While Terry does not have a blanket computer requirement, some programs, including the MBA program, do require students to own a laptop. Additionally, some Terry classes have a specific laptop requirement. Check with your program advisor to determine additional requirements. Students often find that a personal laptop best suits their needs in terms of portability and access. Most of campus is covered by wireless access authenticated by your UGA MyID.

If you need access to public computing resources on campus, there are a variety of locations available on the Athens campus, including the Miller Learning Center.

PC or Mac?

The University of Georgia has a vendor relationship with Dell and Apple that will offer you a competitive price alternative on a new laptop. Visit the UGA Bookstore website for information on a laptop configured and priced for UGA students. You may also visit the Dell Higher Education website or the Apple Higher Education website for more flexible configurations and pricing specific to higher education.

Students considering buying an Apple computer are advised that there may be programs provided by faculty for instruction that will not run on the Mac platform. Microsoft Office for the Mac also has some differences that may cause issues for you if you are new to the Mac platform. Running your Mac with either a dual boot option (Mac and Windows) using Apple Boot Camp or installing and licensing Windows through VM Ware Fusion or Parallels are both good solutions to these issues. Terry’s Office of IT highly recommends that you not purchase a Mac if you are not prepared to deal with these added complications.

Laptop support

It is each student’s responsibility to ensure his/her laptop is functioning properly and is able to connect to the PAWS network. Computer repair is available at the UGA Bookstore. See the UGA Bookstore Computer Store page (Service tab) for hours and information.

Recommended Specifications

Hardware	Recommendation
Processor	Intel "i" series processor (i3, i5, AMD Athlon II, or better)
RAM	4 to 8 GB
Hard Drive	120GB
Optical Drive	CD-RW/DVD-RW
Network Card	Wireless B/G/N

Network Card

We use a wireless network on UGA campuses. You are required to have a wireless B/G/N network card built-in to your laptop.

Operating System

At Terry College, the standard Operating System is Windows 7.

Other options you may need/want to consider

• A 3-year warranty covering parts + on-site labor (next business day)
• A “complete care” type warranty that will repair or replace your laptop regardless of type of damage
• USB memory stick or USB backup hard drive
• Surge protector
• High speed internet service (cable modem or DSL) at home

MBA Program software requirements

The MBA programs require Microsoft Office Standard 2007 or 2010. The best current price for Microsoft Office Professional 2010 is via the University System of Georgia’s Software Resources & Services site (site may require MyID). Microsoft Office is also available at the UGA Bookstore at a slightly higher price. There may also be additional software that will be provided for you to install in some classes, so you will need to make sure that you have available hard drive space.