Computer Requirements

The college requires that students entering the Architecture, Architectural Studies, Interior Design and Construction Management programs have a mid-range to high-end consumer-grade laptop. Usually, machines with these specs can be found by searching for a "gaming computer" or a "gaming laptop" at most electronic/computer retailers.

Fall 2024/Spring 2025

Minimum Specifications

ARCHITECTURE | INTERIOR DESIGN

Laptop with 15-inch display
Intel i7 Series 6-core or greater Processor (12th Generation) (i9 is 13th gen)
Dedicated Graphics card with 6GB VRAM or greater (ie. Nvidia RTX 4060)
32 GB Ram
512 GB Solid State Drive
Wireless Card/Adapter (Internet connection is provided via WiFi in the studio)
Webcam/Mic/Speakers
Windows 11 64-bit
External Backup Hard Drive at least twice the size of your internal hard drive
Wireless or Wired Mouse
Additional 23”+ monitor is highly recommended
Anti-virus software

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT | ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES

Laptop with 15-inch display
Intel i5 or i7 Series 6-core processor (10th Generation)
Dedicated Graphics card with 4GB VRAM or greater (ie. Nvidia P620)
8GB Ram (16GB Ram Recommended)
256 GB Solid State Drive (500GB Recommended)
Wireless Card/Adapter (Internet connection is provided via WiFi in the studio)
Webcam/Mic/Speakers
Windows 10 64-bit
External Backup Hard Drive at least twice the size of your internal hard drive
Wireless or Wired Mouse
Additional 23”+ monitor is highly recommended
Anti-virus software

ARCHITECTURE 3rd YEAR | 4th YEAR | GRADUATE

Upper level and Graduate Architecture students will use very resource intensive software which may include simulation rendering, video editing and large scale design modeling. Students often opt to purchase or build a custom high powered desktop workstation in addition to their laptop. Below are some example specs.

Intel i7 (12th Generation) or i9 8-core Processor (13th Generation)
32 GB Ram
Dedicated Graphics Card with 8GB VRAM or greater (RTX 2080)
512 GB Solid State Drive
Wireless Card/Adapter (Internet connection is provided via WiFi in the studio)
Dual Displays
Anti-virus software

CURRENT SOFTWARE

Autodesk AutoCAD 2024: Academic Version Free download when you join the student community at students.autodesk.com
Autodesk Revit 2025: Academic Version Free download when you join the student community at students.autodesk.com
Adobe Creative Cloud Suite: (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) Offered to students at a discounted rate at software.kent.edu
Microsoft Office Products: (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc) Download available at office.com (login with your flashline credentials)
Rhino 8: Primary 3D modeling software used in Architecture offered at a discounted rate: https://www.rhino3d.com/edu

Additional software may be required for certain electives.

Please note: Free downloads are offered by the respective software developers and not Kent State University. These free promotions are subject to change or end at any time without notice. Most downloads are not perpetual and expire after a set amount of time.

NOTE ABOUT APPLE COMPUTERS

We do not recommend the purchase of an Apple/Macintosh computer due to compatibility issues with print drivers and software packages.