Laptop Requirement

Laptop Requirement
Incoming freshmen and transfer students are required to have a laptop. A laptop is an essential tool for all students, used for everything from simply checking email and registering for classes to creating design work, recording sound, editing video, crafting short stories, screenplays, and poems and completing writing assignments in Liberal Arts coursework. To make the process of purchasing a new laptop easier, the University has collaborated with Apple to create the UArts Apple Custom Store. OTIS Support Services has worked with the academic departments to create three laptop bundles. These bundles include a laptop, a three-year AppleCare Extended Warranty, an external hard drive, and an ethernet cable. Students can also put together their own configurations but we strongly recommend that they include the AppleCare Extended Warranty, an external drive for backing up data, and an ethernet cable.

Students purchasing new Mac laptops or who have relatively new Mac laptops have access to install software licensed by the University. Software includes the entire Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut, BBEdit, TextMate and other applications used in the various program coursework. This software is not available for Windows or desktop computers. The only required software that is not available this way is Microsoft Word, which is needed to complete all writing assignments in Liberal Arts coursework and which is an indispensable tool for Creative Writing majors. Students are expected to purchase the Microsoft Office Suite from the School Store where they can get it for a significantly reduced price.

Departmental Requirements
The College of Art, Media, and Design
Students in all programs in CAMD, with the exception of Crafts and Graduate programs, are recommended to purchase Bundle #3, or to bring a Mac laptop of approximately the same specs. Crafts majors are recommended to choose Bundle #1 or higher and Graduate programs Bundle #2 or higher, depending on how computer-driven you intend your work to be.

Additional peripheral items may be required once students enter their major. These will be communicated at the appropriate time and are considered the necessary tools for that particular course work.

The College of Performing Arts
Students in all programs in CPA, with the exception of the Music Business Entrepreneurship and Technology, Music Composition, Directing Playwriting and Production and Theater Design and Technology Programs, are recommended to purchase Bundle #1. Directing, Playwriting and Production majors are recommended to purchase Bundle #2 or higher and Music Business Entrepreneurship and Technology and Music Composition majors and Theater Design and Technology Majors are recommend to choose Bundle #3 or to bring a Mac laptop of approximately the same specs.

Music Business Entrepreneurship and Technology students are also required to bring a keyboard-based MIDI controller.

Liberal Arts
Students in the Creative Writing or Film and Media Studies majors are recommended to purchase Bundle #1 or higher.

Software
Access to University software is made possible by first registering the laptop with our management server and then using an application called Self Service. This process is part of New Student Orientation and continued support is offered at our Service Center. The Self Service application acts as a portal giving students access to software installation packages created by our systems administrator. This allows them to install any or all of the software the University makes available on their own time. Self Service also gives them access to campus printer drivers, diagnostic tools and other useful tools.

Protecting Data
The purpose for the portable hard drive, included in the bundle, is to have a place to back up work. Keeping work backed up is absolutely essential. Work can be backed up to an external drive, to a cloud storage service or both. Two cloud based backup options are CrashPlan and Backblaze. While not a full backup solution a free Dropbox subscription can store up to 2 GB and is a handy way to keep important files accessible.

Insurance for Laptops and Other Digital Devices
Keep in mind that computers purchased with an extended AppleCare warranty do not come with insurance. Students are strongly encouraged to provide their own insurance. Many students choose to insure their laptops and other personal property through a parent or guardian's homeowner's policy. We recommend an insurance policy that will cover the laptop for loss, theft, environmental damage and accidental damage. Affordable insurance options specifically for students are available through College Student Insurance or National Student Services, Inc..

For questions about the technology requirements of a specific program please contact that program.
CAMD Core Studies (215-717-6210) Design, Art & Technology (DAT) and Web Development & Interaction Design (WDID) (215-717-6319)
Music Technology Department (215-717-6335).
Liberal Arts Creative Writing, Film and Media Studies (215-717-6261).

Questions about the process of purchasing a laptop through the UArts Custom store and/or Microsoft Office can be directed to the UArts School Store (215-717-6833)
General questions about computing on campus can be directed to the OTIS Help Desk (215-717-6677 or helpdesk@uarts.edu).