Costs & Materials

Books & Supplies

When you take a design course at EWU, you may be given a supply list on your course syllabus. Many of our design courses will require you to spend money on materials for printing and mounting your work (nicer paper, spray adhesive, rubber cement, craft knives, illustration board, etc.). Many design students also choose to purchase art materials such as ink pens and paints that are used in multimedia projects. Supplies are available at the EWU Eagle Store, online, and from local stores.

Because we know that students are spending money on art and design supplies, we make sure that our required textbooks are available for little or no cost.

Purchasing a Computer?

Apple Macintosh is the standard computing platform in professional practice. However, you may choose to use a different platform instead. Overall, having your own computer is an advantage as it allows you to work on projects off campus.

If you do choose to purchase an Apple computer, we recommend the following:

ComponentsMacintosh DesktopMacintosh Laptop
Processor/ModeliMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro quad core processor or moreMacBook Pro
quad core processor or more
System RAM16 GB minimum (more preferred)16 GB minimum (more preferred)
Hard Drive (Storage)512 GB SSD or 750 GB/7200 RPM minimum (more preferred)512 GB SSD or 750 GB/7200 RPM minimum (more preferred)
Monitor/Display21" or larger (monitors from other vendors will work with Macintosh)13" or 16", second 21" or larger external monitor recommended (monitors from other vendors will work with Macintosh)
Video Adapter (Graphics Card)These are standard 2GB and upgradeable to 16GB. 13" MBP standard
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 or Intel Iris Plus Graphics

16" MBP standard 4GB upgradable to 8GB.
Operating SystemMac OS X version 10.13 or laterMac OS X version 10.13 or later
AudioStandard on MacintoshStandard on Macintosh
Network AdapterWiFi and wired adapter includedWiFi included
External Hard DriveAn external drive at least as large as your computer's internal drive for backing up your computerAn external drive at least as large as your computer's internal drive for backing up your computer
Warranty Service3-year AppleCare Protection Plan or loss/damage coverage3-year AppleCare Protection Plan or loss/damage coverage
SoftwareMicrosoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud,
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Edition, and Windows-compatible software of your choosing if you want to run both Mac OS X and Windows on a Macintosh.

If you are not downloading your software through EWU IT, be sure to check for educational discounts.
Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud,
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Edition, and Windows-compatible software of your choice if you want to run both Mac OS X and Windows on a Macintosh.

If you are not downloading your software through EWU IT, be sure to check for educational discounts.