Graphic & Media Design

The graphic & media design program at Alfred State is different from other graphic design programs. It's specifically designed to meet current and future needs of an increasingly screen-filled and design-driven world. Studio courses employ active learning and real-world problem solving, which provide students with an experience that mirrors the professional studio environment.

The growing in-house design services industry is creating positions nationwide. Design studios, as well as in-house design services, demand highly versatile creative problem solvers. A new versatile designer is what the graphic & media design program is designed to create.

The required system specifications:

Incoming students are required to purchase a laptop and Adobe Creative Cloud software.

• The Adobe Creative Cloud software can be purchased online.
• Once there, choose the students and teachers tab for the educational discount.
• View system specific options for laptops. 

We recommend one of the following two options:

OMEN Laptop – 15t (SKU:6CM24AV_1)

• Intel® Core™ i7 9750H (2.6 GHz, up to 4.5 GHz, 12 MB cache, 6 Cores)
• NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 (6 GB GDDR5 dedicated)
• 15.6" diagonal FHD 144 Hz IPS anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit (1920 x 1080)
• 1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 128 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
• 32 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (2x16GB)

OR

15- inch MacBook Pro

• Intel® Core™ i7 (2.6 GHz, up to 4.5 GHz, 6 Cores)
• Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 Memory
• 256GB SSD
• 32 GB 2400MHz DDR4 Memory

Please ensure you get an adapter to connect USB-C to USB and HDMI plus SD card reader.

Note:

• It is recommended that you purchase the laptop through the campus store. Laptops purchased elsewhere cannot be repaired at the Help Desk.
• If you choose to buy the MacBook Pro, the recommended system is the 15” MacBook Pro with Ram upgraded to 32gb, but please be aware that you will need to also purchase multiple adapters for the new USB-C ports.

Financial aid may cover all or a portion of these purchases. For more information, please contact the Student Records and Financial Services Office by phone at 1-800-4-ALFRED or 607-587-4253 or by email at sfs@alfredstate.edu.

Assistance will be available with software setup and maintenance such as setting up email, connecting to the server, and printing. The Help Desk is a certified Apple repair center. If your MacBook needs to be sent off campus for repair, they can provide you with a loaner.

Graphics and Media Design has a Tool/Supplies Lending Program

The beginning of the semester can bring with it a lot of expenses. There is a program that may be able to help.

The tools/supplies lending program is an initiative to ensure the academic success of our students. The purpose of the loan program is to temporarily lend items.

Funded through a Title III Department of Education Strengthening Institutions Grant, this program provides tools/supplies for students who are not able to afford to immediately purchase them. If a non-disposable item, these need to be returned at the end of the semester.

Students interested in utilizing the program must complete an application. The program is open to eligible students who are in need, although priority is given to first-year students.

Participating students are given a contract detailing the tools/supplies they have been loaned and when these are due to be returned.

This program has the following items that can be borrowed: Laptop

Complete a tool application online.