Laptop Recommendations
To support your academic success in the Mass Communications program, we recommend that all undergraduate and graduate students have access to a personal laptop that meets the system requirements listed below. These recommendations are based on the software and workflows commonly used in journalism, strategic communication, advertising, media production, and media studies courses.
Students regularly work with industry-standard programs for writing, editing, video and audio production, data analysis, and digital design. We advise purchasing a laptop that meets or exceeds the following specifications to ensure smooth performance.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate journalism, strategic communication/advertising, and media production students will benefit most from machines that can efficiently handle content creation and editing. Tasks include audio and video production, Adobe Creative Cloud applications, and media file management. Students planning to focus on video production or multimedia journalism should consider opting for higher memory (32GB) and GPU performance to support 4K media editing and rendering.
Graduate Students
Graduate students in media studies often engage in research, data visualization, content analysis, and creative projects. While computational demands may vary, a capable machine with ample memory and storage ensures long-term usability for multitasking, academic writing, and data analysis using programs such as NVivo, RStudio, and Adobe software.
Recommended System Requirements
| Component | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel 11th Gen or newer, or AMD Ryzen 3000 Series | Apple Silicon M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra or newer |
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) version 22H2 or later, or Windows 11 | macOS Monterey (version 12) or later |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM (32 GB for 4K media work) | 16 GB unified memory |
| GPU | 8 GB dedicated GPU memory | Integrated (Apple Silicon handles GPU via unified memory) |
| Storage | 512 GB or more | 512 GB or more |
| Display | 1920 x 1080 or greater | 1920 x 1080 or greater |
Tips When Shopping
- Look for student discounts on Apple, Dell, and Lenovo websites or at retailers like Best Buy or Amazon.
- Avoid Chromebooks or tablets as a primary device — they may not support essential software in your courses.
- Check your program's software list for compatibility with Windows or macOS.
- Consider investing in external storage or cloud backup if working with large media files.
Before purchasing, consult your advisor or course instructor if you have specific needs (e.g., video editing, research tools, or design work).
