PhD in Design or Doctor of Design Computer Requirements

NOTE: All students should have a full computer, at least an older computer, available for coursework at the beginning of their first year. Using a smart phone only will not work for courses.

ALL departments require students to have a computer with minimum specifications. Computers that do not meet minimum specifications may prevent students from completing course assignments.

Please read this page AND the general information before spending money on computer hardware and software.

EACH DEPARTMENT HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS!

PhD in Design students must have their own computer by the Fall Semester of their first year.

Doctor of Design (DDes) is an online degree program. Students must have their own computer by the Fall Semester of their first year.

Either Macintosh or Windows is acceptable for PhD in Design and Doctor of Design students.

PhD in Design students will use computers throughout their course of study. The Doctor of Design (DDes) program is completely online. DDes students must have a computer to access these courses. Please consider the computational needs for your particular area of research. Any doctoral students wishing to purchase a new computer and software should follow the recommendations below. An older computer may be sufficient for some time if it meets these minimum specifications for older computers.

Each department in the College of Design has different computer requirements.

Please read the College’s Student Computing Requirements Information page for general information before spending money on computer hardware or software.

We recommend that your computer meet or exceed the specifications below. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, disk capacity) and expandability will be more likely to continue to run required software in later years of college.

This chart provides minimum recommendations for students purchasing new computers. Software requirements are listed at the bottom of the chart. Additional specialized software may be required in other courses, as determined by the instructor. Students may consider the purchase of other software to support their particular goals and learning styles.

Windows Requirements

Components	Windows Desktop	Windows Laptop
CPU (Processor) or Model	Any model using Intel Core i7 or newer processors
System RAM	16 GB minimum, more preferred
Hard Drive (Storage)	512 GB SSD minimum, more preferred (multiple drives are fine)
Monitor/Display	21″ or larger	14″ or larger (second external monitor optional)
Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) Should have a discrete GPU.	2 GB VRAM or more. Avoid integrated graphics processors
Operating System	Windows 10 or later.
Audio	Standard on PCs
Network Adapters	Wi-Fi card or adapter
Backup	External Drive – Windows Backup (external drive needs to be at least twice the computer’s storage capacity) Cloud Backup Services – Google One (Only Non-NCSU Google Accounts), iCloud, or another backup service
Warranty Service	Minimum 3-year onsite parts and labor or third-party loss/damage coverage
Software Be sure to check for educational discounts through the College of Design or Wolfpack Outfitters. Many Autodesk products are available free through Autodesk’s Education Community. Additional software may be required for certain courses. Additional software may be required for certain courses.	No specific software is required. Doctoral students will have to purchase software needed for their course of study and research. Most College of Design students find the software listed below to be necessary: • Microsoft Office 365 (free to NCSU students) • Adobe Creative Cloud

Macintosh Requirements

Components	Macintosh Desktop	Macintosh Laptop
CPU (Processor) or Model	iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Mini, or MacPro, any current model	MacBook Pro, any current 14″ or 16″ model
System RAM	16 GB minimum, more preferred if capable
Hard Drive (Storage)	512 GB SSD minimum, more preferred (multiple drives are fine)
Monitor/Display	21″ or larger (Monitors from other vendors will work with Apple computers.) iMacs include a built-in monitor	14″ or larger (second external monitor optional) Monitors from other vendors will work with Apple computers
Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) Should have a discrete GPU.	2 GB VRAM or more. Avoid integrated graphics processor
Operating System	Mac OS 12.0 (Monterey) or later
Audio	Standard on Macs
Network Adapters	Wi-Fi card or adapter
Backup	External Drive – Time Machine (external drive needs to be at least twice the computer’s storage capacity) Cloud Backup Services – Google One (Only Non-NCSU Google Accounts), iCloud, or another backup service
Warranty Service	3-year AppleCare Protection Plan or third-party loss/damage coverage
Software Be sure to check for educational discounts through the College of Design or Wolfpack Outfitters. Many Autodesk products are available free through Autodesk’s Education Community. Additional software may be required for certain courses. Additional software may be required for certain courses.	No specific software is required. Doctoral students will have to purchase software needed for their course of study and research. Most College of Design students find the software listed below to be necessary: • Microsoft Office 365 (free to NCSU students) • Adobe Creative Cloud

Questions?

The College’s Information Technology staff will be glad to go over purchase choices or answer any related questions. You can send an email to design_help@ncsu.edu or use this form to contact the College Information Technology staff with specific information about your problem.