At URI we want to make sure you come to campus prepared and ready to start your classes with confidence. The table below lists recommended technology for specific academic colleges and/or majors within those colleges.
NOTE: URI no longer supports Windows 10 machines. Chromebooks are also not recommended.
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Colleges/majors with specific technology needs
| COLLEGE | OPERATING SYSTEM | LAPTOP RECOMMENDATIONS | OTHER |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Arts and Sciences - Computer Science | MacOS, Linux, or Windows, in that order of preference. | Any modern laptop | |
| College of Arts and Sciences - Data Science | MacOS or Windows | Data science majors should have a reliable laptop capable of handling programming and data analysis tasks. It should have a multi-core processor, at least 16 GB of RAM (8 GB minimum), and 256-512 GB of SSD storage for smooth performance. | Students typically use tools such as Python, R, Jupyter Notebook, and RStudio, so the ability to install and run such software is important. |
| College of Business | Windows preferred but not required | Any modern laptop | Using the Windows operating environment is part of work preparedness, because it is the system that most employers use. |
| Feinstein College of Education | MacOS or Windows | Any modern laptop | |
| College of Engineering | Windows preferred but not required | Windows laptops are strongly recommended for engineering students, as many commonly used applications are designed for or perform best on Windows. Mac laptops are permitted; however, some software is not natively supported on macOS. Students using Mac devices may need to use virtualization tools or access campus labs for certain courses. Students who choose to bring a laptop should consider the following: Operating System: Windows 11 (recommended) / macOS (supported with limitations); Processor: Intel Core i5 (minimum) / Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 (recommended); Memory (RAM): 16 GB (minimum) / 32 GB (recommended); Storage: 512 GB SSD (minimum) / 1 TB SSD (recommended); Graphics: Integrated graphics (minimum) / Dedicated GPU such as NVIDIA RTX series (recommended); Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 capability | While a personal laptop is not required, it is strongly recommended. Having your own device provides flexibility for completing coursework, accessing software, and working outside of scheduled lab hours. Students will have access to campus computer labs with required engineering software. Mechanical Engineering (and other CAD-intensive programs) - Students who expect to use SOLIDWORKS or similar 3D modeling tools should strongly consider: A Windows-based laptop; a dedicated graphics card (GPU) (NVIDIA RTX 4050 or higher); and 32 GB RAM for improved performance with large assemblies and simulations. |
| College of the Environment and Life Sciences | MacOS or Windows | Any modern laptop | No iPads or Chromebooks - not useful for making graphs in Google Sheets or MS Excel or using R Studio. |
| College of the Environment and Life Sciences - Introductory Biology Labs (all) | MacOS or Windows | Any modern laptop | No iPads or Chromebooks; not useful for making graphs in Google Sheets or MS Excel or using R Studio. This limits students' graphing and data analysis in biology courses. |
| College of Health Sciences | MacOS or Windows | Any modern laptop | Students using iPads may experience issues running SPSS in AppStream. |
| College of Nursing | MacOS or Windows | Any modern laptop | |
| College of Pharmacy | MacOS or Windows | Any modern laptop | Laptops must meet Minimum System Requirements (MSRs) to ensure their devices are supported to run ExamSoft.(Review Requirements); note: ExamSoft can be run on iPads also. |
