To participate in all courses within SAIT’s journalism program, you must have a Mac laptop, Mac accessories and software licenses for the apps you’ll use throughout your coursework. A smartphone is also needed.
To participate in first-year photo courses, you must also outfit yourself with camera equipment suited to the shooting of news, sports and journalistic portraits at an introductory level.
This page outlines the minimum specifications for the required Mac computer and software as well as photo gear. It's divided into the following sections:
SAIT journalism is a bring-your-own-device program with custom hardware and software requirements. The following computer equipment and software, at minimum, is needed:
Week 1 A Mac laptop with an Apple Silicon chip (M2 or newer) running macOS Sequoia or newerWeek 1 Microsoft 365 apps installed and activated (your SAIT tuition includes full Microsoft 365 access so a separately purchased license isn’t necessary)Week 2 Camera Bits Photo Mechanic, Standard version, installed and activated using a purchased subscriptionWeek 2 Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan, installed and activated using a purchased subscriptionWeek 2 A portable storage device (hard drive or SSD) with a capacity of at least 2TBWeek 2 A USB multi-port adapter with memory card reader (if the Mac laptop you select lacks a built-in card reader for your camera’s card type)Specific suggestions and purchasing tips are in the next section.
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👉 The labels indicate the point in the first semester when you will begin to work with the items listed above.
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You'll need a Mac laptop that meets these minimum requirements and is approximately $1,200 (including a multi-port adapter and card reader):