Digital Art and Design Technology Requirements
Cost of Technology Summary
Computer
- MacBook Pro 16" 64 GB 1TB with AppleCare: approximately $3918
Annual Software
- First Year: $240
- Sophomore—Senior and up: $502 per year
Tech Total
- Total to be added into cost of education for a Digital Art and Design student = $5,644 for 4 years
Detailed Specifications
Make sure to purchase through the Apple Education Store for the student discount.
MacBook Pro 16": $3918
This computer is a laptop. To draw digitally you will need access to a drawing tablet. Cintiqs are available on campus or you can purchase your own digital drawing tablet - see the recommendations below.
Computer Cost: $3559
Configure your computer with:
- Processor: Apple M1 Max chip with 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine
- RAM: 64GB unified memory (+$360)
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory
- Storage: 1TB SSD storage
- Display: 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
- Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 port
- 140W USB-C Power Adapter
- Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English
- Include AppleCare (+$359)
External Accessories Required for Entertainment-Focused Students ONLY
- Digital Drawing Pen Display: Huion Kamvas Pro 16 Pen Display with Stand : $400 (we tested and recommend)
There are larger options available if preferred. We do not recommend pen displays under 15".
Additional Software and Accessories - Required for ALL Digital Art and Design Students
Required Software for all DAD students:
- Adobe Creative Cloud subscription ($20 per month or $240 for the first year)
- Microsoft Office (provided by Ferris State University)
- MODO Student Edition License ($262 per year) – for students Sophomore-level and above
Required External Accessories:
- Headphones
- 3-Button Mouse
- 2TB external hard drive (or 2TB Google Drive subscription)