Technical Requirements & Support

Component Type	PC (Windows OS)	Apple (Mac OS)
Operating System	Windows 7* or newer Note: If your computer runs on Windows 7, see the information regarding Windows 7 End of Life below	Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) or newer
Memory (RAM)	4 GB or higher	4 GB or higher
Hard Drive	100GB or higher	100GB or higher
Office Suite	Office 2010 Professional or newer	Office 2011 for Mac
Antivirus Software	Required for on campus students. Strongly recommended for online students	Required for on campus students. Strongly recommended for online students
Optional Accessories	CD/DVD drive. External hard drive. Extra power cord. Headphones/earbuds	CD/DVD drive. External hard drive. Extra power cord. Headphones/earbuds
SNHU Purchase Programs	Visit Dell	Visit Apple

Notes:

• Laptop or Desktop?  Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style though laptops tend to offer more flexibility.
• IMPORTANT NOTE:  Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU, nor does the Microsoft Surface RT. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies.  They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework.  While these devices are convenient and may be utilized for some course functions they cannot be your primary device.
• Office 365 Pro Plus is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish.  Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. The following platforms are no longer supported by Office 365:
  • Android 4.3 and earlier versions
  • Firefox version 5.0 and earlier versions
  • Internet Explorer 8-10 on Windows 7 and earlier versions
  • Internet Explorer 10 on Win Phone 8.0
  • Safari 6.0.4/OS X10.11 and earlier versions
• Antivirus software: Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers.
• Optional Accessories: 
  • Many laptops on the market today do not include CD/DVD drives.  While SNHU typically does not utilize CD/DVD content, this is a good accessory to have.
  • External Hard Drive - it is always a good idea to back up your files and an external hard drive is a great way to do that.
  • Extra power cord - if you have a laptop and are frequently on the move, many people find it useful to have a second power cord - one for home and one for your bag.
  • Headphones/earbuds - many SNHU courses include audio and video content.  These will make viewing and listening easier.

^*Windows 7 End of Life Statement for Students  

Effective Jan. 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 7. What does this mean for you?

As part of the continuing evolution of computer systems, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates for Windows 7. Keeping your computer current with security updates helps your computer run better and protect your information. Since Microsoft will no longer release updates, the information on your computer will be more vulnerable and your computer may not function as well.

We strongly recommend you update to Windows 10 at your earliest convenience. You can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

Have questions? Contact the ITS help desk via the service portal or by phone at 1.855.877.9919. Technical support is available 24/7. 

Students enrolled in the Communication program are responsible for ensuring they have the minimum system hardware and software required in the courses. System requirements often change, so it is important that students maintain awareness of the various minimum hardware requirements for the required software listed below.

Required Software:

The full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite is required in COM-230. It is also required for the following elective courses available for communication students: GRA-220, COM-232, GRA-310.

Creative Cloud licenses are available at an educational discount directly through Adobe.

Minimum Recommended PC Laptop Specifications

• Intel^® Core^™ i3 Processor
• 1.6 GHz or faster processor
• DirectX 9 - capable video card with 1024 x 768 or higher resolution
• 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Mobile Intel^® HD
• 500GB (5400rpm) hard drive
• DVD±RW
• Audio
• 10/100/1000 Network interface
• Wireless 802.11g/n
• USB 2.0 ports
• OS: Windows 7 - 32 bit - service pack 1

Minimum Recommended PC Desktop Specifications

• Intel^® Core^™ i3 Processor
• 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
• 1.6 GHz or faster processor
• DirectX 9 - capable video card with 1024 x 768 or higher resolution
• Video card with 512 MB of video RAM
• 500GB (7200rpm) hard drive
• DVD±RW
• Audio
• 10/100/1000 Network interface
• Front-side USB 2.0 ports
• 20" LCD Monitor
• OS: Windows 7 - 32 bit - service pack 1

Minimum Recommended Macintosh Laptop Specifications

• MacBook Pro Retina 13-inch
• Intel Core i5 or better
• Mac OS 10.10.x (Yosemite) or higher
• 8 GB RAM
• 256 GB solid state or higher
• 512 GB if you plan to install Windows through Imagine
• MacBook Air/Pro Intel Core i3 or higher
• Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
• 4 GB RAM
• 160 GB internal hard drive
• DVD/CD-RW
• 13.3" LCD
• AirPort Extreme card, network interface card
• Lock, carrying case

Minimum Recommended Macintosh Desktop Specifications

• Intel Core i5 or higher
• Mac OS 10.10 (Yosemite)
• 8 GB RAM
• 1 TB internal hard drive or 256 GB SSD.
• EPEAT Silver rating (preferably EPEAT Gold)
• 8x Super Drive (double-layer)
• 21.5" LED Display
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi adaptor

• Intel Core i3
• Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
• 4 GB RAM
• 250 GB internal hard drive
• DVD-ROM/CD-RW
• 15" LCD monitor
• AirPort, Network interface card

Students enrolled in the Digital Photography programs are responsible for ensuring they have the minimum system hardware, software, and photography equipment required in the courses. System requirements often change, so it is important that students maintain awareness of the various minimum hardware requirements for the required software listed below.

