Computing Requirements for all VPA Students

Laptops capable of running Adobe Creative Suite are recommended.

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.

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 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

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:

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.

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

*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

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

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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 

Students in the Setnor School of Music 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. While the school supports student use of both Apple Mac and Windows PC platforms, it is strongly recommended that students consider purchasing an Apple MacBook Pro. In terms of music notation, MuseScore (free) is recommended for all students, and composition students in particular are strongly encouraged to consider investing in a more professional program by their second year, such as Sibelius or Dorico. 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.

All 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 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, 10 or 12-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 10 or 12-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)