Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts majors covered on this page include:
Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Graduate programs covered on this page include:
Platform & Operating System
Much like the fine arts world, the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts gravitates towards the Macintosh platform. However, with the exception of one or two software titles specific to a program or sequence, a Windows platform will work just as well. The two dominant software suites (Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud), operate mostly the same regardless of it running on a Windows or Macintosh machine.
In addition to a laptop, the School of Music also recommends that students purchase an iPad Air and Apple Pencil. Students will find these devices useful in a variety of courses throughout their individual programs.
Specific use cases for an iPad are:
- Paperless worksheets (including music theory)
- Reading and Editing Sheet Music (lessons and ensembles)
- Music Notation Software
- Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) - Garageband or BandLab for example
- Applications (as needed) - Flipgrid, Showbie, Tuner and Metronome of choice
Students should evaluate their specific needs when selecting an iPad. While the School of Music recommends an iPad Air as a general fit for most, some students may find that the standard iPad meets their needs while others may find that they need the larger screen of an iPad Pro.
Computer Specifications
A School of Music student will find that a computer meeting the following specs meets the needs of their major:
- Current generation Intel, AMD, or Apple processor
- 16GB Memory
- 500+GB SSD
- A 3 or 4 year warranty with Accidental Damage coverage
- Cloud-based backup (Such as OneDrive)
Models sold at TechZone that meet these requirements are found at the end of this page. More advanced models can be found by selecting top of the screen.
TechZone recommends a primary computing device with a full-featured Windows or Mac operating System. Chromebooks, iPads, and some entry-level Windows devices are not sufficient for all needs across the University but can be used as secondary devices.
Software Recommendation
The university provides the Microsoft Office365 suite of software, in both online and locally installable versions, plus the equally paramount Adobe Creative Suite, at no extra cost. The result is that potential employers know our graduates will have experience with these two industry-leading platforms.
Office365 is a service, available to all faculty, staff and students at Illinois State University. It allows you to:
- Access your email and files from anywhere, on any device
- Store your files in the University-connected OneDrive cloud, for anywhere-access to your stuff
- Download the latest version of Microsoft Office for installation on your laptop or desktop computer
- Install the Microsoft Office App on your mobile devices
- Access Microsoft Office Online (a simplified version of Microsoft Office) even on systems that do not have Microsoft Office installed.
Need assistance installing Microsoft Office? Visit TechZone Service Center in the Bone Student Center for in person assistance or watch either of the following videos: Windows or MacOS
Adobe Creative Cloud is available to students, request access at Adobe at ISU
Additional Information
All ISU students will have access to Microsoft Office 365 through Illinois State University. This includes the Microsoft Office basics (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), as well as Outlook calendaring and email. The Illinois State University campus leverages the benefits of Microsoft Office 365 with OneDrive cloud storage. At the time of this writing, all ISU students have 1TB of storage, making OneDrive an excellent utility for backing up files, sharing files with others, and retaining files needed while being mobile. For larger projects, such as video and music creation, CTK students will use their external hard drive. Students should consult with their undergraduate advisor, graduate advisor, or faculty members if they have any questions.
In addition to storage, fast internet connectivity at home is highly recommended. Because of large media file sharing on collaborative projects as well as backing up data, fast connectivity will make a big impact on a project’s workflow and efficiency.
