Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.

All students are strongly encouraged to have a laptop computer. Students are also recommended to purchase additional warranty and coverage for accidental damage, external storage for secure backups of classwork and personal information, and a security lock.

Adobe Creative Cloud at VPA: Adobe Creative Cloud is available for free on shared computers in ITS labs across campus. VPA students enrolled in specific classes will have access on their personal device during the semester they are enrolled in a participating class. Students in the Department of Film and Media Arts (FMA) receive a personal device license while enrolled in FMA courses.

Below you will find additional recommendations for specific VPA departments, schools and programs.

Additional Recommendations for Specific Schools, Departments, and Programs

Expand
titleSchool of Art

Laptops capable of running Adobe Creative Suite are recommended.

Expand
titleDepartment of Communication and Rhetorical Studies

Students should own a computer. Computer labs are available for any platform-specific classes.

...

titleSchool of Design

Printable School of Design Computer Recommendations [Word]

A laptop computer is expected for all students in the School of Design. The School recommends laptops for their easy portability between a residence and studio space. This computing flexibility is paired with access to the Warehouse computer lab for major-specific computer courses.

During the first year, students will be required and expected to have access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Trimble SketchUp Free. We recommend subscribing to Creative Cloud Student Edition. Syracuse University provides students with Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite. These services are ideal for backup, group work and file sharing.

Design Studies

Students in the Design Studies program should follow the computing requirements for Communications Design; please see below.

Environmental & Interior Design

Students in the EDI program will need the computing capacity to run Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk AutoCAD, McNeel Rhino 3D (Windows OS), Trimble Sketchup, Autodesk Revit, and rendering plug-ins such as Enscape or Keyshot.

The EDI program and Warehouse Lab are set up to principally support computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system. Although in the past it has been possible to run Windows on Macbooks, Apple’s ARM-based Macs (M1) will not support Boot Camp to install and run Windows 10 on the machines. All incoming EDI freshmen should be equipped with computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system to run Windows apps required by the program.  We DO NOT suggest a Macbook for EDI students.

Minimum Technical Guidelines

  • Laptop Windows 10
  • Intel Core i7 (hex core or better preferred)
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 500 GB+ SSD
  • 4 GB+ dedicated Video Graphics card. (Avoid Intel or integrated graphics) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD equivalent with 4GB VRAM recommended. RTX for higher performance.
  • 15” Display (Display resolution 2560 x 1440 or higher)
  • External optical mouse

Additional Smart Computing Tools

  • 3 year on-site/at home warranty or AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support
  • External 1 TB+ USB SSD or hard drive for extra storage and backup

Optional Accessories

  • Protective Case
  • External 24”+ monitor with HDMI port (plus HDMI cable and USB-C to HDMI converter)
  • 128 GB+ USB flash drive
  • Video adapters, VGA or HDMI connection

Communications Design

The Communications Design major— much like the Communications Design industry— uses Apple Macintosh computers as their primary tool platform for getting work done. Based on our experience we offer the following guidelines as a set of minimum requirements for student computers.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
  • Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
  • Minimum 16GB RAM
  • Minimum 512GB Hard Drive (Internal)

Additional Smart Computing Tools

...

All students are strongly encouraged to have a laptop computer. Students are also recommended to purchase additional warranty and coverage for accidental damage, external storage for secure backups of classwork and personal information, and a security lock.

Adobe Creative Cloud at VPA: Adobe Creative Cloud is available for free on shared computers in ITS labs across campus. VPA students enrolled in specific classes will have access on their personal device during the semester they are enrolled in a participating class. Students in the Department of Film and Media Arts (FMA) receive a personal device license while enrolled in FMA courses.

Below you will find additional recommendations for specific VPA departments, schools and programs.

Additional Requirements for Specific Schools, Departments, and Programs


Expand
titleSchool of Art

Laptops capable of running Adobe Creative Suite are recommended.


Expand
titleDepartment of Communication and Rhetorical Studies

Students in the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies are required to own a personal computer with specifications sufficient to conduct research on the web, check email, write papers, and perform related tasks. Syracuse University provides all students with licenses for both Microsoft 365, which includes the Microsoft Office suite of applications, and Google's G-Suite.


Expand
titleSchool of Design

A laptop computer is expected for all students in the School of Design. The school recommends laptops for their easy portability between a residence and studio space. This computing flexibility is paired with access to the Warehouse computer lab for major-specific computer courses.

