School of Business Laptop Recommendations

All Providence College School of Business (PCSB) students should have a personal laptop for use in their classes. Minimum hardware and software recommendations are listed below.

Minimum Hardware Recommendations	Suggested Hardware Configuration
Intel i3 CPU or equivalent	Intel i5 CPU or equivalent
​8 GB RA​M	​16 GB RAM
​256 GB SSD (solid state drive)	​512 GB SSD (solid state drive)
​13″ display (1440 x 900 resolution) with HDMI port or adapter	​15″ display (1920 x 1080 resolution) with HDMI port or adapter
​802.11n wireless adapter	​802.11ac wireless adapter
​Initial battery life of 6 hours	​Additional charger or optional second battery
​3-year extended warranty​	​4-year extended warranty with accidental damage coverage​

​​​Software
​Windows 11
Microsoft Office 365 (available free, see Software)​
​Updated version of Java
​​Updated anti-virus software

Students should have full administrative rights on their computers to allow for the installation of software.

The IT Department requires all computers connected to the college network to have updated anti-virus software installed along with the latest security patches for the operating system and application software.

Additional software used for courses can be accessed in the computer labs and clusters on campus. If a students wishes to use that software on their own personal computer, that software must be purchased by the student.

Note for Mac Users

While we understand that many students might prefer a Mac, we strongly recommend the purchase/use of a PC/Windows-based laptop. If you already own a Mac that you plan on using for your studies at Providence College, you will need to use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). AVD is a virtual computer lab environment that can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. It functions a Windows-based computer, but does not offer the full functionality of a native Windows-based computer.

Computer Recommendations and Requirements from the IT Department

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the recommendations from the School of Business, please contact the PCSB Undergraduate Program directly.

PCSB Undergraduate Program
401-865-2332
pcsb@providence.edu

If you have any question regarding financial assistance options for laptop or other learning hardware/software purchases, please contact the Office of Financial Aid directly.

Office of Financial Aid
401-865-2286
finaid@providence.edu