Required Photography Equipment:

• DSLR (video 1080p) camera- that allows for manual and automatic operation, supports 1080p video, and can use interchangeable lenses.
• Tripod
• Lighting Kit

Required Software:

• The full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite is required in at least the following courses: GRA-101, GRA-220, COM-128
• The Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan will support most other program courses

Students may also wish to purchase (not required):

• A digital hand-held light meter that can measure both ambient and strobe lighting
• A portable electronic flash unit

The following software programs will be required for use in the Game Art & Development program. Please note that system requirements may change without notice. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they meet the minimum system requirements for these programs.

Autodesk Products (includes Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and Mudbox).

Students can download these products for free under an educational agreement through Autodesk.

System Requirements:

• Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 Professional or Windows 10 Professional operating system
• CPU: 64-bit Intel® or AMD® multi-core processor
• Graphics Hardware: Refer to Autodesk's recommendations for Maya, Motion Builder & Mudbox, as well as for 3ds Max.
• RAM: A minimum of 8 GB of RAM is required, but 16GB is highly recommended and will become increasingly necessarily with each annual release of new versions of Autodesk applications.
• Disk Space: 19 GB free disk space

Please note that some Autodesk products included in the Entertainment Creation Suite may not be available for Apple® Mac OS® X operating systems. Students may elect to run non-native software (most notably 3ds Max) on Windows® through Apple's Boot Camp® or Parallels Desktop® systems. Students who wish to purchase Windows® 10 may do so through Microsoft's student-only discount.

Adobe Creative Cloud (includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, and more)

Students can download these products for a reduced monthly cost of $19.99 through Adobe (please note that a 12-month contract is required by Adobe).

System Requirements (requirements below are listed for Photoshop and Illustrator. Given that current system requirements can change without notice from Adobe, it is best to consult the most up-to-date requirements on the Adobe website).

Operating System (PC): Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 Professional or Windows 10 Professional operating system

• CPU: 64-bit Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD® Athlon processor (2 GHz or faster)
• RAM: 4 GB (8 GB of RAM or more recommended)
• Disk Space: 2 GB free disk space

Operating System (Mac): Mac OS® X v10.8, v10.9, v10.10, v10.11, v10.12, v10.13, or v10.14

• CPU: 64-bit Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD® Athlon processor (2 GHz or faster)
• RAM: 4 GB (8 GB of RAM or more is highly recommended)
• Disk Space: 2 GB free disk space

Minimum	Recommended
Windows 7 64-bit Mac OS X 10.9.2	Windows 7/8.1/10 64-bit Mac OS X 10.9.2 or later
Quad-core Intel i7-2600k or AMD equivalent processor	Quad-core Intel i7-2600k or AMD equivalent processor or faster
8 GB RAM	16 GB DDR3 RAM or better
5400 RPM hard drive	7200 RPM hard drive and/or solid state
DirectX11 compatible video card, 1 GB	Desktop Video Card: NVidia GeForce GTX 560Ti or AMD Radeon 6950 HD or higher Laptop Video Card: NVidia GeForce GTX 780m or AMD Radeon R9 m290x or higher

Software:

• Unreal Game Engine 4 (FREE for students)
• 3DS Max (FREE for students)
• Microsoft (through Dreamspark - FREE for students) & available on SNHU hosted virtual desktop
  • Microsoft C++.net
  • Microsoft C#.net
  • MS Project

• Adobe Creative ($19.99 per month)
  • Illustrator
  • Photoshop
  • Dreamweaver

Optional Accessories

• Drawing Tablet
  • A drawing tablet is consists of a stylus and pad that connects to your computer via USB. Tablets are used to draw in graphics applications like Photoshop or zBrush. . If you are a game art major, the head of the department recommends purchasing a Wacom tablet. A great tablet is the Wacom Intuos. We recommend a medium size since the large is better suited for a stationary setup. A smaller tablet is more portable.
• 32 GB Flash Drive or Hard Drive
• USB Mouse

The following software programs will be required for use in the 3D Modeling and Animation concentration courses (these include GRA-201, GRA-202, GRA-211, and GRA-212). Please note that system requirements may change without notice. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they meet the minimum system requirements for these programs.