During the first year, students will be required and expected to have access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Trimble SketchUp Free. We recommend subscribing to Creative Cloud Student Edition. Syracuse University provides students with Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite. These services are ideal for backup, group work and file sharing.

Design Studies

Students in the design studies program should follow the computing requirements for communications design; please see below.

Communications Design

The communications design major— much like the communications design industry— uses Apple Macintosh computers as their primary tool platform for getting work done. Based on our experience we offer the following guidelines as a set of minimum requirements for student computers.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
  • Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
  • Minimum 16GB RAM
  • Minimum 1TB SSD Storage
    Configure your machine with the most RAM and storage your budget allows.

Additional Smart Computing Tools

  • Encouraged: AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support / Buying through University Bookstore offers extended warranty with longer coverage than AppleCare
  • (2) USB 3.0 Flash drive — 64GB Min
  • USB C to USB Dongle
  • Dedicated, external hard drive for regular, local backups, 5TB

Optional Accessories

  • External Mouse
  • Protective Case

Fashion Design

In the fashion design industry, Apple Macintosh computers are used as a primary tool platform for getting work done. We offer these guidelines for minimum requirements for fashion design student computers.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
  • Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
  • Minimum 16GB RAM
  • Minimum 512GB Hard Drive (Internal)

Additional Smart Computing Tools

  • AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support / Buying through SU University Bookstore offers extended warranty with longer coverage than AppleCare
  • (2) USB 3.0 Flash drive — 64GB Min
  • USB C to USB Dongle
  • Dedicated, external hard drive for regular, local backups, 5TB

A laptop computer is expected for all students in the School of Design. The School recommends laptops for their easy portability between a residence and studio space. This computing flexibility is paired with access to the Warehouse computer lab for major-specific computer courses.

During the first year, students will be required and expected to have access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Trimble SketchUp Free. We recommend subscribing to Creative Cloud Student Edition. Syracuse University provides students with Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite. These services are ideal for backup, group work and file sharing.

Environmental & Interior Design

Students in the EDI program will need the computing capacity to run Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk AutoCAD, McNeel Rhino 3D (Windows OS), Trimble Sketchup, Autodesk Revit, and rendering plug-ins such as Enscape or Keyshot.

The EDI program and Warehouse Lab are set up to principally support computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system. Although in the past it has been possible to run Windows on Macbooks, Apple’s ARM-based Macs (M1) will not support Boot Camp to install and run Windows 10 on the machines. All incoming EDI freshmen should be equipped with computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system to run Windows apps required by the program.  We DO NOT suggest a Macbook for EDI students.

Minimum Technical Guidelines

  • Laptop Windows 10
  • Intel Core i7 (hex core or better preferred)
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 500 GB+ SSD
  • 4 GB+ dedicated Video Graphics card. (Avoid Intel or integrated graphics) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD equivalent with 4GB VRAM recommended. RTX for higher performance.
  • 15” Display (Display resolution 2560 x 1440 or higher)
  • External optical mouse

Additional Smart Computing Tools

  • 3 year on-site/at home warranty or AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support
  • External 1 TB+ USB SSD or hard drive for extra storage and backup

Optional Accessories

  • Protective Case
  • External 24”+ monitor with HDMI port (plus HDMI cable and USB-C to HDMI converter)
  • 128 GB+ USB flash drive
  • Video adapters, VGA or HDMI connection

Communications Design

The Communications Design major— much like the Communications Design industry— uses Apple Macintosh computers as their primary tool platform for getting work done. Based on our experience we offer the following guidelines as a set of minimum requirements for student computers.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
  • Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
  • Minimum 16GB RAM
  • Minimum 512GB Hard Drive (Internal)

Additional Smart Computing Tools

  • AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support / Buying through SU Bookstore offers extended warranty with longer coverage than AppleCare
  • (2) USB 3.0 Flash drive — 64GB Min
  • USB C to USB Dongle
  • Dedicated, external hard drive for regular, local backups, 5TB

Optional Accessories

  • External Mouse
  • Protective Case

Fashion Design

In the fashion design industry, Apple Macintosh computers are used as a primary tool platform for getting work done. We offer these guidelines for minimum requirements for fashion design student computers.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
  • Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
  • Minimum 16GB RAM
  • Minimum 512GB Hard Drive (Internal)

