Student Technology Toolbox

This page describes the computer hardware and software required for students currently enrolled in each of Columbia’s majors. Since Fall of 2022 the Technology toolbox program requires incoming students to obtain and bring appropriate technology that meets the technology requirements listed below to their courses. 

The Technology Toolbox identifies:  

• A laptop or tablet that has faculty-recommended technical specifications designed to optimize career readiness
• The software you need to succeed in your classes and profession
• Additional Technologies and Devices that will be required by courses in each academic program

As a college that prepares future creative professionals, Columbia believes it is essential our students be equipped with the technology that meets the standards for their field. With this in mind, the college has obtained licenses for many software programs students can access, free of charge. Further, faculty in each of our disciplines have recommended specific hardware and software for students to purchase independently.

Some students may need to use their financial aid package to purchase their educational technology. To discuss your financial plan, please contact Columbia Central at columbiacentral@colum.edu or at 312-369-7140.

Educational Discounts

Lenovo student discounts Standard Student Discount Page with fully customizable configurations

Lenovo Partner Discount Site Lenovo Partner Discount Site with limited selection, better discount, quick shipping but no customization. These models meet the requirements of some tiers but not all. *NOTE: some off these laptops can also be upgraded after purchase to meet requirements.

Apple student discounts Apple Education Site standard education discount with customizable configurations.

Laptop Tiers

Personal computer requirements for Columbia students fall into one of the five tiers described in this section. You can read the specifications for each tier by clicking on its name. You can find the tier recommended for your major by referring to the table in the section below.

Be sure to also check the FAQ section at the bottom of this page for additional hardware and software requirements specific to some majors.

Any Device : Any device that meets minimal requirements basic courses. 
_{*The Chromebook, and iPad option may not run software required for all courses and may require use of Virtual Desktop software to access some course software.}

Creative Baseline : Intel, AMD or Apple M2 processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster
_{* Adobe Creative Cloud Minimum Requirements
**Adobe uses minimum specifications per application we use Photoshop as a baseline}

Audio / Music : Meets Creative baseline with some additional audio requirements

Media Creation :  Faster CPU and more RAM helps meet the recommended specs for Adobe After Effects and Premiere. 

3D / Edit : Better Processor and Dedicated GPU for more intensive graphics application. 

Recommended Laptop Tier by Program and Department

Department-specific Requirements and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• FAQs

  Do students get a computer hardware discount?

  If you are planning on buying a new computer, Columbia College has relationships with two vendors that offer students educational pricing on hardware and accessories. Students can take advantage of these discounts by purchasing through the vendors’ online education store links at the top of this page.

  
  In general, when buying a computer, the college recommends that students purchase hardware that supports the latest operating systems and includes as much memory and the fastest processor speed your budget will allow. Also, we recommend purchasing the extended manufacturer warranty to protect your device.  If you are looking to purchase a computer for your coursework, please note the recommended laptop specifications and additional technology supplies can be viewed under the Department-specific Requirements section above.  

  Does Apple or Lenovo take trade-ins?

  Apple has a trade-in program that allows you to trade in your eligible Apple device for credit toward your next purchase or get an Apple Store Gift Card you can use anytime. If your Apple device is not eligible for credit, they will recycle it for free.  Lenovo also has a trade-in program that offers qualifying end-user customers the opportunity to return qualifying devices for trade-in discount after the purchase of a qualifying replacement product. 

  When should I order my laptop and software?

  Columbia College recommends purchasing a laptop before the Fall semester. We also recommend acquiring your software and having it installed a few weeks before you arrive at the college. This will ensure that you are running the latest version of the software and allow time to troubleshoot any issues that arise before the start of classes.  There is a detailed Student Software Access list that is offered for academic use on the Student Help & Support page.  

  What if I already have a personal computer with similar capabilities? Do I still have to buy the Columbia College recommended computer equipment?

  If you already have a laptop with comparable specs to the laptop recommendations, you can arrive with your machine. That said, buying the recommended laptop will ensure that your laptop is fully compatible with your department’s curriculum. Also, it will ensure that you receive the best possible laptop program support from the college. Apple and Lenovo provide Columbia College students purchasing new laptops additional discounts that they could not otherwise receive on their own.

  What if I need financial assistance purchasing the Technology ToolBox ?

  Some students may need to use their financial aid package to purchase their educational technology. To discuss your financial plan, please contact Columbia Central at columbiacentral@colum.edu or at 312-369-7140.

  For more information about laptop loaners see the information-technology/laptop-tiers/Laptop-Loaners page

  Can I customize or change the laptop configuration or accessories?

  As long as your laptop meets the minimum specifications, you are welcome to customize your machine to suit your individual needs.

  Can I purchase a departmental laptop package for a department in which I am not a major?

  Yes, especially if you think you are going to be changing majors. 

