All undergraduate students in the Department of Biomedical Engineering are required to have a laptop. Some courses may require that you bring your laptop to every class or lab.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that his or her laptop meets the following requirements. Many options are available to meet these requirements, and we strongly recommend you read all information on this page to ensure your laptop is compliant. Download a printable PDF of the requirements.
Hardware Requirements
Hardware & OS |
Minimum |
Preferred |
|
Operating System |
Windows 11 64-Bit |
Windows 11 64-Bit |
|
Processor |
Intel Core i7 |
Intel Core i9 |
|
Memory |
8GB RAM |
16GB RAM or more |
|
Hard Drive |
500GB or larger SSD |
500-1000GB SSD |
|
Network Card |
Wifi 802.11ac or better |
Wifi 802.11ac or better |
|
Video |
Integrated Video |
Discrete Graphics Card (examples): |
| Video Conferencing |
Front-facing SD camera with mic |
-Front-facing HD camera (with privacy shutter) - Headset with microphone - IR Camera for facial login |
|
Ports |
Minimum 1 USB port; either a USB-A port or USB-C port with a USB-A to USB-C converter |
Minimum 1 USB port; either a USB-A port or USB-C port with a USB-A to USB-C converter |
|
Warranty |
Factory Warranty |
Extended Warranty (in-home service) |
|
Backup |
None |
USB External drive, Cloud backup, |
| Home Bandwidth | Sufficient for classes & testing (at least 2 Mpbs up and down) |
Sufficient for classes and testing (at least 2 Mpbs up and down) |
Operating System Requirements
Students are required to install specific software packages on their laptops for certain classes. Where possible, the university and BME try to provide students with the opportunity to obtain Mac OS/X versions of required software packages. However, some of the software packages used in our program are only available on the Microsoft Windows Platform. Due to this need, all students are required to have Windows.
Mac OS/X and Linux
Students with Mac OS/X and/or Linux operating systems will need to obtain and install an additional copy of Windows for their system. BME recommends that students use virtualization environments that permit both operating systems to run simultaneously.
Virtualization Tools
Virtualization software operates two distinct computer environments on the same laptop. The original Mac OS/X still continues to be the primary operating system, while Windows can be installed and run as a guest operating system inside a "virtual machine." Bear in mind that the "host" computer is now running two operating systems simultaneously, which will reduce the processing capability of botht he host and the guest OS.
Two recommended options for **non M1 Macs** are:
- Virtual Box product from Oracle Corporation
- Parallels (the current version supports M1 ARM processors for Mac)
Students must have a Windows license in order to run Windows in a virtualization environment. Installation ISO's and 64-bit Windows licenses are available through ENGR Direct for free.
Minimum Software Requirements
Software |
Where to get it |
|
MS Office |
Free to students (instructions for access) |
|
|
Download from Information Security Office. |
|
MATLAB |
Student licensing and download. |
|
UT Print |
Download from UT's IT Services |
Software used in classes, such as LabVIEW and Multisim, is provided to engineering students at no cost by the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Encryption
It is highly recommended that your laptop be encrypted using your operating system’s native encryption utility (e.g. BitLocker, FileVault 2, etc.) The encryption method chosen may depend on the hardware and operating system supported by the encryption utility. Laptops are highly vulnerable assets that contain a huge amount of personal information that is easily accessible by thieves unless encryption is enabled.
Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to have their aid adjusted to include the cost of a laptop.
