Effective with the Fall 2024 semester, newly matriculated students enrolled in Music Technology degree programs are required to purchase Apple laptop computers and compatible software using the timeline appearing directly below. The degree programs are:

Following the suggested academic plan, Music Technology undergraduate majors will be required to have individual Apple laptops at the beginning of the sophomore year, or prior to taking MUST 4714: Sound Editing. However, students are encouraged to have a laptop as early as their first semester of study in the program, and to purchase required software for individual classes as necessary.

Students in the Master of Science degree program will be required to have individual Apple laptops at the beginning of their first semester of study in the program.

Currently matriculated students are exempt from the requirement; however most current students in the program already own and bring laptops to class.

Minimum Apple Hardware and Software Specifications

Financial Aid can be used to pay for electronic devices that are required. It should be noted that requiring the device will not increase the amount of the financial aid awarded; it will just mean that there is more of a gap between what is awarded and the cost for the student. 529 Plans may be used to pay for any electronic devices required, but parents/students should verify this with their plan/tax advisors. 

Be sure to check out Temple’s Information Technology site!

Rationale

Apple hardware and compatible software are now the industry standards in music technology. Because digital technology is at the heart of the Boyer Music Technology programs, a personal laptop enables 24-hour access to the Apple hardware and compatible software used specifically in students’ courses and in the music technology industry. With the movement away from analog hardware to digital recording, editing, mixing, and music creation, a personal Apple computer is necessary because it has become the music technologist’s instrument, much like the violin or cello is to the string player. It is a personalized creative instrument, and the availability and instruction on a personal device is crucial to student success during college and afterward in the field. Additionally, a personal Apple laptop computer enables students to customize their workflow and begin working immediately once they open their laptop, providing a far superior learning environment than one finds in an open computer lab since class time is not needed to reset personal preferences and workflow.    

More In This Section