Laptop & Software Requirements
All majors in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications must have a laptop and the software required for the upper division classes (course listings of 100 and above) in their academic programs.
JMC provides computers for students in lower-division writing classes, such as Journalism 61.
Laptop Requirements
You will need a laptop that can connect and authenticate to SJSU's wireless network and that is capable of running the software used in your course of study.
Photojournalism and broadcast journalism students, as well as those in the advertising and magazine sequences (creative/design tracks), should make sure they have a laptop with enough power and memory to handle graphics, such as a MacBook Pro or an equivalent PC.
Students interested in multimedia may want to choose a MacBook or MacBook Pro, which comes preloaded with the multimedia iLife Suite (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and Garageband). Comparable PC applications are available, but are not as well integrated and may require additional purchases.
Your purchase of a computer and software might be covered by student financial aid (go to http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/finaid for more information).
Software Requirements
The minimum software requirement for JMC students is Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint). Most students will also need Adobe Creative Suite. If buying new, we recommend Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which includes InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat, plus Dreamweaver and Flash for web page design. For some students, Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Standard (w/o Dreamweaver and Flash) may suffice.
Before buying any software, be sure to ask about education pricing. The Spartan Bookstore (408-924-1800) offers educational pricing. For example, JMC students can get the full version of Microsoft Office from the Spartan Bookstore for about $80, way below the normal retail cost. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which retails for $1,799, is available for about $315 at the Bookstore; Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Standard, which retails for $1,599, is available for about $215.
Some JMC courses may require additional software. Please check with your advisor for specific software requirements.
Click here to see an article on the School's laptop policy.
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