Autodesk Products (includes Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and Mudbox).

Students can download these products for free under an educational agreement through Autodesk.

System Requirements:

• Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 Professional or Windows 10 Professional 64-bit operating system
• CPU: Intel i5/i7/Xeon technology or AMD equivalent
• Graphics Hardware: Refer to Autodesk's recommendations for Maya and Mudbox.
• RAM: A minimum of 16 GB of RAM is required, but 32GB is highly recommended and will become increasingly necessarily with each annual release of new versions of Autodesk applications.
• Disk Space: 19 GB free disk space

Please note that some Autodesk products included in the Entertainment Creation Suite may be available for Apple® Mac OS® X operating systems. Students may elect to run non-native software (most notably 3ds Max) on Windows® through Apple's Boot Camp® or Parallels Desktop® systems. Students who wish to purchase Windows® 10 may do so through Microsoft's student-only discount.

Adobe Creative Cloud (includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, and more)

Students can download these products for a reduced monthly cost of $19.99 through Adobe (please note that a 12-month contract is required by Adobe).

System Requirements (requirements below are listed for Photoshop and Illustrator. Given that current system requirements can change without notice from Adobe, it is best to consult the most up-to-date requirements on the  Adobe's site.)

PC:

• Operating System (PC): Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 Professional or Windows 10 Professional operating system
• CPU: Intel® Core 2 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor; 2 GHz or faster processor
• RAM: A minimum of 8 GB of RAM is required, but 16GB is highly recommended and will become increasingly necessarily with each annual release of new versions of Adobe applications
• 1024 x 768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit color and 512 MB or more of dedicated VRAM; 2 GB is recommended*
• OpenGL 2.0-capable system
• Disk Space: 2.6 GB free disk space

MAC: 

• Operating System (Mac): Mac OS^® 10.13 (High Sierra), macOS version 10.12 (Sierra), or Mac OS X version 10.11 (El Capitan)
• CPU: Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
• RAM: A minimum of 8 GB of RAM is required, but 16GB is highly recommended and will become increasingly necessarily with each annual release of new versions of Adobe applications
• 1024 x 768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit color and 512 MB or more of dedicated VRAM; 2 GB is recommended*
• OpenGL 2.0-capable system
• Disk Space: 4 GB or more of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system)

Digital Camera (required in FAS-226, recommended for students to use throughout the program):

• Digital SLR Camera

Students enrolled in the Graphic Design and Media Arts programs (and associated concentrations) are responsible for ensuring they have the minimum system hardware, software, and photography equipment required in the courses in the program. System requirements often change, so it is important that students maintain awareness of the various minimum hardware requirements for the required software listed below.

Required Hardware

The below computer specifications are recommended for students to meet the minimum system requirements of the software programs required for download in the program. Student discounts are available, your academic advisor will provide details.

Mac Specifications

• Model: MacBook Pro 15-inch or iMac (desktop) 27-inch or higher
• Processor: 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor or higher
• Memory: 16 GB (32 GB recommended)
• Storage: 320 GB (1 TB recommended)
• Operating System: Mac OS® X v10.7 or higher

PC Specifications

• Processor: 64-bit Intel® or AMD® multi-core processor
• Memory: 16 GB (32 GB recommended)
• Storage: 320 GB (1 TB recommended)
• Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 (SP1), Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 Professional

Digital Camera (required in FAS-226, recommended for students to use throughout the program):

• Digital SLR Camera

Please note that for students pursuing the BA in Digital Photography or the 3D Modeling and Animation concentration will need to be responsible for additional requirements.

Required Software

Adobe Creative Cloud is required by all students in the Graphic Design and Media Arts program. Creative Cloud licenses are available at an educational discount directly through Adobe

Please note that Adobe’s terms and conditions require a full year contract for Creative Cloud.

Some courses may require software purchase or subscription:

• Adobe Dreamweaver (12 month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Student Edition)
• Adobe Photoshop (12 month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Student Edition)
• GameMaker (purchase required)
• ArcGIS (purchase of student license required)
• Cypherpath (purchase required)

Microsoft® Office 365 Pro Plus is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are enrolled at SNHU. Upon graduation, you will need to convert to a paid subscription. Terms are subject to change at Microsoft’s discretion.