All students enrolled in Carlos Alvarez College of Business courses are required to have access to a computer for course-related activities, which may include, but is not limited to, assignment write-ups, web resource access, Canvas access, video conferencing and online exams.
Laptop Policy
Because many classes will require students to bring a laptop to class for in-class experiential learning (see list below), all students are required to have a laptop while taking classes in the Alvarez College of Business. The singular exception is the fully online BBA in Cyber Security, in which case a desktop or a laptop is required because all of their classes will be online.
Financial Aid
Because a laptop is an academic requirement for all Carlos Alvarez College of Business students, students can make a one-time request to increase financial aid to support the purchase of an appropriate computer to complement course instruction.
Minimum Computer Specifications
Please review the minimum recommended requirements below. If you currently own a laptop, please make sure that your device meets the minimum standards.
Enrollment
Operating System:
Windows 10/11
Processor:
Intel® Core™ i7 or AMD Ryzen
RAM (Physical Memory):
16 GB
Storage (Free Disk Space):
50 GB
Connectivity:
Reliable broadband Wi-Fi connection
Audiovisual:
Webcam (internal or external), speaker and microphone
Please note: Some classes, particularly upper-level cyber security classes, require that students have administrative privileges on the Windows laptop to install software and adjust configuration settings for laboratory assignments. These courses also drive the required processor, RAM and storage requirements stated in the college laptop policy. Some classes will require students to create, use, connect, etc. several virtual machines, so students may need up to 100GB or more of free storage space per semester.
The types of computers listed below will not work for many classes, particularly those that require the installation of virtual machines. The examples are not exhaustive; please check your specific manufacturer and model.
- Tablet computers (e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad)
- Computers that do not support Windows 10/11 operating systems (e.g., Chromebooks)
- Some computers with ARM processors (e.g., Apple M1 and M2)
Courses Requiring Laptops Every Semester
Classes listed here as “requiring laptops every semester” have additional requirements — laptops that you can bring to class, laptops with technical capabilities specified in this laptop requirement policy, administrator level access to a laptop to do advanced computing activities, etc. Individual instructors will identify course and semester specific requirements (e.g., the requirement to bring a laptop to a physical classroom). Students should not wait until the start of the semester to get laptops with the required specifications.
Note: The college cannot support or take responsibility for software installations on non-Windows machines.
All accounting courses require students to have a laptop.
- FIN 4873 may require a laptop (check with the instructor)
- FIN 6313 may require a laptop (check with the instructor)
- In-residence program: All IS designated classes in the in-residence program utilize laptops every semester, except IS 1403, IS 1413, IS 3003, IS 3533, IS 6373, IS 6763
- Any course section that is taking place online/hybrid
- All online BBA in Cybersecurity degree courses (desktop acceptable)
- All Ph.D. classes require a laptop
The courses listed below require a laptop
- MGT 3003
- MGT 3013
- MGT 3613
- MGT 4893
- MGT 4923
- MGT 4943
- MGT 5043
- All courses with STA prefix require laptops
- All courses with MS prefix require laptops
- These collectively cover the program range of:
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Actuarial Science (BBA-ACS)
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Science (BBA-MGS)
- Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Data Science (BS-SDS)
- Master of Science in Statistics and Data Science (MS-SDS)
- Ph.D. in Applied Statistics (PhD-APS)
- Certificate of Business Analytics (BSA)
- Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates of Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM)
- Core Curriculum (CC)
- Mandatory service courses for Biology Department and College of Engineering
- All courses in MSDA, except National Security (NS), require laptops
Software Resources
QuickBooks
Trial version is available for students from Intuit (one year of QuickBooks Online and five months of QuickBooks Desktop). Enter your information to verify your academic status.
R
R- project is a free open-source software, externally available on their website:
- Click on “CRAN”
- Depending on your professor’s instruction, there are various download package links that will automatically download on your personal/utsa desktop
RStudio
Some editions of RStudio must be paid for, but an open source version is available free of cost:
- Click on “RStudio Desktop”
- Click the download link under the Open-Source edition
SAS
SAS is available for discounted purchase from the UT ServiceNow TX Shop, requires a UT EID:
Request a UT EID: ut.service-now.com | (FAQ)
Pom QM (TreePlan Decision Tree Add-In)
Available through Pearson.
Anaconda (Python platform)
The individual version of Anaconda is free and open source, scroll to the bottom of page for download links.
Azure
Students enrolled in an information systems and cyber security course have access to more than 100 Microsoft Developer Tools for use on their personal machines and are automatically enrolled in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business subscription with Microsoft Azure. Accounts are available the second week of classes each semester. Contact COBTech@utsa.edu for more information.
DrJava
Lightweight Java IDE – with Amazon Correcto.
Jetbrains Software (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and more)
All Jetbrains IDEs are freely available to students through the Github Student Developer Pack:
- Follow the steps to apply for the pack with your UTSA email
- You should receive a confirmation email within a few days
- Click the link in the email (https://education.github.com/pack/offers)
- Scroll down to the Jetbrains offer and follow instructions to redeem it
- Use the Github account associated with your UTSA email to access the Jetbrains products
VirtualBox
Lightweight, open-source virtual machine manager.
VMWare Academic Program (VMAP)
Students enrolled in an information systems and cyber security course have access to virtualization technology provided by the VMware Academic Program (VMAP). Accounts are automatically generated the first week of each semester and eligible students will receive an email with registration details.
Wireshark
Free, open-source network protocol analyzer.
The university, through the Office of Digital Learning, provides technical support services and technology to students such as accessibility services, video conferencing technology, and productivity software. These services and tools (including access to Microsoft Office through OneDrive for Business) will be updated periodically and can be found below the information for technical support: odl.utsa.edu/support/technical-support
Contacts for Technology Support
UTSA Tech Cafe
Technology support and solutions center for students, faculty and staff. Available 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Student Support Gateway
Visit our student support gateway for accessibility, Canvas access, online learning and tech support.
