Laptop Initiative

The School of Architecture requires all students to own a laptop computer and specific software for use in instructional courses. Equipment purchased within the last two years will generally accommodate the required software. The hardware and software specifications are meant to serve as guides. We recommend that you update your system software and clear out unneeded files from your computer at least one week before every semester.

Hardware Expectations

As an FIU student you are eligible to purchase hardware with educational discounts from Panthertech. Students are expected to own an updated PC or Mac laptop. Some suggestions are: at least 8GB of memory, 1GB dedicated for the graphics card, and at least 1TB of hard drive memory. External drives, while useful, should only be used for duplicate files.

Software Expectations

As an FIU student you are eligible to purchase software with educational discounts from Panthertech. All students are expected to acquire the latest version of Autodesk AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Cloud, SketchUp, Rhino and a video editing program such as Camtasia, Adobe AfterEffects or Final Cut Pro. Additional software may be required for certain courses.

Security

It is recommended that students purchase both hardware and software security systems for their laptops. Many computer companies sell both hardware and software security systems for their laptops. Consult with FIU’s University Technology Services for the latest recommendations.