The fundamental role of drawing in the education of the architect has been central to the curriculum at U-SoA; and over the years both faculty and students have produced beautiful and rigorous drawings that have been the outcome of countless hours of research and commitment. Today, these drawings are generated both manually and digitally; and it is essential that each student be equipped with the proper tools to engage the multi-faceted nature of architectural drawing.
U-SoA utilizes the computer as an essential part of a modern and advanced undergraduate education. The curriculum incorporates a variety of two dimensional and three dimensional software including Autocad, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Google Sketch-Up Pro, Rhino, Revit, and 3D Max. Therefore, it is mandatory that incoming students purchase a computer capable of handling these sophisticated graphic and design applications. Many of these applications are developed with the Windows environment in mind, therefore Apple versions have their shortcomings versus their Windows versions. Hence why the School of Architecture recommends Windows-based computers for SoA students.
Due to the changing nature of the electronic world, U-SoA refrains from prescribing any specific computer brands, processor models, etc. The School cannot guarantee that any single device will be adequate to address all computing needs. The following set of guidelines is meant to assist each student in purchasing a computer capable of supporting the software requirements of the current curriculum.
U-SoA and the University of Miami at large is set up to support Microsoft Windows operating systems. M-series Apple computers do not offer Windows bootcamp functionality, hence limiting the hardware to Apple application versions only. Again, the School of Architecture recommends Windows systems for your academic studies.
U-SoA requires each student to have a laptop with the minimmum requirements.
