Discount Software & Computers for Students

Computer Recommendations

General

Apple and Windows platforms are fully supported and compatible with campus IT services. The following are suggested requirements for a personal laptop and we recommend systems that meet or exceed the following specifications. Please confirm specifics with your program, as listed in the next section.

Minimum Recommended
Memory: 16 GB RAM
 16GB RAM
Processor: Intel Core 5 processor or higher
AMD Ryzen 5
Apple M2

Intel Core 7 processor or higher 
AMD Ryzen 7
Apple M3 or higher
Storage: 512 GB or more 512 GB or more
Graphics: Intergraded graphics card with minimum 4GB memory or 10-core GPU Dedicated graphics card with minimum 6GB memory or 20-core GPU
Wireless: 802.11n WiFi wireless networking 802.11n WiFi wireless networking
Additional: Built-in video camera and microphone "Windows Hello - Ready to use" or FaceTime HD camera and microphone
and/or keyboard with with Touch ID or fingerprint reader

Computer Requirements & Recommendations by School

Cox School of Business

REQUIRED:

  • Windows laptop or Mac laptop with Windows operating system (Bootcamp, Parallels or VMware for MacBook or MacBook Pro laptop)
  • Current Microsoft Office*.

Special Requirements for Certain Programs/Areas:

  • Students in the MSF program and some MBA Finance courses are encouraged to have HP 12C or BA II Plus calculators
  • Students in the MSBA program, please contact Chester Chambers for additional information
  • Students in ITOM courses need to have MS Access and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio installed
  • ITOM and Stat courses require Solver for Excel add-ins and StatPlus:mac LE (Mac users only)
  • Students in ITOM 6222 – requires JMP
  • Marketing research course requires Excel Data Analysis Add-In

* Please Note:
 Students may freely download the Office apps from smu.edu/microsoft365.

Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

REQUIRED:

  • Computer using Mac OS or Windows with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.*

Special Requirements for Computational Courses:

  • Mac with MAC OS X, Windows, and UNIX platforms; LaTex for text editing

* Please Note:
 Students may freely download the Office apps from smu.edu/microsoft365.

Dedman School of Law

REQUIRED:

  • Computer using Mac OS or Windows with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. *

* Please Note:
 Students may freely download the Office apps from smu.edu/microsoft365.

Lyle School of Engineering

Lyle programs use software that may not be available for macOS, such as SolidWorks and Fluent, and some that are only partially supported, such as LabView, MATLAB, COMSOL. While Lyle provides computing lab facilities for the completion of coursework, it is recommended that students enrolled in Lyle meet the following recommendations for their personal computers:

REQUIRED:

Memory:: 16 GB or more
Processor : Minimum Intel Core i5; Inter Core i7 or higher recommended
Storage: 512 GB or more, preferably SSD
Graphics: Dedicated graphics card with minimum 4GB memory
Wireless: 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking.

Meadows School of the Arts

What is the requirement?

All students at Meadows are expected to have an Apple laptop computer meeting specific criteria as they enter courses in their major. The minimum laptop specifications are as follows:

REQUIRED:

Model: 13" MacBook Air or MacBook Pro
Operating system: macOS 10.10 or higher
Processor: Apple M1 Chip
RAM: 8GB or higher
HardDrive: 256gb or larger
Technical Support: AppleCare Protection plan
Software: Microsoft Office*
Other recommended software packages vary by academic division and course.

More information about the requirement and financial aid to meet the requirement can be found on the Meadows Laptop Requirement page.


* Please Note:
 Students may freely download the Office apps from smu.edu/microsoft365.

Perkins School of Theology

REQUIRED:

  • Computer using Mac OS or Windows with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.*

SUGGESTED:

  • 14 to 15 inch laptops and Mac for students working with media such as Audio and Video.

* Please Note:
 Students may freely download the Office apps from smu.edu/microsoft365.

Simmons School of Education and Human Development

REQUIRED:

  • Computer using Mac OS or Windows with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. *

* Please Note:
 Students may freely download the Office apps from smu.edu/microsoft365.

DO NOT PURCHASE OFFICE

Students have the ability to download the Microsoft 365 apps for FREE at smu.edu/microsoft365. Microsoft 365 can then be installed on up to 10 devices.

Microsoft 355 logo
Get Microsoft 365

Mobile Phone Service

正品蓝导航 has a contract with both AT&T and Sprint. Through these contracts, students can receive discounts on existing or new lines of service. Click on your desired vendor to learn more or sign up for your cell phone discount.

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