Multimedia students have the benefit of open labs and the Caterpillar Global Communications Center (GCC) service bureau which both provide most of the equipment and tools they will need to complete assigned coursework. However, most students are strongly urged, and ultimately prefer, to purchase a Mac laptop for their own personal use outside of class time at their own convenience. Students in the Bradley Multimedia program use a variety of standard applications such as the Adobe Creative Suite, Maya, GarageBand, Dreamweaver and homebrew tools.

What Tools Will I Have Access To?

The GCC service bureau and labs give students access to a multitude of tools including full small and large-scale printing and Macintosh G5 and Mac Pro desktops equipped with every program they will need during their educational stay at Bradley. The service bureau also gives students the opportunity to borrow a digital camera or necessary video equipment (camera, tripod, light kit and microphone) for twenty-four hours at a time. There is also a soundproofed sound booth for students to record and edit their own audio productions.

Laptop Information

Students are encouraged to purchase a Macbook Pro laptop either through a licensed Apple store or the official Mac website. It is suggested that you purchase a laptop containing a multi-core processor and at least one gigabyte of RAM. Owning a laptop greatly increases a student’s productivity by allowing them to work on on the same machine both in class and outside of class.

Multimedia Software Information

If you’re planning on purchasing your own laptop, it is suggested that you purchase the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite. Adobe Creative Suite can be purchased directly through Adobe or JourneyEd which provides discounts and sales on a regular basis. Other programs that can be downloaded for free on a trial basis include Omnigraffle, Fetch, TextWrangler, BBedit and Open Office.