Additional Smart Computing Tools

  • AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support / Buying through SU Bookstore offers extended warranty with longer coverage than AppleCare
  • (2) USB 3.0 Flash drive — 64GB Min
  • USB C to USB Dongle
  • Dedicated, external hard drive for regular, local backups, 5TB

Optional Accessories

  • External Mouse
  • Protective Case

Industrial & Interaction Design

Students in the IID program will need computing capacity to run Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk products, SolidWorks, Rhino 3D and KeyShot.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Laptop Running Microsoft Windows 10
  • 15” Display or larger (Display resolution 2560 x 1440 or higher)
  • VR ready (Intel Core I7, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia GT 1060 (recommended: RTX)
  • 500 GB SSD

For digital sketching, it is recommended that students purchase either a Wacom or Huion digital pen tablet to use with their laptop or an iPad. For students that desire a comprehensive all in one solution, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is the recommended laptop solution that also supports digital sketching.

  • External Mouse
  • Protective Case

Industrial & Interaction Design

Students in the IID program will need computing capacity to run Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk products, SolidWorks, Rhino 3D and KeyShot.

Minimum Guidelines

  • Laptop Running Microsoft Windows 10
  • 15” Display or larger (Display resolution 2560 x 1440 or higher)
  • VR ready (Intel Core I7, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia GT 1060 (recommended: RTX)
  • 500 GB SSD

For digital sketching, it is recommended that students purchase either a Wacom or Huion digital pen tablet to use with their laptop or an iPad. For students that desire a comprehensive all in one solution, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is the recommended laptop solution that also supports digital sketching.

Expand
titleDepartment of Drama

Department of Drama, All Majors:

Printable 2022 Department of Drama Supply List [PDF]

Computer (laptop or tablet) with good wireless and video conferencing capabilities. Audio and video recording and editing capability strongly recommended.Headphones, earbuds, or AirPods

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have questions, please contact your Program Coordinator or Assistant Program Coordinator.

 

Acting

Katie McGerr kemcgerr@syr.edu

Thom Miller tmiller@syr.edu

Musical Theater

Brian Cimmet bcimmet@syr.edu

Kathleen Wrinn kawrinn@syr.edu

Stage Management

Don Buschmann dgbuschm@syr.edu

Theater Management

Jim Clark jaclark@syr.edu

Jill Anderson jianders@syr.edu

 

Theater Design & Technology

Carmen Martinez cmarti46@syr.edu

Rob Andrusko randrusk@syr.edu 

All Majors:

Computer (laptop or tablet) with good wireless and video conferencing capabilities. Audio and video recording and editing capability strongly recommended.Headphones, earbuds, or AirPods

Acting

Required Equipment:

Sweats and loose, comfortable clothing1 pair sneakers (athletic or jazz sneakers)Water BottleYoga MatLarge Journal (8 ½ x 11) for reflection, writings, notesColored pencils/markersSmall whiteboard and dry erase markersPersonal hand-held mirrorOne Tennis BallOne 4 foot Wooden Dowel Rod (usually sold 1” inch in diameter)

Musical Theater

 

Required Equipment:

Digital keyboard (small is fine – we recommend Casio SA-76 for its portability, but a larger keyboard for your room will also work)Computer (laptop or tablet) with video conference capabilities Second device (tablet or phone) for playing recorded tracks and filming self tapesExternal speaker (wired or Bluetooth) for practicing and performing with recorded tracksEarbuds

Highly recommended:

External microphone such as Blue Yeti USBWireless earbudsAdditional set of over-the-ear headphonesRing Light

Optional, but nice to have

Garageband or other audio and/or video editing softwareTripod for video equipment

Requirements for Dance Classes (All Musical Theater Students)

Dance tights for ballet (ballet pink, black or flesh tone)Leggings, tights, and/or fitted athletic wear for jazz and theater stylesSolid colored leotards and/or form-fitting tank tops and t-shirtsProper supportive undergarments (i.e., dance belts, sports bras, etc.)Ballet shoes (ballet pink, black, or flesh tone—split sole recommended)Flat jazz shoes (Black or tan—split sole recommended)Professional character shoe (2 ½ or 3-inch heel and/or oxford—black or tan)For sophomore year and beyond: beginner tappers, flat oxford tap shoes are appropriate. More advanced tappers, 2 ½ or 3-inch heel. If applicable, supplies to keep long hair out of the face

Please note: All dance attire must present as clean, professional, and tidy. Please refer to syllabi for specific instructor requirements.