  What software is available to me as a student?

  There is a detailed Student Software Access list that is offered for academic use. If a software package is needed for a class, then the professor will provide more details.

  Please also note that Columbia students receive free access to all of the following resources:

  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
  • Autodesk Licenses through the Autodeks for Students site https://www.autodesk.com/education/students 
  • Unity through the Unity Students Plan https://unity.com/products/unity-student 
  • Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning an online library with instructional videos on the latest software, creative, and business tools and skills
  • Campus-wide, high-speed wireless network
  • Technology-equipped classrooms and computer labs
  • Student Center Makerspace

  How do I connect my computer to the Columbia College Wi-Fi network?

  Anyone with a Columbia College account should connect to the “CCC” wireless network. Once you select the "Columbia Student" network from your list of available wireless networks, a browser window will pop up asking you to log into the network with your MyColumbia credentials. If a window does not automatically pop up, open a web browser, and attempt to access the portal, and you will be re-directed to the log-in page.

  How do I back up my data?

  We always recommend that you backup your data in more than one location. While you are enrolled as a student at Columbia College you will have storage available for your use with OneDrive. We also recommend that you use an external hard drive to back up your files.

  Who should I contact if I need help with my Lenovo purchase?

  Please contact Lenovo Tech Support at 800-426-7378. If you are having an issue getting the help you need please email Mena Portilla at xportilla1@lenovo.com.

  Who should I contact with any questions about the program?

  If you require any further assistance, contact Technology Support at technologysupport@colum.edu or 312-369-7001 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Audio Arts and Acoustics

  Audio Arts and Acoustics Additional technology requirements

  • 1TB (or larger) external USB 3.0 or Solid State Drive 
  • Over-ear studio reference/ monitor headphones, either open-back (more comfortable in general but require quiet environment) or closed-back.  Not suitable for majors:  in-ear (earbuds, AirPods, etc.), active noise canceling (ANC) (Bose, Sony, etc.), or “regular” consumer headphones (Beats, Skull Candy, etc.)
    • Suggestions:
      • Beyerdynamic DT-770Pro (closed-back) or DT-990Pro (open-back)
      • Sennheiser HD280 (closed-back)

  Software 

  Audio software requirements vary according to major/concentration. See course syllabi for course-specific software requirements. In general, all majors should have:  

  • Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software 
  • Pro Tools (Music Recording and Audio and Sound Design concentrations) 
    • https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/articles/compatibility/Pro-Tools-System-Requirements 
  • Other DAWs acceptable for all other majors and concentrations (e.g. Reaper, Logic, Ableton, etc.)

  The department has additional audio equipment recommendations on the AAA Knowledge Base (Logon Required). You can also contact the department directly for more details at aaacontact@colum.edu. 

• Cinema and Television Arts

  Additional technology requirements: 

  External hard drive:

  • 1TB or larger external Solid State Drive
    • USB-C with USB 3 cable adapter for backwards compatibility.
    • Formatted exFAT to be compatible with both PC and Mac.

   Software (recommended but not required)

  • Final Draft (screen writing)
  • Movie Magic (producing) 
  • Avid Media Composer (post-production)

  most of this software is available in labs or VDI

  Department specific equipment informatio is also availble in the

  CTVA Knowledge Base  

  https://columbiacollege.sharepoint.com/sites/CTVA-KB

• Communication
  Additional technology requirements: 
  

  • 1TB or larger external Solid State Drive
    • USB-C with USB 3 cable adapter for backwards compatibility.
    • Formatted exFAT to be compatible with both PC and Mac.

  Smartphone

  • Apple iPhone running iOS 13 or higher
    • iPhone 6S/6S Plus/7 or better
  • Android phone running Android 9 "pie"  or better
    • Samsung Galaxy S9 or better
    • Google Pixel 3A or better
    • One Plus 6T or better

  Course specific equipment is avaulble in the Equipment Guide Journalism PhotoJournalism

• Dance
  Additional technology requirements: 
  

  • 1TB or larger external Solid State Drive
    • USB-C with USB 3 cable adapter for backwards compatibility.
    • Formatted exFAT to be compatible with both PC and Mac.
• Design

  Additional technology requirements: 

  • Dedicated video card w/ 4GB onboard memory for CAD applications
  • External mouse with 3-buttons (an optical mouse is encouraged)  

  Software

  • Autodesk (AutoCAD and Revit included)
  • Sketchup Pro
• Interactive Arts and Media

   

  Additional technology requirements: 

  • Dedicated video card w/ 2GB onboard memory or more, 4GB for VR applications 

  For many classes minimum specs from the software below maybe requires

  • Unity 3D
    • https://docs.unity3d.com/2021.1/Documentation/Manual/system-requirements.html 
  • Unreal
    • https://docs.unrealengine.com/4.26/en-US/Basics/RecommendedSpecifications/ 
  • Autodesk Maya 
    • https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Maya.html
• Music

