The College of Creative Arts and Media has special recommendations for hardware and software.
Students in most of our majors and programs may choose between the basic system requirements or a high performance system. The high performance system options will provide faster processing speeds, better graphics display and more file storage space.
Unless otherwise noted, students may use a Mac-based or PC (Windows) laptop, as long as they have the minimum specifications noted below. Chromebooks are NOT acceptable for classwork, as they do not meet the specifications listed. Visit the WVU IT Services website for general guidelines and information about discounts and software available to students on behalf of the university.
Basic Systems
-
MacBook Air or MacBook Pro installed with
current macOS
- Apple M2 or M3 Processor
- 8GB unified memory (minimum)
- 256GB SSD storage (minimum)
-
Windows-based machine with operating system 10 or newer
- 8 GB RAM
- Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5 processors
High Performance Systems
-
MacBook Pro installed with
current macOS
- M3 Processor
- 16GB unified memory (minimum)
- 512GB SSD storage (minimum)
-
Windows-based machine with operating system 10 64-bit (or newer)
- 32GB unified memory (minimum)
- 14th gen Intel Core (i9 or better) or AMD Ryzen (7 or better)
- 512 GB of hard drive space (minimum)
- Graphics cards with 8GB RAM
Software
- Microsoft Office and Sophos anti virus software are free for WVU students. Visit it.wvu.edu/it-services/students for download and installation instructions.
- Cloud Storage: Google Drive for Desktop - Download via https://www.google.com/drive/download/. Use your WVU Mix account (FREE to WVU students)
Additional School of Music Requirements
Hardware
- Students in Music Composition majors, and those taking electronic media or music technology courses must choose one of the high performance options (either Mac or Windows-based are acceptable).
- All other students in the School of Music may choose from any of the hardware options mentioned above.
Software
- All music students need fonts that include music symbols, such as Maestro Times, Opus, or CSTwo/CSThree.
- Music Notation (MuseScore, Notion, Finale, Sibelius, or Dorico acceptable) is recommended for music students and required for all composition students.
- Music students need a recording program with the ability to adequately record lessons, practice sessions, student teaching practice sessions, etc.
- Students in music recording courses will need ProTools (purchase or monthly subscription).
Additional Components:
A full-spectrum pair of headphones (on-ear or over-the-ear) is required for School of Music students, due to the nature of course assignments.