All undergraduates in the College of Business and Technology will be required to have a laptop for classes and homework. A Windows-based PC is preferred for business school and technology courses. Apple (Mac) Laptops work fine, but be aware that business software uses different versions on PCs vs. Macs and requires workarounds. We teach courses on PC-based software.
If buying now, don’t purchase the cheapest laptop model, but there's no need to buy the highest-end model either. Aim for mid-range models that will last for 3-4 years. Chrome laptops (Chromebooks) or tablets (iPad/Androids) are not adequate for many business and technology school classes, but can certainly be used for some tasks, such as reading textbooks and taking notes, if preferred. The laptop needs to meet the following minimum specifications.
- Operating System: Windows 11 or OSX Sequoia or OSX Tahoe higher
- Processor: modern Intel i5 or higher (recommend i7) or Apple Silicon (M2 or higher). i7 or higher (PC), or Apple Silicon M4 or higher (Mac) for technology students.
- RAM: 16GB minimum, 24GB recommended for students in technology degree programs
- Software: Microsoft Office 365 (offered free to all Rockhurst students through Office 365, so no need to purchase a separate license), along with up-to-date virus protection
- Browser: Google Chrome preferred
- Battery: At least 4 hours of energy per charge
- Hard Drive: 256GB recommended
- Cloud Storage: 10GB storage space on OneDrive, iCloud, Google Drive or Dropbox; back up your files frequently. At least 10GB of OneDrive will come with your Rockhurst student MS-365 account for free.
- Other: Administrative rights to laptop, ability to connect to Wi-Fi 6. Access to load/download programs on your own (have administrative rights to the laptop).
- Warranty: Recommend an extended warranty to cover the laptop for 3-4 years.
Common laptop models are recent Dell XPS, HP or Lenovo midrange laptop or Apple Macbook Air (Apple Pro for technology students). Students in technology degrees should upgrade to a higher-performance model with higher RAM and processor levels.