Dear Professor Helen Woolley (Head of School), Aidan Hoggard (School Director of Education), Professor Koen Lamberts (President and Vice-Chancellor), Professor Ruth Blakeley (Vice-President & Head of Faculty of Social Sciences), Professor Mary Vincent (Vice-President for Education),

We have become aware of The University of Sheffield's plans to close the Dual Masters in Landscape and Architecture (MALA) course, effective from this coming academic year. This decision is disrespectful to the success and singularity of the course and damaging for those wishing to continue their dual studies and qualifications, after years of work and commitment to the department and university.

There has been no consultation with current, future or prospective students on the future of the course. It is still being advertised for 2025 entry via the postgraduate directory page and as a progression route for prospective undergraduates who may be considering applying. This would put the University in breach of CMA compliance. We are also aware of the fact that senior staff members were asked to not inform current or prospective students about this, including when advertising the course on open days. 

Ignoring the egregious way in which the University has gone about this behind the backs of students, it is also worth drawing attention to the countless reasons why it would be such a misstep to see the course removed:

Reputation

The decision is especially shocking following the RIBA's comments in their 2024 Annual Report specifically highlighting the continued strength of the dual course and its relevancy in enacting change through design. We have a strong reputation as such a significant and unique course within education, whilst also demonstrating unique appeal to top ranking employers within the built environment.

"Cities are getting hotter and more congested. Nature and biodiversity loss is accelerating at unprecedented rates in human history. Urban areas are unable to cope with extreme flooding from climate breakdown. City dwellers are more likely to suffer from poor mental health, loneliness and cardiovascular disease. At the root of these crises is our self-enforced separation from nature, and perception that our buildings and landscapes are separate entities. To tackle the most pressing problems of our times, we need to integrate disciplines. 

In this context, I am very disappointed to learn of the plan to remove the MALA course at The University of Sheffield. I personally studied at Sheffield, undertaking a BSc dual honours in Landscape Architecture and Plant Science. I therefore recognise first-hand the importance of an integrated approach. LDA Design, is a built environment consultancy of more than 200 professionals, and as a Board Director, I personally have recruited many excellent graduates undertaking the Dual MALA and other Dual courses from Sheffield University. These graduates stand out because of the inter-disciplinary nature of their thinking and ability to work well in multi-disciplinary environments. In this context I would strongly oppose this decision.''

      - Sophie Thompson, Director at LDA Design

Key to Wider School’s Success

We were a part of making this school both the leading school of architecture and landscape in the country. Whilst many other Architecture departments in the country are increasing the number of courses, the University is deciding to cut one of its most unique and well-respected courses during a time of real success and significant growth at undergraduate level.

Progression Route and Singularity

Those having graduated from the dual undergraduate course have paid tens of thousands of pounds under a false pretence that they can continue this line of education. The course is unique at a national and international level meaning there is no alternate place to complete our professionally validated dual studies. The undergraduate dual course admissions webpage clearly states: “Graduates can continue their dual accreditation with our MArch Architecture and Landscape Architecture (MALA) course, which has accreditation from RIBA and LI”. If the course will not be going ahead in 2025, this is intentionally misleading and could affect a student’s choice of degree with false information, breaching CMA compliance. 

Cohort Strength, Identity and Belief

A course which straddles two departments and separate accrediting bodies could easily lead to a lack of identity, sense of belonging or lack of cross-communication. What is found in the dual course, and specifically MALA course, couldn't be further from this. Years of dedication towards making sure dual students feel both their unique place as a community but also within their larger year groups has meant that it is one of the most close-knit, supportive and resilient cohorts in the school.

This letter would not exist if we didn’t believe in this course whole heartedly. 

"The MALA course has been one of the best decisions I have made. The unique structure, encouraging interdisciplinary learning through the projects, studio culture and feedback process from tutors in both departments, have made me a well-rounded architect, who designs holistically, bridging the usual gap that exists between architecture and landscape."

      - Antonia Alexandru, MALA Graduate 2019

Immeasurable Wider School Impact

Whilst the MALA cohort may be small, its impact is much larger. In a year where the departments have formed together as the School of Architecture and Landscape, it is illogical to remove the only course which bridges the two, forming a key point of dialogue and dual disciplinary understanding to shape the future of design. In studio culture and in reviews, unique perspectives are shared and the status quo is challenged. 

