The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was among the first institutions in the nation to offer an educational program in landscape architecture, with a degree program in place by 1907. It is the only accredited program in the state of Illinois to offer all three landscape degree options, BLA, MLA and Ph.D. Today, the Department of Landscape Architecture sponsors one of the leading graduate-level academic and research programs in the country. The department was particularly influential in the modernization of landscape pedagogy through the teaching of Stanley Hart White, impacting the work of Peter Walker, Hideo Sasaki, Richard Haag, Charles Harris, Philip H. Lewis Jr. and others.
International Study of Landscapes and Health: The challenge of creating sustainable, healthy places has never been more pressing. The University of Illinois and National Taiwan University have developed a partnership to help address this challenge through the International Study of Landscapes and Health. The University of Illinois hosts students from National Taiwan University during the fall semester, and NTU hosts a spring semester program for students from the University of Illinois. Through this study abroad experience, Illinois students learn a great deal about how landscapes impact human health and well-being. They also get to experience the thriving city of Taipei, outstanding food, and a culture that welcomes and prizes students.