RISD Student Laptop Program - Hardware and Software Requirements
2025-2026 Hardware and Software Requirements
The hardware and software requirements are evaluated annually and recommended by faculty, Department Heads, the administration of the participating Academic Departments, and RISD’s Information Technology Services (ITS). Any questions regarding the selection of hardware and software chosen to support the academic program should be directed to the appropriate Head of the Department.
Participating Departments:
Apparel (APPAR), Architecture (ARCH), Digital + Media (D+M), Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS), Film Animation Video (FAV), Furniture Design (FURN), Graphic Design (GD), Industrial Design (ID), Illustration (ILLUS), Interior Architecture (INTAR), Jewelry + Metalsmithing (J+M), Landscape Architecture (LDAR), Photography (PHOTO), and Textiles (TEXT).
When to purchase
To ensure you are prepared for class with the latest and greatest hardware and software releases it is recommended you wait until at least July 2025 (or up to three weeks before the start of your first class) to make your purchases. To allow yourself enough time to verify proper software installation, please be sure to install all software at least one to two weeks prior to the start of the class requiring the software.
Note: Students starting during the on-campus summer program are required to have their laptop and software suite for summer program coursework. This includes the following programs: INTAR MDes Graduate, ARCH and LDAR 2 Year Students. INTAR highly recommends a Windows Laptop. Apple MacBook Pros can run some software, but can’t do VR presently
Choosing your Hardware
Each department has a recommended system specification. Several participating departments (ARCH, ID, ILLUS, INTAR, and LDAR ) use software that only runs in a Windows environment. It is highly encouraged that the students in these departments purchase a Windows laptop. If a student chooses a Mac laptop, they will be required to download and install Parallels and Windows 11. See Software section for details.
First Year students - Please be aware that your anticipated major may require a computer with higher system specifications. Before making a purchase, we suggest checking the recommended specifications for your anticipated major.
Software
Software included in this document is required to be installed by the first day of class. Additional specialized software is required by several participating departments. Students will be sent information and instructions as needed.
For Additional Information please see the Laptop Program Policy and Laptop Program Policy FAQs.
HARDWARE
Department
Specifications
Details
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop
FAV GD PHOTO TEXTILES
FURN ARCH* D+M* ID*
ILLUS* INTAR* LDAR*
Recommended Specifications:
- 36GB of Unified Memory /RAM
- M3 or M4 Pro or Max processor
- 1TB SSD drive
- 16” screen
- (approximate costs: $3000-$4500)
- AppleCare Plus Warranty
Approximate costs:
$2,500 - $4,500
Educational Discounts:
Apple Visit www.risdstore.com > click on Apple Discounts
Recommended Model:
Apple MacBook Pro 16 inch
Minimum Model:
Apple MacBook Air (Note: Not all MacBook Air laptops meet the minimum requirements.)
*Mac users who need to run Windows only software will need to download and install Parallels and Windows 11. See Software section for details. Apple MacBook Pros can run some software, but can’t do VR presently.
**First Year students - Your anticipated major may require a computer with higher system specifications. Before making a purchase, we suggest checking the recommended specifications for your anticipated major.
APPAR EFS** J+M FURN
Minimum Specifications:
- 16GB of Unified Memory /RAM
- M1 or better processor
- 500GB SSD drive
- AppleCare Plus Warranty
Windows Laptop
ARCH FAV FURN ID
ILLUS INTAR LDAR
PHOTO TEXTILES
Recommended Specifications:
- Intel Core Ultra 7 processor or newer
- 32 GB of RAM
- Dedicated graphics card Nvidia RTX 3000 ada (8GB) or better
- 2TB SSD drive
- 16” screen with QHD or 4K resolution
- (approximate costs: $2500 - $4500)
- Extended Accidental Protection Warranty
Approximate costs:
$1,000 - $3,800
Educational Discounts:
HP Education Store
Recommended Model:
HP ZBook Power G11 - 16-inch Display
**First Year students - Your anticipated major may require a computer with greater system requirements. Before making a purchase, we suggest checking the recommended specifications for your anticipated major.
APPAR EFS** FURN
Minimum Specifications:
- 16GB of RAM
- i7 or better processor
- 500GB SSD drive
- Extended Accidental Protection Warranty
SOFTWARE
Required Departments
Software Title
Details
ALL DEPARTMENTS
Anti-Virus
ESET student License
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud for RISD Students
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office 365 for Students
ARCH D+M ID ILLUS
INTAR LDAR
Parallels*
*Applicable only for Mac users who need to run Windows only software:
https://www.parallels.com/landingpage/pd/education/
Windows 11*
*Applicable only for Mac users who need to run Windows only software:
Contact the IT Service Desk for information.
AutoDesk Suite**
Free student download. https://itservices.risd.edu/support/solutions/articles/18000068392
**Windows is required to run some of AutoDesk’s software
ARCH D+M EFS FURN ID INTAR
J+M LDAR
Rhino
Free student license, contact your Department Technician to get added to the departments Rhino Team: http://www.rhino3d.com/edu
GD
Apple iWork - Keynote
Free download from App Store using a valid Apple ID.
SPECIALIZED SOFTWARE (BY DEPARTMENT)
Students are provided with instructions by the departments.
Required Departments
Software Title
APPAR
CLO
ARCH
VRay, ArcGIS, Miro, 3DS Max (an Autodesk product), Blender, Sketchup Pro, Revit (an Autodesk product)
D+M
VRay, Glyphs, ArcGIS, Miro, Ableton, Reaper, MaxMSP, Madmapper, Unity, RhinoCAM, Metashape Pro
EFS
Miro
FAV
Blender, Davinci Resolve, Logic Pro X, Maya
FURN
AutoCAD LT, Fusion 360, Keyshot
GD
Glyphs, Miro
ID
Keyshot, Solidworks, Miro
ILLUS
Maya, Blender, Unreal, ZBrush
INTAR
VRay, ArcGIS, Miro, Revit (an Autodesk product)
J+M
Keyshot
LDAR
VRay, ArcGIS, Miro