The College of Creative Arts has special recommendations for hardware and software that are applicable to all of its incoming students. Some majors, noted below, will require a high-performance hardware system and additional software.
While the College of Creative Arts is a Mac-based environment, West Virginia University supports both Mac and Windows platforms. Visit the WVU IT Services website for general guidelines and information about discounts and software available to students on behalf of the university.
Below are special recommendations for hardware and software that are applicable to all incoming College of Creative Arts students. Some majors, noted below, will require a high-performance hardware system and additional software.
All School of Art & Design students, except for Art History and Art Therapy majors, are required to use either the basic or high-performance MacBook Pro system requirements listed below. Art History majors may select the basic MacBook system or choose to use the basic Windows platform.
Basic Systems
Mac Hardware
MacBook Air or MacBook Pro (2018 or newer) installed with current macOS
- Intel Core i5 Processor or Apple M1 Processor
- 8GB RAM (minimum)
Windows Hardware
- Windows operating system 10 or newer
- 8 GB RAM
- Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5 processors
High Performance Systems
Graphic Design, Intermedia/Photography, and Interactive Design for Media majors are required to use Mac hardware with the following specs. Theatre Design and Technology majors, Music Composition majors, and those taking electronic media or music technology courses may choose between Mac or Windows hardware.
Mac Hardware
MacBook Pro (2018 or newer) or MacBook Air 15” or 16” (2018-2019) installed with current macOS
- Intel Core i7 or i9 Processor
- 16GB RAM
Windows Hardware
Laptop, minimum specs:
- Windows 10 OS or later
- Intel Core i7 or i9, AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 processors
- 16 GB of RAM
- 250 GB of hard drive space
- Graphics cards with 4GB RAM
Software
Microsoft Office (free for WVU students)
For all majors in the School of Art & Design and Theatre Design and Technology Sophomores-Seniors:
- Adobe Creative Cloud (WVU student subscription available for a discounted cost)
Theatre Design and Technology students:
FIRST YEAR:
- Microsoft Office (for all years)
- Quicktime
SOPHOMORE through SENIOR year:
- Sketchup
- Vectorworks/AutoCAD (Student version available for free. Confirm with CAD instructor for version needed.)
Graphic Design Sophomores - Seniors:
- Adobe Font Folio 11 (Education Essentials Student and Teacher Edition)
For all majors in the School of Music:
- (Fonts that include music symbols, such as Maestro Times, Opus, or CSTwo/CSThree.)
- Music Notation (MuseScore, Notion, Finale, Sibelius, or Dorico acceptable)
- NOTE: Music Notation program required for all composition students.
- A recording program with the ability to adequately record lessons, practice sessions, student teaching practice sessions, etc.
For Jazz majors:
- All Jazz students: Band-in-a-Box (PC) or iRealb (Mac)
- Upper-class Jazz students: Sibelius
For use in Music Recording courses:
- ProTools (purchase or monthly subscription)
Additional Components
A full-spectrum pair of headphones (on-ear or over-the-ear) is required for School of Music students, due to the nature of course assignments.