Media + Design Computer Requirements
Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, students will be required to have a personal laptop or desktop computer to be successful in their courses and the program. Due to limited lab hours, it is recommended that students in the 2022–2023 school year have a personal laptop or desktop, or find a place to use one on campus for assignments outside of class.
PR and DMMC Majors, Minors, and Certificate Students
To be successful in the PR, Digital Media & Marketing Communication programs, students should have an Apple or PC laptop and/or desktop that is equipped, at the very least, with Microsoft Office Suite as you will use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel frequently. (Student fees include access to Microsoft Office and students can download the software for free here.)
The following specs for laptops and/or desktops have been provided below for PR, Digital Media & Marketing Communication students, but please keep in mind that students who decide to minor in Graphic Design or Interactive Design or take several DDSN classes, may need a more powerful machine to be successful in those courses (see Minimum Computer Requirements listed under Digital Design Majors). If you have questions about whether your machine is capable to handle the requirements of a DDSN class, please reach out to Amanda Garcia.
Minimum Computer Requirements
MacBook Pro or equivalent PC
RAM: 16GB Unified Memory
Storage: 512 GB
Processor: M1 Pro
Recommended New Laptop Computer
Apple Laptop/Desktop (or PC Equivalent) Specs should match the following:
14-inch Macbook Pro Savings Bundle or 16-inch Macbook Pro Savings Bundle (or PC Equivalent)
Digital Design Majors
The below computer specs are for any Graphic Design or Interactive UX/UI Major, Minor or PBC student.
To be successful in the Digital Design program, all majors, minors and PBC students must be fully equipped with the appropriate industry-aligned hardware and software. MacBook Air and 13" MacBook Pro DO NOT meet the specification requirements.
If you currently own a laptop or desktop you intend to use in the Digital Design program, please check your current specs with the minimum required specs listed below.
Minimum Computer Requirements
RAM: 32-64 GB
Storage: 500GB-1TB
Processor: M1, or Intel 4 core i9, Intel 8 core i7 (all of this could be described as 8-Core or above)
GPU: 4GB multi frame rendering (only applicable for computers without the M1 chip)
Note: The new M1 and M2 chips have Unified Memory specifications, 64GB recommended
Recommended New Laptop Computer
16 Inch Macbook Pro Power Bundle
14 Inch Macbook Pro Power Bundle
Note: PC Equivalent of the above is also acceptable, but not industry standard.
Recommended Accessories
USBC to USB Adaptor or USBC Digital AV Multiport (optional, but recommended)
500GB or 1TB external SSD (optional, but recommended)
Computers That Will Not Work for DDSN Class Assignments
- MacBook Air (even the ones with the new chips are not approved by Adobe)
- Surface/Surface Pro
- iPad/iPad Pro (useful for Procreate, etc. but not Motion and Design courses)
- New 13-inch Macbook pro, because it only has 8GM of Unified Memory, 8-Core, and a non pro chip and will not work for Motion assignments.
Computer Labs
Media+Design students may use the computer labs at the Elmwood Campus in Rooms J, E, and F. These computers are equipped with the Adobe Creative Cloud. Hours are limited.
Software Licenses
Tulane SoPA Media+Design students will all receive a license for Adobe Creative Cloud. All Tulane students have access to LinkedIn Learning, Office 365, and the Box file storage system. These tools may be required for coursework and can all be accessed using Tulane login credentials. Please notify Rebecca Carr with any difficulty accessing once the semester begins.
Computer Loan Options
Apple Financing
Apple offers student pricing and financing for student computers. This is a low interest option for students to secure the best possible technology for their specific course needs.
Financial Aid Technology Loan
Students may take an additional $2,500 technology loan via financial aid to cover the cost of a computer or other technology. Students should contact their financial aid advisor to secure this additional loan amount.
SoPA Computer Loan
SoPA has a limited number of financial loans available for students who cannot qualify for an Apple loan or cannot take out the financial aid loan. Please contact your advisor or program director if you would like to explore this option. There are a limited number of loan available each year; once the max number of loans have been given, no other loans are available. This is on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Rebecca Carr for more information.
