Laptop requirements for students

Notes:

This laptop guide is for students enrolled in Westphal College. For other colleges, see the Drexel University Information Technology Computer Buying Guide.
Our laptop requirements have been updated for Academic Year 2020-2021.

We know there are a lot of great options when it comes to purchasing a new laptop and narrowing it down can be overwhelming. We're here to help you choose a laptop with the right technology to empower your productivity, fuel your creativity, and bring your ideas to life.

Since 1983, Drexel University policy has required each student to have access to a personal computer. Our laptop requirements build on the University's policy and recommendations to provide personalized guidance for new design, media, creative enterprise management, and performing arts students. The requirements on this page are thoughtfully developed to help guide your purchase and find the right laptop that fits your needs.

Choose the device that's right for you

We've partnered with our faculty to determine the academic and industry standards to support your creative process and help you achieve success in your academic program.

Laptop requirements and software availability vary, so it's important to choose a laptop with the right capabilities for your area of study—whether you're curating an exhibit, editing a film, or rendering a virtual world, our device specifications make it easy to find the best laptop that will meet your needs.

Animation & Visual Effects

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core or greater or AMD equivalent
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	1TB SSD or greater
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Animation & Visual Effects students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Architecture

	Minimum Requirement	Recommended
Device type	Windows laptop	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Dedicated with 4GB graphics memory	Dedicated with 6GB graphics memory or greater
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Architecture students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Art History

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Art History students. Art History students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

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Arts Administration & Museum Leadership

Our online Arts Administration & Museum Leadership program also recommends a headset with microphone.

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Arts Administration & Museum Leadership students. Arts Administration & Museum Leadership students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Dance and Performing Arts

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	macOS Catalina
Warranty & service	3-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Dance and Performing Arts students receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple

Design & Merchandising

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Design & Merchandising students. Design & Merchandising students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Design Research

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	1TB SSD or greater
Graphics	Dedicated with 6GB graphics memory
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Design Research students. Design Research students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Digital Media (MS)

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core or greater or AMD equivalent
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	1TB SSD or greater
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Digital Media (MS) students.

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Digital Media (PhD)

Our Digital Media PhD program is self-defined, interdisciplinary, and highly specialized. Please contact Program Director Jichen Zhu, PhD, to discuss appropriate laptop requirements for your research.

Entertainment & Arts Management

Students in the Entertainment & Arts Management program choose an area of concentration in spring of your freshman year. If you have a laptop, we advise that you wait to purchase a new laptop until you've selected your concentration. If you do not have a laptop, we suggest purchasing a low cost, entry-level laptop, and to purchase a laptop that meets your concentration’s minimum requirements after you’ve selected your concentration. If you switch concentrations, you may need to purchase a different laptop that meets the minimum requirements of your new concentration.

Cinema and Television

Students choosing the concentration in Cinema and Television should purchase a laptop that meets or exceeds the requirements for our Film & Television program.

Laptop requirements for Film & Television

Dance, Performing Arts, or Theatre

Students choosing a concentration in Dance, Performing Arts, or Theatre should purchase a laptop that meets or exceeds the requirements for our Dance and Performing Arts programs.

Laptop requirements for Dance and Performing Arts

Digital Media

Students choosing the concentration in Digital Media should purchase a laptop that meets or exceeds the requirements for our Interactive Digital Media program.

Laptop requirements for Interactive Digital Media

Sports Entertainment

Students choosing the concentration in Sports Entertainment should purchase a laptop that meets or exceeds the requirements for students enrolled in the LeBow College of Business.

Laptop requirements for LeBow College of Business students

Visual Arts Management

Students choosing the concentration in Visual Arts Management should purchase a laptop that meets or exceeds the requirements for our Art History program.

Laptop requirements for Art History

Fashion Design and Fashion Design (MS)

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	NVIDIA with 4GB graphics memory
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Fashion Design and Fashion Design (MS) students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Film & Television

Our Film & Television program recommends a Mac laptop, but the use of a Windows laptop that meets or exceeds our requirements is acceptable and compatible with your industry standard software.

