Student Laptop Recommendation
To prepare our students for a mobile technology workforce and to enhance the student’s experience within the campus community, Marymount California University has adopted laptop recommendations. Owning your own laptop will open endless possibilities for connecting to the Internet, your Marymount email account, Marymount’s Learning Management System (LMS), not to mention the ability to take online courses, take notes in class, participate in online discussion groups, conduct research and access course registration, class schedules, course syllabi and more.
Purchasing
Marymount has relationships with several vendors to provide discounted hardware and software. We encourage you to take advantage of the discounts they can offer. If you do not own a laptop and are thinking about purchasing one before you come to Marymount, we recommend using the sites listed below to shop for discounted laptops and software packages.
Software
- Microsoft Office 365 suite of applications is provided free for MCU students. Simply log into your MCU email and select apps for download.
- Adobe software is also provided free for students. Please contact the Help Desk to gain access.
Hardware
- Marymount maintains a relationship with Dell and offers discounting on laptops and hardware at the MCU Dell Store that you can access by clicking here.
- Apple also offers discounts to students. More information can be found by clicking here.
Laptop Requirements for 2020-2021 Academic Year
Minimum | Recommended |
---|---|
Intel Core i5 Processor | Intel Core i7 Processor |
8GB RAM | 16GB RAM or more |
256GB Solid State Drive (SSD) | 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD) or more |
1 USB 3.0, USB-C, or Thunderbolt Port | 1 or more USB 3.0, USB-C or Thunderbolt Ports |
12” Screen | 12” Screen or larger |
802.11n/ac Compatible WiFi | 802.11n/ac Compatible WiFi |
Webcam, internal speakers and microphone required for online courses.
Software
Name | Details |
---|---|
Microsoft Windows 7, 8.1, or 10 | |
Microsoft Office 2016 | Free to MCU students on up to 5 PCs or Macs via Office 365 |
Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browser | Highly Recommended |
Windows Defender or other anti-virus software | Highly Recommended |
Tablets
We do not recommend students purchase and attempt to sue a tablet in place of a laptop. While tablets may be thin and convenient, they are not fully-functioning computers in the sense that they cannot run Microsoft Windows or MacOS, and many lack physical keyboard or USB ports.
*NOTICE TO USERS: Internet connection.
Below are recommended hardware specifications for Media students. Adobe Creative suite application licenses will be provisioned for students taking specified media courses. Online account activation is required.
Windows
Minimum Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support |
Operating system | Microsoft Windows 10 (64 bit) versions 1803 and later |
RAM | 16 GB minimum (32 GB recommended) |
GPU | 2GB of GPU VRAM. Adobe strongly recommends updating to NVIDIA driver 430.86 or later when using After Effects. Drivers prior to this have a known issue which can lead to a crash. |
Hard disk space | 5GB of available hard-disk space; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices) Additional disk space for disk cache (10GB recommended) |
Monitor resolution | 1280x1080 or greater display resolution |
Internet | Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services.* |
Webcam, internal speakers and microphone required for online courses. |
macOS
Minimum specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support |
Operating System | macOS versions 10.13 and later. Note: macOS version 10.12 is not supported |
RAM | 16 GB minimum (32 GB recommended) |
GPU | 2GB of GPU VRAM. Adobe strongly recommends updating to NVIDIA driver 430.86 or later when using After Effects. Drivers prior to this have a known issue which can lead to a crash. |
Hard Disk Space | 6GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices) Additional disk space for disk cache (10GB recommended) |
Monitor Resolution | 1440x900 or greater display resolution |
Internet | Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services.* |
Webcam, internal speakers and microphone required for online courses. |
*NOTICE TO USERS: Internet connection.