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.
Please note that 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.
Microsoft Surfaces will not work for many classes, because the operating system is not Windows 10/11 Education or Professional and does not permit the installation of virtual machines.
| Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 |
| RAM: 16 GB |
| Webcam (internal or external), speaker and microphone |
| Wi-Fi capability |
| Windows 10/11 Education or Professional operating system |
| Additional Requirement: reliable broadband internet connection |
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.
© 2023 The University of Texas at San Antonio | One UTSA Circle San Antonio, TX 78249 | Information: (210) 458-4011
