Student Laptop Requirements

All students admitted to the Marriott School of Management are required to own a business class laptop. A netbook is not considered a business class laptop and will not meet the minimum computing requirements outlined below.

The following are the minimum laptop requirements for new Marriott School students:

Hardware/Software Minimum Requirement
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium or better (32 or 64 bit)
Required Software Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 Professional (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Access)
Adobe Reader
Antivirus software with a current licence
Additional software may be required depending on the courses taken
Memory 3 GB (DDR2) or better
Hard Disk 250 GB (SATA 5400 RPM) or better
Drives DVD (read) and CD (read/write) capable
Graphics 128 MB video memory or better
Audio Built-in speakers
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Networking Wireless 802.11 b/g compliant
10/100 Mbps LAN/Ethernet port
Ports 2 USB ports
1 VGA or DVI/HDMI/etc. with a VGA adapter
Display 13" minimum display (15.6" recommeded)
1024 X 768 resolution or better
Battery 4 hour battery life or better (May require multiple batteries be purchased)

Operating Systems and Software

The Marriott School has standardized on the MS Windows and MS Office Professional platforms. If you would like to purchase a non-Windows computer, please be advised that you will be in the minority. It will also be your responsibility to run the Windows OS either by setting up your computer as a dual boot machine or by running Windows under a virtual machine. No Marriott School support will be available to set this up; therefore, it is strongly recommended that students come with a business class laptop that runs Windows natively.

You will use Microsoft Office Professional applications extensively throughout the program. Microsoft Office Professional must be purchased by students and is available at deeply discounted academic pricing through the BYU Bookstore, along with many other useful software packages.

Students who want to use BYU wireless access on campus are required to:

  • Have an up to date antivirus program installed on their laptop.
  • Keep their Windows operating system up to date with the latest security patches from Microsoft.
  • Obtain administrative rights on their laptop so that software and patches can be installed as needed.

Purchasing Aids and Ideas

The specifications above can often be met by sub-$1,000 laptops. Computers that meet the minimum requirements are sold at local stores, including warehouses such as Costco or Sam's Club. There are also many online retailers, such as Dell, HP, Sony, Gateway, and Lenovo, where a laptop can be purchased.

You may also find current offers from the BYU Bookstore's Cougar Computer department at www.byubookstore.com.

Note: This policy is updated annually. Students entering the Marriott School of Management with a laptop meeting the minimum requirements should not need to upgrade during their program.

Date Updated: January 3, 2010