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Graduate Architecture

The following recommendations are for students working towards Master of Architecture (First Professional), Master of Science in Architecture (Post-Professional), and Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design (Post-Professional):

Laptops are required. If you are purchasing a new laptop, we recommend a Windows-based machine, although both Windows-based and Apple computers are viable choices. More design software works natively on Windows computers, but there are workarounds for students who are willing to use virtualization solutions like Parallels on a Mac. With this in mind:

Windows Minimum Laptop Requirements 

  • Intel Core Ultra 7 (or Core Ultra 9) processor
  • Dedicated graphics card with at least 6GB of dedicated video memory (VRAM)
    • Recommended: 8GB or more of VRAM
  • 32GB RAM recommended (16GB minimum)
  • 512GB or larger solid-state drive (SSD)
    • Recommended: 1TB SSD if budget allows
  • 14″-16” display
    • Recommended: 24” or larger external monitor
  • External 3-button mouse (trackpads alone are not sufficient)

Minimum Mac Laptop Requirements

  • Apple M5 (or newer M5 Pro when available) processor
    • M5 is acceptable for lighter workflows, but M5 Pro is recommended for graduate-level design work.
  • 32GB unified memory
    • 24GB is workable for many students, but 32GB is recommended for large files and multitasking.
  • 512GB or larger SSD
    • Recommended: 1TB SSD if budget allows.
  • 14–16″ Retina display
    • Recommended: 24” or larger external monitor
  • External 3-button mouse (trackpads alone are not sufficient)

Additional recommendations and requirements: 

  • 24″ or larger desktop monitor and external keyboard. 
  • Educational Discounts are available for most equipment: Dell and Apple
  • All students are required to purchase the Rhino 8.0 Student Version. This is available directly from McNeel for $195 or Studica for $138.
  • Software Provided by Pratt
    • Adobe Creative Suite
    • Autodesk Products (Autocad, Revit,etc)

Required Software

  • Rhino:
    • All students are required to purchase the student version of  Rhino 8.0, which usually costs $195. It  can be purchased from Studica for $138.
  • Adobe Creative Suite:
    • Full-time students have free access to Adobe Creative Suite while studying at Pratt. Go to the Adobe site  and log in with your Pratt OneKey.
  • AutoDesk Products (AutoCAD, Revit, etc):
    • Pratt provides access to this suite of software.

Some advanced courses may require additional software. Information will be available directly from faculty. 

All Pratt.edu accounts are Google-based, which includes Google Doc, Google Sheets, Students are provided a base file storage on Google Drive. It’s recommended that all work is stored on a Cloud Storage Platform. Additional storage can be purchased if your need exceeds the standard allotment. 

The following recommendations are for students working towards Master of Landscape Architecture: 

If you are purchasing a new laptop for the MLA program, we strongly recommend choosing a Windows laptop.

One of the primary software platforms used in the curriculum is Esri ArcGIS Pro, which is available only for Windows. While Mac users can run ArcGIS Pro using virtualization software such as Parallels, the experience is generally less reliable than running it on a Windows machine.

In addition, some visualization and rendering software, including Lumion and other Windows-only applications, is either unavailable on macOS or performs better on Windows laptops equipped with a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card.

If you already own a Mac, there is no need to purchase a new computer. Most of the software used in the program, including Rhino, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Cloud, and SketchUp, runs well on macOS, and we can help you access Windows-only applications when needed. 

Windows Minimum Laptop Requirements 

  • Intel Core Ultra 7 (or Core Ultra 9) processor
  • Dedicated graphics card with at least 6GB of dedicated video memory (VRAM)
    • Recommended: 8GB or more of VRAM
  • 32GB RAM recommended (16GB minimum)
  • 512GB or larger solid-state drive (SSD)
    • Recommended: 1TB SSD if budget allows
  • 14″ display
    • Recommended: 15” or higher

Minimum Mac Laptop Requirements

  • Apple M4 Pro (or newer M5 Pro when available) processor
    • M4 is acceptable for lighter workflows, but M4 Pro is recommended for graduate-level design work.
  • 32GB unified memory
    • 24GB is workable for many students, but 32GB is recommended for large files and multitasking.
  • 512GB or larger SSD
    • Recommended: 1TB SSD if budget allows.
  • 14–16″ Retina display

While all Pratt students have Google Drive capacity, it can also be helpful to have a large external hard drive on hand, as the file types you’re working with are quite large. You’ll find our recommended hard drive options at this link.

Required Software

  • Rhino:
    • All students are required to purchase the student version of  Rhino 8.0, which usually costs $195. It can be purchased from Studica for $138. 
  • Adobe Creative Suite:
    • Full-time students have free access to Adobe Creative Suite while studying at Pratt. Go to the Adobe site and log in with your Pratt OneKey.
  • Microsoft Office:
    • You will need the Microsoft Office Suite, as Microsoft Excel will be used in Cartography I. Pratt students can download the Office Suite for free by following the directions at this link.
  • Google Earth:
    • You will also need to have Google Earth Pro for desktop, which can be downloaded for free at this link.