Additional dance supplies suggestions

Flex-bands (i.e., Therabands)Yoga or Pilates matKnee Pads (i.e., Asics neoprene super sleeve knee pad)Foam Roller (whole or half, nubs or not) Ice packs (to break open conveniently for personal use—available at your local pharmacy)

Stage Management

For DRD 140/240, a personal tools kit that includes the following:

Required:

PPE: Safety Glasses/Hearing Protection/GlovesHammer, minimum 16ozPliers5-in-1 ScrewdriverRetractable metal Tape Measure – at least 12’ long and with 1/16” marks8” Adjustable Crescent Wrench with hole for attaching a lanyardpaint brushes (probably 2-3, sizes will be specified)Paint spongeHot Glue gunQuality scissorSeam ripperHand sewing needles – mediumStraight pinsPin dish or cushionFabric Tape MeasureSomething to store everything in 

Recommended:

A good Multi-tool (Gerber, Leatherman, or similar quality https://a.co/hI4fiHW)Wire StripperContinuity Tester

Please note that if you already have any of these, you do not need to buy new.

 

Theater Design and Technology

In the TDT area you will not be required to buy many textbooks, however, you will need a variety of supplies that will be used every year you are in the program.

Required:

 

-      PPE:

o   Safety Glasses

o   Hearing Protection

o   Gloves

-      Tools:

o   Retractable metal Tape Measure – at least 25’ long and with 1/16” marks

o   8” Adjustable Crescent Wrench with hole for attaching a lanyard

o   Good quality scissors

o   Olfa Knives (Utility Knife and Olfa 300)

o   X-Acto Knife with replacement blades

-      Rulers:

o   Architect Scale Ruler (NOT engineer, the scales are different) – 1/8”, ¼”/ ½” etc

o   6” 45/45 Triangle

o   8” 30/60/90 Triangle

o   6” or 8” Adjustable Triangle

o   Small Circle Template

o   Metal ruler (18” and 36”) – with cork or rubber backing

o   Clear rulers (6” and 12”) Here is a link: https://www.dickblick.com/products/westcott-plastic-rulers/

-      For Drafting:

o   Large Bow Compass 6”

o   Sandpaper Pad

o   Drafting Dots/Drafting Tape

o   Eraser, white and soft

o   Pencils (mechanical or wood): HB, 2H. 3H, 4H, B, 2B, 3B, 4B

o   Sharpener for pencil of choice

o   Erasing shield, with row of small circles

o   Drafting Brush

-      Papers:

o   Vellum, 17lb 36” wide roll, or 24” x 36” sheets

o   Tracing paper, 18” x 24” pad or 18” wide roll, white or yellow

o   24x36” Newsprint pad

o   9x12” Bristol board

o   9x12” pad of Watercolor Paper

o   Illustration Board

-      For Model Making:

o   Two 20x30” sheets of Black Foam Core (3/16” thick) (you can wait on this and buy a large box as a class)

o   Sobo Glue

o   Tacky Glue

o   Gesso

o   Scale lumber and dowels

o   Emory Board (nail file)

o   Modelmaking tweezers

o   Straight Pins

o   Rabbet Cutter

-      Art Supplies:

o   Watercolor set – pans or tubes (Winsor Newton, Holbein, Derwent, Koi are good, not fewer than 12 colors)

o   Acrylic Paint – Liquitex or Golden are good options and give good coverage. Colors below:

Permanent WhiteIvory BlackCadmium Yellow PaleCadmium OrangeCadmium Red MediumAlizarin CrimsonCobalt BlueUltramarine BluePermanent GreenBurnt Umber*Burnt Sienna*Ochre*Spectrum Violet*Payne’s Gray*

o   Sketchbook – Canson XL or Strathmore Visual are good – no smaller than 8.5x11”

o   Masking Tape

o   Black Masking tape

o   Palette – Can be palette paper

o   A container for water

o   UHU Glue Stick

o   Brushes (Synthetic watercolor are good): These are 2 good

#8 Round#12 FlatAs many more as you would like! We recommend a 00, or 000. Great for details.

