We are delighted you are interested in studio art. In order for you to fully participate and meet course and program learning objectives, students taking studio art courses are required to have appropriate hardware for courses you are registered for. Our goal is that what we recommend today will carry you through your final year of study.

Whether in remote or face to face courses, hardware during course meeting times and beyond will support your growth and development as artists. 

Financial Aid for Computers

Because computer access is an institutional requirement, computer costs are designated as allowable costs for students who qualify for financial aid. Accordingly, Student Financial Affairs has added costs for access to a computer into budgets. For more information, contact your financial adviser in the Office of Student Financial Affairs directly. 

Required Hardware

Laptop with specifications listed below. Apple products are dominant in the creative industries with about a 75% market share. Although the PC and Mac are quite comparable in both software, hardware, and power, our faculty, staff, and fellow students will not be able to easily assist or support you if you work in the PC environment. In this case, UFIT might be your best resource. 

If you are purchasing a new computer, make sure to get education pricing through the UF Bookstore or Apple. Both offer payment plans. One advantage purchasing direct from Apple is their 14-day return policy, so you can try without a commitment. You might want to check out options during the Florida Sales tax holiday period which is usually in August. When considering a purchase, keep in mind that many computers are not easily modified after purchase, so you should get the best computer you can afford for your needs. 

Recommendations

*Please note that the sizes listed are recommendations and not requirements.

The following is the minimum configuration necessary to edit images, digitally paint and program for interactive work, as well as email, word processing, and web browsing:

14-inch MacBook Pro

• M Class Processor at least M1 Max, preferably M3 Processor with 10-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU
• At least 16GB of memory
• 1TB SSD storage
• Built-in Liquid Retina XDR Display
• USB-C adapter for peripheral devices if needed

If you plan to use photography, video or do 3-D animation as part of your art practice, the following are recommended purchases:

14-inch MacBook Pro 

• M Class Processor at least M1 Max, preferably an M3/M4 Processor, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
• 24GB memory
• 2TB SSD storage
• 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
• USB-C adapter for peripheral devices if needed

16-inch MacBook Pro

• M Class Processor at least M1 Max, preferably an M3/M4 Processor, 14-core CPU, 20-core 
• GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
• 36-48GB memory
• 2TB SSD storage
• 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
• USB-C adapter for peripheral devices if needed

Optional peripherals to consider depending on your art practice:

• If you choose a 14" MacBook Pro, you may want to plan to purchase an external monitor
• Graphics tablet
• DSLR camera to document and shoot videos

Backing up your Data

It is important to back up your work regularly. Plan to back your computer up to an external hard drive and an Online service. You will find many economical options on the Apple website. Many students opt for drives with capacities starting at 4TB.

• Western Digital, LaCie, and G-Drive are recommended ultra-portable external hard drive.
• Dropbox and iCloud are excellent for cloud storage options. UF offers access to G Suite. 
• Carbonite and BackBlaze are online backup systems that will backup your internal hard drive starting at $100/year per computer. This is not a cloud but a backup service. It is useful in case of loss, damage, or theft. 

This page was updated May 14, 2025.