experience, she would like to pursue a Ph.D. in geography or urban studies/design.