  Additional technology requirements: 

  Hardware: 

  • A laptop computer (Apple or Windows touch screen-enabled laptop or tablet)
  • Wired Studio-Reference Headphones 
  • Basic Audio Recording Equipment 
  • 49-Key USB MIDI Keyboard w/ at least 8 drum pads, 8 sliders, and 8 knobs 
  • Optional, but highly recommended for the Foundations Classes: iPad (any version, 2019 or later) and iPencil (or comparable)
  • For complete information click here

  Software: 

  • A digital audio workstation program 
  • A music notation program 
  • Please see course syllabi on CANVAS for any additional course-specific software requirements 
  • For complete information click here

  All students are encouraged to own and maintain their own computers & musical equipment. Contact Technical Director Steve Hadley to learn more about on-campus computer labs, tech-related facilities, and music equipment that is available for short-term checkouts. 

  Please See the (logon required)

  Complete Music Department Technology Recommendations
• Radio Major and Voiceover Minor
  • 1TB (or larger) external USB 3.0 or Solid-State Drive 
  • Over-ear Studio Reference Monitor headphones, with closed-back. 
  • Suggestions:
    • Sony MDR-7506 Headphones
    • Sennheiser HD280 
  • Not suitable for majors:  in-ear (earbuds, AirPods, etc.), active noise canceling (ANC) (Bose, Sony, etc.), or “regular” consumer headphones (Beats, Skull Candy, etc.)
• Fashion Laptop Requirements

  Many of the Fashion app require a PC with a powerfull discrete graphices card some of the requirements are listed below

  CLO3D : https://support.clo3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000307168-CLO-system-requirements-March-2024 

  Optitiex : https://help.optitex.com/1382687/Content/Welcome/Desktop_Product_System_Requirements.htm 

  Browzware : https://help.browzwear.com/hc/en-us/articles/4921366390297-System-Requirements-Details 

  We have all of these applcations in our virtual dekstop enviroment and students can also access then there.

• Interior Achitecture
  Interior Architecture 

  3d Model / Rendering  Software  - Below is a list of the software you will be using within the Interior Architecture program and profession.

  AutoCAD: is a computer-aided design (CAD) program that allows users to create 2D and sometimes 3D drawings. It is one of the oldest software programs we use.

  SketchUp: Is a CPU-biased modeling software that uses one single processor core - all computations are done on the CPU...however...SketchUp's internal renderer requires a GPU with hardware acceleration

  Revit: Revit only uses CPU...however... if you are working in 3d view or using shade or other graphic options, GPU will be needed to smooth the 3d browsing. system requiremnets : https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Revit-products.html

  Rhino: Rhino works best with a high-frequency CPU and only requires a few cores - rhino 3D Modelling doesn't use many cores and threads, so choose processor with the fastest clock speed for best results. system requirements https://www.rhino3d.com/8/system-requirements/

  3dsmax: uses both CPU and GPU, suggest a CPU with at least 8 cores/16 threads and at least 16GBs of RAM—preferably 32; 3ds max render options using cpu vs GPU vary. system requirements: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-3ds-Max-products.html

  Vray: latest versions of software are V-Ray and V-Ray GPU uses both CPU and GPU - 'V-Ray' runs on the CPU only and 'V-Ray GPU' runs on the GPU and/or the CPU. system requirements : https://help.sketchup.com/en/vray-sketchup/installing-vray-sketchup

  Enscape: performs its renders using your graphics card (GPU), but the GPU has to have dedicated VRAM, and not shared VRAM as found with Intel Integrated Graphics chips (if your systems CPU and RAM are capable of handling Revit, for instance, and you have a capable GPU, Enscape should work). system requirements : https://enscape3d.com/system-requirements/

  Still Images/Video

  Adobe Photoshop: The processor (CPU) is one of the most important components for good performance in Adobe Photoshop;

  Hardware requirements for your laptop

  CPU: Intel i7 or i9, spec suggest a 10th generation or higher which is sound - better suggestion, get the newest, 13th generation processor; Note: AMD Ryzen CPUs are better suited to gaming then to CPU-intensive tasks.

  RAM: 32mb minimum but you will want higher; (suggest strategy to purchase memory segments that can be added too (for example, if pc has (4) memory slots get (2) 16mb now then can add (2) more later - ask pc supplier.

  Hard Drive: Highly suggest 2TB minimum size. Note:Try to get a SSD- solid state drive typer NVMe (NVMe type hard-drives have fastest data read-write speeds);

  GPU: 4GB should be the absolute minimum (and if at all possible reach for 8GB GPU memory).

  Note: GPU-type should be a 'dedicated' GPU processor or card and not an 'integrated-type' processor.

  If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to Lucy Trimarco ltrimarco@colum.edu