o   Clear pushpins

o   Micron pens

Recommended:

 

-      A good Multi-tool (Gerber, Leatherman, or similar quality)

-      French Curves

-      Large 45/45 Triangle (especially for Lighting Designers)

-      Beam Compass

-      Splined Curved Rule

-      Ellipse Template

-      Large Circle Template

-      Drafting Dry‐cleaning Pad or powder

-      Set of “Needle Files”

Environmental and Interior Design

Students in the EDI program will need the computing capacity to run Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk AutoCAD, McNeel Rhino 3D (Windows OS), Trimble Sketchup, Autodesk Revit, and rendering plug-ins, such as Enscape or Keyshot. 

The EDI program and Warehouse Lab are set up to principally support computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system. All EDI students should be equipped with Microsoft Windows operating system computers that meet or exceed the minimum technical requirements below to run the Windows apps required by the program. We recommend international students wait to purchase their machine in the U.S. This will often make it easier to receive warranty service.

Please do not purchase an Apple computer. They cannot easily run essential Windows apps required for use in the program. 

We are providing recommended specifications for laptops that will best interface with the school’s current hardware and software systems. Please note that the electronic environment is constantly changing. While we do our best to anticipate the likely software requirements of computer hardware, the program cannot guarantee that any given unit will be adequate to address all computing needs throughout one’s progress in the curriculum. Students MUST run the same versions of software as in the computer labs for compatibility.  

Please do not purchase an underpowered machine! While it may meet your needs for the first semester or two, you will soon discover that it cannot handle the demands of design and modeling software.

Here are some basic laptop configurations and specifications recommended for running CAD, graphic, and 3D applications that can be used as a guide to purchase your equipment:

ComponentSpecifications
Operating SystemWindows (no Mac OS)
Processor (CPU)Intel i7 or i9 (14th generation+, 16 core+) or AMD Ryzen 9 (8000+)
Memory/RAM16 GB+
Storage DriveSSD, 1T +
Video Card (GPU)

Memory: 8 GB+

Nvidia: GeForce RTX 4060+

AMD: Radeon RX6700+ or 7600+

Not shared or integrated. Not Intel graphics.

Display15"+ (minimum resolution: 1920 x 1080)

Note: Plus signs (+) indicate "or better."

Additional Computing Tools (REQUIRED)

  • External optical mouse (using trackpad is not sufficient for design software)

  • Three year on-site/at home warranty 

  • External 1 TB+ USB SSD or hard drive for extra storage and backup 

Optional Accessories

  • Protective case
  • External 24”+ monitor with HDMI port (plus HDMI cable and USB-C to HDMI converter)
  • 128 GB+ USB flash drive
  • Video adapters, VGA or HDMI connection

Industrial and Interaction Design

Students in the IID program typically use computers for various tasks, such as researching project topics, working collaboratively, creating posters that share information, digitally sketching and rendering, modeling in 3D (CAD-Computer Aided Design), and visualizing renderings and animations.

For digital sketching, it is recommended that students have a digital pen that works with a tablet or with their laptop and that they install Sketchbook Pro or Procreate.

A laptop (with Microsoft Windows OS) able to run applications such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk products, Figma, SolidWorks, Rhino 3D, and KeyShot supporting all design processes in the curriculum is needed.

An external three-button mouse for CAD and protective case complements the equipment.



Expand
titleDepartment of Drama

Acting, Drama, Musical Theater, and Stage Management Majors 

  • Computer (laptop or tablet) with good wireless and video conferencing capabilities. Audio and video recording and editing capability strongly recommended.
  • Headphones, earbuds, or AirPods.

Theater Design and Technology Majors

Students may use either an Apple Mac or Windows PC with the specifications given below.

Windows PC

ComponentSpecifications
Operating SystemSupported version of Windows 10 or 11
ProcessorMinimum* 4-core 3 GHz Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7
RAMMinimum 16 GB
Graphics

Discrete (not integrated) graphics chipset from Nvidia or AMD;

8 GB graphics memory

StorageMinimum 512 GB

*Note: Higher core counts and higher CPU speeds mean faster performance.

