Art Foundation Program student computing requirements

This program requires all students to have a laptop computer equipped with and capable of running the required software. VCUarts considers a computer to be an essential tool for full participation in the curriculum.

If you have a computer that meets the following minimum specifications, then you are encouraged to use it during your Art Foundation year, and plan to purchase a new computer when you enter your second year.

Platform MAC PC
Form Factor Laptop Laptop
Operating System macOS 15 Windows 11 (64 bit)
Processor Apple M1 Intel i5 (10th Generation)
or
AMD Ryzen 5 (3000 series)
Memory 8 GB 8 GB
Storage 256 GB 256 GB (solid state drive)
Webcam Built-in or external with built in microphone Built-in or external with built in microphone
Wireless Wi-Fi capability Wi-Fi capability

 

If you do not have a computer that meets the minimum specifications listed above, then you should review the computer requirements for the department that you intend to join in your second year.

Adobe Creative Cloud — free subscription via VCU

Information about commonly used software that is available for free through VCU, and available for free or reduced cost through publishers, is available in the Software section of the Technology Support for Students web page.

User files are often stored online in cloud based services; but as a creative professional, you are likely to have any number of files stored locally for maximum performance and accessibility. It is important that you adopt a file backup system to preserve your files in the event of a hardware failure. Information about backup options and associated costs is available in the File Backups section of the Technology Support for Students web page.