	Minimum Requirement	Recommended
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics	Dedicated with 4GB graphics memory or greater
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Film & Television students receive educational discounts from Apple, Dell, and Lenovo.

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Game Design & Production

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core or greater or AMD equivalent
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	1TB SSD or greater
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Game Design & Production students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Graphic Design

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	AMD Radeon Pro with 4GB graphics memory or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	macOS Catalina
Warranty & service	3-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Graphic Design students receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple

Interactive Digital Media

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	macOS Catalina
Warranty & service	3-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Interactive Digital Media students receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple

Interior Architecture & Design

	Minimum Requirement	Recommended
Device type	Windows laptop	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Dedicated with 4GB graphics memory	Dedicated with 6GB graphics memory or greater
Display	Anti-glare or matte display (recommended)
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Interior Architecture & Design students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Interior Design

	Minimum Requirement	Recommended
Device type	Windows laptop	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Dedicated with 4GB graphics memory	Dedicated with 6GB graphics memory or greater
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Interior Design students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Music Industry

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	AMD Radeon Pro with 4GB graphics memory or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	macOS Catalina
Warranty & service	3-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Music Industry students receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple

Photography

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	macOS Catalina
Warranty & service	3-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Photography students receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple

Product Design

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Dedicated with 4GB graphics memory or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Product Design students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Retail & Merchandising

Our online Retail & Merchandising program also recommends a headset with microphone.

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Retail & Merchandising students. Retail & Merchandising students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Screenwriting & Playwriting

Our Screenwriting & Playwriting program recommends a Mac laptop, but the use of a Windows laptop that meets or exceeds our requirements is acceptable and compatible with your industry standard software.

	Minimum Requirement	Recommended
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core	Intel Core i7 6-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB	32GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics	Dedicated with 4GB graphics memory or greater
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

Screenwriting & Playwriting students receive educational discounts from Apple, Dell, and Lenovo.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Television & Media Management

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Television & Media Management students. Television & Media Management students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Urban Strategy

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Apple laptop or Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i5 Quad-core or greater
Memory (RAM)	16GB or greater
Storage	512GB SSD or greater
Graphics	Integrated Intel graphics
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Mac: macOS Catalina PC: Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Urban Strategy students. Urban Strategy students also receive educational discounts from Apple.

Shop Apple Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Virtual Reality & Immersive Media

	Minimum Requirement
Device type	Windows laptop
Processor	Intel Core i7 Quad-core or greater or AMD equivalent
Memory (RAM)	32GB or greater
Storage	1TB SSD or greater
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or greater
Camera	720p HD webcam
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/n (dual-band)
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro
Warranty & service	3-year or 4-year extended support Accidental damage protection

Save with our valued partners

We've partnered with Dell and Lenovo to offer preconfigured laptops with exclusive discounts for Virtual Reality & Immersive Media students.

Shop Dell Shop Lenovo

Keep your device up and running

You may have the option to purchase extended protection and accidental damage coverage for your device—we recommend you make sure you're covered if something goes wrong.

Work worry-free and minimize out-of-pocket repair costs with an extended warranty for hardware coverage. Get covered for things like spills, drops, and cracked screens with accidental damage protection.

Keep your files safe

Losing data because of malware or a computer problem is discouraging and can set back your academic progress. You might lose months of writing, planning, creating, designing, and innovating. However, a little prevention can go a long way to avoiding this ordeal.

To help save you lots of time and aggravation, we recommend that you use a secure cloud service, such as Backblaze or Carbonite, to back up your data. Keep your files safe from malware, human error, theft, and hardware failure—if something happens to your device, you don't have to worry about losing your files.

We recommend these accessories

Make the most of your device with these recommended accessories.

USB-C multiport adapter
Headset with microphone
Bag or sleeve
Additional power supply