Technology Requirements
Throughout their academic career, School of Fashion students will have several projects and assignments which will require them to have access to a laptop and specific software.
Laptop Requirement
All School of Fashion students are required to have a laptop. Students may choose either a Mac or PC.
A four-year warranty (AppleCare for Macs) is recommended. Please note- tablet devices, such as, Apple iPads and Chromebooks, are not recommended for the laptop requirement. Software required for some courses will not work on these devices.
Below are the laptop specifications for Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising majors:
MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS | RECOMMENDED SPECIFICATIONS | ||
Models | No preference | Models | No preference |
Processor | PC - Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 MAC - Intel i5, i7 or Apple M1 | Processor | PC - Intel i7 or i9, AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 MAC - Any Apple M2 or M3 CPU |
GPU: | Integrated Graphics (Intel, AMD or Apple) | GPU: | PC - Any NVidia discrete graphics with at least 4 GB of video RAM, more is better MAC - Integrated Apple M2 or M3 graphics |
Memory | 16GB | Memory | 32GB |
Storage | 256 GB | Storage | 512 GB or larger |
Screen Size | 14” | Screen Size | 15” or preferably larger |
Note | Touch screens are not required | Note | Touch screens are not required |
WARNING: While a laptop with minimum specifications will run the software required, these computers will underperform. Students may be negatively impacted by the computer loading programs and files slowly, crashes under extreme load, or running out of storage space. Purchasing a minimum specification computer will require the student to manage these limited resources to not exceed the capabilities of the computer. For students with minimum specification laptops, having access to a desktop computer with better specifications will help.
IPad Requirement
Fashion Design Major Requirement Only
In addition to their laptop, Fashion Design majors will need a drawing tablet and a corresponding direct-to-surface drawing stylus. The purchase of the table and stylus replaces former illustration-related costs, such as paper, markers, sketchpad, etc. The iPad is required for students enrolled in sophomore (20000-level) fashion design studio courses.
Below are the iPad specifications for Fashion Design majors:
MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS | RECOMMENDED SPECIFICATIONS | ||
Models | Any iPad | Models | iPad Pro |
Apple Pencil Support | Apple Pencil (2ndGeneration) | Apple Pencil Support | Apple Pencil (2ndGeneration) |
Storage Capacity | No preference | Storage Capacity | 512GB |
Screen Size | 9” | Screen Size | 12.9”&Բ; |
Stylus Recommendation: IPad Pencil (2nd Generation)
Software Requirement
All School of Fashion students will need Microsoft Office 365 and a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud on their laptops.
Adobe Creative Cloud one-year subscriptions can be purchased through the university at a substantial discount. Visit the website for more information. We recommend first-year students wait to begin their one-year subscription until they are enrolled in FDM 10053 Introduction to Fashion Technology and FDM 10054 Introduction to Fashion Technology Lab.
Microsoft Office 365 is free to all ֱ State University students. Visit our website for more information.
Questions?
Questions regarding the School of Fashion technology requirements can be directed to our Information Technology Manager, Brian Gardner at btgardne@kent.edu.