School of Visual Studies

The School of Visual Studies requires all students to have a laptop computer equipped with and capable of running the software listed below. While students will not be denied attendance based on an inability to possess a computer, the SVS does consider a computer to be an essential tool for full participation in the curriculum.

• Students Who Already Own a Laptop: For those who already have laptops, we "accept" any laptop running a recent (less than 4 years old) MAC OS or Windows OS with the following:
• the current version of Adobe Creative Cloud
• WIFI Capability
• A webcam and microphone
• Zoom video conference software
• Word Processing and Presentation: Microsoft Office; Google Docs and Google Slides; and/or Apple Pages and Keynote
• Adobe CC computing requirements (https://adobe.ly/35JVxxk)
• Discounted Adobe CC subscription ($40/year) (https://bit.ly/adobe4forty)
• Students Who Are Purchasing New Laptops The default SVS recommendation for all students is to purchase either a new Apple MacBook Air or a new Apple MacBook Pro (or a PC laptop with comparable computing power i.e. storage, processor, and RAM). Minimum computing needs vary by program/emphasis. Please consult the section below for more detailed information.
• BA in Art History, Film Studies or Art (BA/BFA; fibers, sculpture, ceramics, drawing and painting) These programs are recommended to have the equivalent of a new MacBook Air (or better) meeting the above-stated minimum requirements.
• BA in Film Studies Production or Digital Storytelling emphasis These programs are encouraged to have a 13+ inch MacBook Pro with an M1 or better processor; 16 GB of RAM; 1TB+ SSD Storage. Students may choose to purchase a laptop with 256GB+ internal storage with a supplemental external SSD drive to reach a total of 1TB of data storage.
• BA/BFA in Art (graphic design, photography, printmaking, digital workflow) These programs are encouraged to have a 13+ inch MacBook Pro and 1TB+ SSD Storage either as internal storage or with a supplemental external SSD drive.