Examples of PCs that meet these requirements:

  • Dell XPS 15 (2024 model) – Intel Core i7-12800H, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3070, 512GB SSD - $2,099
  • HP Spectre x360 (2024 model) – Intel Core i7-13800H, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3060, 512GB SSD - $1,899
  • Lenovo Legion 7 (2024 model) – AMD Ryzen 7 7800H, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3080, 512GB SSD - $2,199
  • ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024 model) – AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3070, 512GB SSD - $1,999
  • MSI GS66 Stealth (2024 model) – Intel Core i7-13800H, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3080, 512GB SSD - $2,299

Apple Mac

ComponentSpecifications
Operating SystemSupported version of macOS Ventura or Sonoma
ProcessorMinimum Apple M1 Pro; M2 Pro/Max or higher preferred
RAMMinimum 16 GB
StorageMinimum 512 GB


Examples of Apple Macs that meet these requirements:

  • Apple MacBook Pro 14” - M3 Pro (11-core CPU, 14-core GPU), 18 GB Unified Memory (RAM), 512 GB SSD Storage - $1,849
  • MacBook Air 13” - M3 chip (8‑core CPU, 10‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine), 16 GB Unified Memory (RAM), 512 GB SSD Storage - $1,499
  • MacBook Air 15” - M3 chip (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine), 16 GB Unified Memory (RAM), 512 GB SSD Storage - $1,699

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


If you have questions, please contact your program coordinator or assistant program coordinator.

 

Acting

Katie McGerr kemcgerr@syr.edu

Thom Miller tmiller@syr.edu


Musical Theater

Brian Cimmet bcimmet@syr.edu

Kathleen Wrinn kawrinn@syr.edu


Stage Management

Don Buschmann dgbuschm@syr.edu


Theater Management

Jim Clark jaclark@syr.edu

Jill Anderson jianders@syr.edu

 

Theater Design & Technology

Carmen Martinez cmarti46@syr.edu

Rob Andrusko randrusk@syr.edu 




Expand
titleSetnor School of Music

Students in the Setnor School of Music use computers are required to own a personal laptop computer to access course materials, research music concepts, strengthen music theory and aural skills, collaborate with classmates, and communicate with faculty. Student computers should be capable of word processing, e-mail, internet browsing, music notation, and audio/midi/video editing. The Setnor School of Music While the school supports student use of both Macintosh Apple Mac and Windows PC platforms. It , it is strongly recommended that students consider purchasing a 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop (8 or 10-Core CPU) computer model tailored for use at Syracuse University. Detailed information, including specifications and ordering information for the preferred laptops, is available online at the SU Bookstore or SU IT Services. Syracuse University provides students with Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite. These services are ideal for backup, individual and group work, and file sharingan Apple MacBook Pro. The school also strongly recommends students purchase Avid Sibelius music notation software for use on their computer. Sibelius is available to students as a download direct from Avid online for $99 for a one-year subscription paid upfront or $9.99 monthly. Syracuse University provides all students with a license to Microsoft 365 at no cost, which includes the Office suite, and students should have the Office software installed on their personal laptop.


Expand
titleDepartment of Film and Media Arts

All Film and Media Arts majors receive a personal-device license of AdobeCreative film and media arts majors receive a personal-device license of AdobeCreative Cloud to install and use the Creative Cloud software on a personally-owned computer while enrolled in FMA courses.  Based Based on the current licensing agreement with Adobe, which is subject to change, enrolled students have year-round subscriptions. 

After the first year, some additional software purchases may be required based on course of study and are included in course syllabi. Apple and Adobe products are available at academic discounts from the SU Bookstore

The following are the minimum required computer specifications.

Art Photography Majors

  • Required computer (minimum): Apple 14” or 16” MacBook Pro, 8 10 or 1012-Core CPU
  • Recommended external hard drive: 1 TB 

Computer Art and Animation Majors

  • Required computer (minimum): Dell Alienware, G-Series or other PC gaming laptop with 16GB RAM, 1 TB internal storage, and NVidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics as minimum specs. 
  • Autodesk Maya. Autodesk offers free software downloads to members of their Education Community.

Film Majors

  • Required computer (minimum): Apple 14” or 16” MacBook Pro 8 10 or 1012-Core CPU
  • Recommended External Hard Drives: Rugged 1 TB Type-C interface
  • Recommended Editing Hard Drive: 1 TB 7200 RPM Type-C interface 
  • Additional Recommended Software: DaVinci Resolve (free download)

...