The life and work of a Computer Scientist or Computer Engineer is intellectually and technologically rigorous. The human brain is a computing professional’s most valuable tool. A powerful computer might be a close second. Therefor, a laptop is required for Computer Science (CS) and Computer Engineering (CE) students, beginning in the sophomore year. This is also the requirement for all graduate students.
As a UWM CS or CE student you’ll participate digitally in various learning environments on and off campus. Laptops are mobile and versatile, traveling easily from lecture hall to smaller classrooms for laboratory sessions, work with a study group, participation in student research. You can also bring it to your place of residence to complete homework projects or to participate in online classes in a calm, quiet environment.
Some classes will require students to download open-source (free) software or data to complete assignments. There are also a few required upper level- and graduate classes that are commonly offered only online, to accommodate students engaged in full time employment or guest instructors who are not on campus.
To earn your bachelor or graduate degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering requires the support of a robust and reliable laptop computer. It must be capable of running professional quality programs, such as compilers or workbench tools for machine learning or data visualization. These are more processor or memory intensive than simple word processing.
The faculty of the CS and CE departments specify minimum requirements typical of industry settings because they know CS and CE students will use the same tools and apply them in the same ways as professionals.
Requirements
The specific hardware/software requirements for Computer Science and Computer Engineering students are:
- Windows, Mac or Linux laptop running a supported OS version
- 16 GB RAM or more
- 512 GB storage minimum
- Integrated webcam and microphone
You can buy your laptop from many retailers. UWM does not sell laptop computers.