Students in upper division and graduate studios are introduced to complex urban and community design problems, often as service learning projects in the region’s communities. Studio work builds on theory and knowledge developed in lecture and seminar courses, and on field trips to cities and other locations that are required as part of the BSED and MLA programs. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to seek outside opportunities to study urban regions, and many pursue careers in firms that are engaged in international urban design work. Recent field trips have included destinations such as San Diego, Vancouver BC, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Graduate students with undergraduate degrees in Landscape Architecture or Architecture have the option of going to the Boise Urban Design Center to complete their MLA. At the UDC, students work in interdisciplinary studio and seminar classes for the first year of their graduate program. They move toward discipline-specific specialized study in the second year of the program, focusing on work that supports their master’s project or thesis.

Specific courses that emphasize urban design include:

• LARC 151 Introduction to the Built Environment
• LARC 389 History of Landscape Architecture
• LARC 390 Italian Hill Towns and Urban Centers
• LARC 453-55 Landscape Architecture Studio 5 and 6
• LARC 463-65 Landscape Architecture Studio 7 and 8
• LARC 481 Urban Systems in Ecology
• LARC 504 ST Virtual Cities
• LARC 520 Regional and Community Design Seminar
• LARC 554 Graduate Studio 1, Regional and Community Design Studio (Boise)
• LARC 556 Graduate Studio 2, Urban Design Studio (Boise)