"As an RIBA External Examiner for this course and the other undergraduate architectural courses from 2020-2024, I have consistently witnessed and reported the value of this combined course, the quality of its teaching and its wider benefit on the work of the students studying the pure architectural courses. This combined architectural and landscape degree is unique, and woven so closely together with the architectural undergraduate degree and it’s students, it is a genuine strength of the School. It should be built upon with the now combined Architectural and Landscape School, and the National and International reputation that the Architectural School has built for sustainable design and ground breaking research in climate change resilience and social justice. This course should be expanded, valued, promoted and celebrated – not cut. It is absolutely counter to the core principles on which the School of Architecture was founded and why students are attracted to it from around the globe." 

      - Jo McCafferty, Director at Levitt Bernstein & RIBA External Examiner

Threatens Current UG Wellbeing

The aforementioned strength of identity in the dual course relies on its strength as a whole, and by removing its top level this whole dynamic will shift. You will see dropout rates equal to pre-MALA days, which were between 60-70%, due to a lack of reason to continue on what is such an intense and specialised course, and lack of confidence that it is a worthwhile course to be studying.

The University’s Student Protection Plan states: “From time to time we may also decide to suspend recruitment to a programme for a fixed period. We have significant experience of managing changes of this type and of ensuring that such changes do not impact negatively on existing cohorts of students”. This is evidently untrue in this case, where the existing undergraduate cohort stands to be directly negatively affected.

"The singularity of the MALA program was a key factor in my decision to continue my studies at the University of Sheffield beyond my undergraduate degree. The dual accreditation from the RIBA and Landscape Institute offered an unparalleled progression route that I could not have pursued elsewhere. It is disheartening to imagine future students being denied access to such a transformative experience."

      - Olivia Hellman, MALA Graduate 2020 

Threatens Current and Future Postgraduates

Despite commitment to department and university during studies on an intensive and specialised undergraduate course, the broken promise of a progression route is not only disappointing but is deeply misleading. Students currently in practice were set in the understanding that they could return to the course after two years in practice rather than the minimum of one, and may inadvertently have missed the last opportunity to complete their studies.

Any alternative to the MALA route to dual chartership will financially burden graduates of the course by thousands of pounds out of their own pockets, as well as years more in education down an inefficient path.

"Since graduating in 2019, I have no doubt that MALA broadened my career opportunities. Most notably, it led to my current dual role as ‘Architect / Landscape Architect’. The accredited MALA course enabled me to qualify as a chartered Architect in 2023 and I am currently working towards chartership with the Landscape Institute. Without MALA, I do not believe achieving both of these career milestones would be attainable and I think taking this opportunity away from current and prospective dual students would be a huge loss to the individuals, School and the industry." 

      - Emma Koch, MALA Graduate 2019

The question keeps returning to ‘why?’. This isn’t a cost related issue, there simply isn't the evidence for it. Comparing this course to another is not equitable, as the unique nature of this specialist course speaks for itself. It is about an uninformed blanket decision which looks at the course quantitatively rather than qualitatively. If the University truly cared about the quality of its education options, student wellbeing, the School’s reputation and its educational integrity, it would see the inarguable case for continuation of the MALA course.

"The result of learning from both landscape and architecture are well rounded, considered and robust designers. In my humble opinion a dual approach to learning and practicing is absolutely critical for the future of the industry, therefore to close one of the best dual courses is difficult to hear and I fear for the future of the industry if this is the direction we are heading."

      - Mark Graham, Director at LDA Design

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The University of Sheffield must engage in a proper and fair consultation about the future of the course with those whom it will effect, and ultimately cease plans to remove the MALA course. We are passionate about our futures and this decision goes directly against the ability to qualify and practice in a way which bridges the gap between such important, and often disconnected, professions. With an environmental crisis which needs us all to think of how our built and natural environments can be designed more sympathetically and at one, we need to foster these pathways of education, not remove them.

The decision disregards years of hard work to get the course to its current level of professionalism and quality, and most importantly its singularity as a dual architecture and landscape course.

We are a close-knit, strong minded cohort, and will not stop until the future of the course is guaranteed. We will cause disruption and use our right to protest and strike unless an immediate conversation is had and the course is not cut, otherwise risking irreversible damage to the image of a successful and cohesive School of Architecture and Landscape, with a dual course which ties them together.