Students majoring in advertising/public relations, film production, journalism and telecommunications and media industries are required to have a laptop when they officially enter their major. For most students, this is the spring semester of their sophomore year or fall semester of their junior year.
We recommend that students purchase a current generation of the Apple Macbook Pro. Laptops running Windows operating system that meet the minimum specification posted below are acceptable. However, iPads, Netbooks, Chromebooks, iOS or Android devices are not.
Purchasing Your Computer
The minimum specifications on this page will be updated at least once a year during June or July. We recommend that students do not buy any new computer hardware or software until a month before the start of classes. This is to maximize the warranty and longevity of the purchase(s).
- Our recommendation leans in favor of the 16" MacBook Pro line is because of the additional external connectivity and larger screen size.
- If you're interested in taking classes in multiple area of study, you may wish to aim for higher specifications to cover multiple uses.
- Depending on the manufacture and/or laptop model, some components are not upgradable after the purchase.
Helpful Tips
- For Apple laptops a high number of processing 'cores' will shorten processing and rendering times.
- Generally, the more memory (RAM) your system has the faster your programs will run. If given a choice, invest more money in RAM than hard drive – you can generally purchase hard drive capacity with an external drive in a most cost-effective manner.
- More storage will allow for more applications and data to be installed and located locally on the laptop.
- Additional GPU cores will aid in performance when working with multi-media files. To learn more please visit: https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html
Suggested Laptop Specifications
There are two recommended approaches to purchasing a laptop for use in Bellisario College courses.
Option 1: Buy one laptop for all four years
Students may choose to purchase a laptop that is intended to last all four years. This option requires a higher upfront investment, but it helps ensure the laptop will still meet performance demands later in the program, when students are completing the majority of the coursework in their major.
For this option, we recommend a MacBook Pro with a Pro-series Apple chip (for example, an M5 Pro or newer equivalent). Either the 14-inch or 16-inch model is appropriate, depending on student preference. We recommend at least 24 GB of memory and at least 1 TB of storage. We also recommend purchasing the maximum AppleCare coverage available for the laptop.
Option 2: Buy one laptop for the first two years and a second for the final two years
Students may also choose to purchase a less expensive laptop for their first two years and then upgrade to a more capable system for their junior and senior years.
For the first two years, we recommend a MacBook Neo. For the final two years, we recommend a 15-inch MacBook Air (or any MacBook Pro) with at least 24 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage. Students choosing this option should consider purchasing AppleCare coverage for both laptops.
Using an Existing Laptop
If you own a laptop that meets the following specifications, you may be able to use it at the school. The minimum specifications are:
- No less than Intel 11th generation, AMD equivalent or Apple Silicone M1
- Processor: Quad-core Intel Core i7 or better
- Memory: At least 16 GB RAM
- Storage: At least 256GB SSD or more preferred
Updated: June 17, 2025
Software
All students get FREE access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office 365 and it can be installed on many different devices. To learn more:
Other software requirements vary by major, and some software can be downloaded for free or at a discount. Visit software.psu.edu for more information.
Additional Software by Major
Film-Video
Optional (Free): Arc Studio Pro, Celtx, DaVinci Resolve
Optional (For a fee): Avid Media Composer, Final Draft
Peripherals
An external hard drive is required to store your projects and move them between your laptop and other workstations.
- Recommended Specifications
Solid State Drive
Minimum 1TB storage capacity
USB 3.1 (or faster) connection
Useful Links
- Penn State Connect-to-Tech Student Guide
- Penn State Information Technology Services
- Penn State Wireless
Please contact BellisarioIT@psu.edu if you have any questions about the information on this page.
