Digital Art and Design Technology Requirements

Cost of Technology Summary

Detailed Specifications

There is an option of a Mac or a PC. Make sure to purchase through the Apple Education Store or the Microsoft Education Store.

MacBook Pro 16": $3898

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. This computer option has more memory than the Surface Book 3 option which is better for animation and video processing.

Computer Cost: $3559

Configure your computer with:

• Processor: 2.4GHz 8‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz
• RAM: 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
• Graphics Card: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory
• Storage: 1TB Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Display: 16-inch Retina display with True Tone
• Apple Care ($339)
  
  

External Accessories Required for Entertainment-Focused Students ONLY

• Digital Drawing Pen Display
  
  Based on our testing, we recommend the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 Pen Display with Stand ($400). 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 per year)
• Microsoft Office (provided by Ferris State University)
• MODO Student Edition License ($262 per year) – for students Sophomore-level and above