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, Blackboard access, video conferencing and online exams.
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.
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.
For more information contact a One Stop counselor with questions.
Please review the minimum recommended requirements below. If you currently own a laptop, please make sure that your device meets the minimum standards.
| Minimum Recommended Laptop Requirements |
| Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 |
| RAM: 16 GB |
| Webcam (internal or external), speaker and microphone |
| Wi-Fi capability |
| Windows 10/11 operating system |
| Additional Requirement: reliable broadband internet connection |
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 storage, processor and RAM 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.
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.
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- project is a free open-source software, externally available on their website:
Some editions of RStudio must be paid for, but an open source version is available free of cost:
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)
Available through Pearson.
The individual version of Anaconda is free and open source, scroll to the bottom of page for download links.
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.
Lightweight Java IDE – with Amazon Correcto.
All Jetbrains IDEs are freely available to students through the Github Student Developer Pack:
Lightweight, open-source virtual machine manager.
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.
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
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