All LSBE students are required to have a laptop computer. The minimum specifications below are sufficient for courses in LSBE.
Financial Aid Note:
- To determine if computer costs can be included in a financial aid package contact UMD One Stop.
- The UMD Computer Corner offers significant educational discounts for laptop computers (from HP, Dell, and Apple) and software. You may also purchase your laptop from another vendor if you prefer.
- Laptops purchased at the UMD Computer Corner are tax-free.
Laptop Specifications
Minimum:
- Windows 10 | Mac OS 10.15 (or newer)
- Multi-core processor
- Processors vary in speed and are listed differently by manufacturers, so an Intel or AMD multi-core processor faster than 1.2GHz, or currently sold model will be fine.
- 250 GB or larger hard drive
- At least 8 GB RAM
- Wifi connectivity
- Web camera
- 4 GB (or larger) USB Flash Drive (to transfer files)
Please Note: At this point, Chromebooks do not yet have the capabilities to replace the functions and requirements of a traditional Windows laptop or MacBook.
Recommended:
- HDMI external display adapter (if needed for classroom presentations)
- 3-4 year Service/Maintenance plan
- Accidental Damage Plan or Insurance (available for laptops purchased at the UMD Computer Corner)
Marketing and Graphic Design Majors Requirement:
Marketing and Graphic Design majors MUST purchase the computer configuration required by the Art and Design Department at the College of Liberal Arts standards, NOT the standard computer configuration for LSBE (as listed above). Visit the UMD Bookstore/Computer Corner to purchase Adobe Creative Cloud software.
Software Requirements and Resources
Office and Productivity
- All registered University of Minnesota students can download Microsoft Office 365 Pro Plus free of charge.
- Additionally, the University provides Google Apps to all students, staff, and faculty free of charge.
Security
To protect your Windows operating system, Microsoft Security Essentials is free from Microsoft.
General
- LSBE participates in the Azure Dev Tools for Teaching program (Formerly Microsoft Imagine). Azure Dev Tools provides all University of Minnesota students access to numerous Microsoft applications, at no cost. The courses that currently benefit from this program are: MIS 2201, MIS 3225, MIS 3222, MIS 3232, MIS 4221, MIS 4225.
- The statistical software package SPSS is available at no cost to LSBE students. This application is required for some LSBE courses. To download this application visit the UMD Student Software page.
- LSBE faculty and students are entitled to a Qualtrics Survey Software account. Click here to register and start taking advantage of Qualtrics. If you already have an LSBE Qualtrics Account, sign in here.
For more information about software available via academic licensing please refer to:
Additional Information for Mac Users
Several LSBE courses require applications not available on the Mac operating system (e.g. Microsoft Access) so students will need access to the Windows operating system. Mac users have a couple of issues to be aware of and options for meeting these requirements:
- Windows operating systems can be installed on Mac computers using software like Virtual Box (freeware), VMware Fusion, or Parallels (about $50 each, available at the UMD Computer Corner). University of Minnesota students can get a free version of Windows 10 through Windows for Education.
- The LSBE Technology Program offers in-person assistance on installing Windows on a Mac laptop. For help visit LSBE 111U or call (218) 726-6705
- Certain courses in LSBE require the use of the Data Analysis Toolkit in Excel. The 2011 Mac version of Office does not include this add-in but freeware or third party data analysis tools are available on the web: (e.g. StatPlusMac LE) The Mac version of Office 2016 added the Data Analysis Toolkit back in and it can be downloaded and installed through the Office 365 portal free of charge as long as Mac OS 10.10 (Yosemite) is installed and you're a University of Minnesota student.