To help you transition to college life, Saint Louis University's ITS division has created several checklists and program-by-program recommendations for laptops and other technology you'll need at SLU.
Follow the steps below to become familiar with and use campus technology services and resources effectively.
Access Your Accounts
- Activate your SLU Net ID and password at .
- Follow the to set up and register your account.
- Log into your SLU email at .
- Saint Louis University has two different methods through which students can grant access to third parties; and Banner Proxy. For additional information see Parents and Third-Party Record Access.
- Learn how to make a bill payment.
Get Up-to-Date Information
- Sign up for emergency messages from Public Safety at dps.slu.edu.
Get Free Software
- Login to mySLU to download Microsoft Word, EndNotes and more.
Get Discounts
- Find information on buying a computer specific to your major in the section below, then use your SLU discount to make needed purchases.
- Buy cables and adapters at a SLU Student Tech Services location. We offer small hardware and peripherals for purchase. You can also order your items online through the .
Plan for Campus Living
- SLU students can print inexpensively from high-quality campus printers.
- Don't want to carry your laptop? You'll also have access to SLU's open computer lab and specialized multimedia computer labs.
What Technology to Bring
- Your laptop and mobile devices
- UL-approved fire and surge protector strip rated for computer use
- A coaxial cable to use with your TV (if you bring one)
- USB cord for your printer if you are bringing a printer. Wireless printing is not supported.
- 2GB flash drive
- Security for a laptop, either Lo-Jack or a cable lock 15- to 25-foot Cat5 network cable
- A wired/wireless headset for communication via a computer
- A built-in or external high-definition web camera
What to Leave at Home
- Wireless routers
- Wireless printers
- Personal servers
- Wireless or cordless devices that use the 2.4GHz or 5.0 GHz
Back up your important files before coming to campus. To ensure you don't lose important files if your computer stops working, back up your computer regularly. You can use an online service, such as DropBox or Carbonite. Consider purchasing a flash drive or external hard drive. SLU's Google Drive offers you an unlimited amount of space to store files.
Need IT help during move-in? Call 314-977-4000 for assistance.
Set up Devices in Your Room
- Register your devices to the Ethernet Management System
- Configure your TV to the cable in your room
- Install the Billiken Print pop-up to print to your residence hall printer and all printers on campus
- If you bring your own printer, turn off the wireless option on your device
Plan for Emails to go to a Personal Account
Your SLU email account will remain active for 60 months (five years) after graduation. Before the five-year post-graduate date, we suggest you migrate your existing SLU email to your personal email account if you wish to keep your SLU messages.
If your email address is @health.slu.edu upon graduation you will be given a new email account @slu.edu. Any emails you require post-graduation must be saved, as we cannot migrate your mailbox from @health.slu.edu to @slu.edu as this violates our HIPAA policies.
Request Transcripts
Official transcripts of your academic record at Saint Louis University, including work done in the 1818 Advanced College Credit program, are available through the Office of the University Registrar.
Update Your Personal Information
Up-to-date information is vital for the University to stay in touch with you. It's also required for the University to send you your diploma. To update or view your personal information through Banner, click the "Personal Information" tab on the top menu bar.
- Verify your address and phone number by selecting the "View Addresses and Phone Numbers" link. If updates are needed, return to the Personal Information page and select "Update Addresses and Phone Numbers."
- Make changes to your emergency contacts, marital status, name and social security number through the "Update Emergency Contacts," "Update Marital Status," "Name Change Information," and "Social Security Number Change Information" links, respectively).
Prepare for Move-Out
If you live in the residence halls, you must complete the following steps to avoid incurring additional housing fees:
- Return any mini-hub or borrowed equipment from ITS
- Report any problem or broken network jacks
- Make sure to take your ethernet cable and power strips with you
Purchase Microsoft Office
The free student license for Microsoft Office is only available for registered students. You will lose your license once you have been marked as officially graduated by the registrar's office. If you want to keep using the software, you must .
Tech Recommendations
Information Technology Services has partnered with academic departments at SLU to provide all students with appropriate and accurate computer recommendations based on their major.
Each CADE student is provided a computer through the program. No additional purchases are necessary.
Recommended Hardware Requirements
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- Citrix Desktop Receiver
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Recommended Hardware Requirements
Although both Macs and Windows-based laptops are supported for use by Chaifetz students for their course projects and assignments, most software applications operate more seamlessly on Windows-based computers.
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- Citrix Desktop Receiver
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
To guide your selection of a computer for your Saint Louis University experience, the faculty and staff of the School of Science and Engineering recommend the following minimum guidelines when selecting a computing platform and operating system. These recommendations are intended as a school-wide minimum platform, not necessarily tailored to a specific program or course. If you have questions about the usability of a particular computer, feel free to ask the chairperson of the department you are interested in joining.
Note that:
- Most engineering applications will only work with a Windows operating system. If you choose a Mac, you must install Windows with either Boot Camp or Parallels for full compatibility.
- A discrete graphics card is not needed but would be beneficial for 3D applications in civil engineering or aerospace and mechanical engineering
Minimum Hardware Requirements
These requirements are intended for one to two years at SLU.
- Operating system
- Windows 11 with 13th Generation Core i7 or Series 1 Core 7 鈥� 2.2 GHz (10 Core or Better)
- Memory
- 16 GB RAM (Windows) 8 GB RAM (MAC)
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11ac
- Graphics
- 256 MB integrated memory or Intel HD graphics
- HDMI / Thunder Bolt 3 (USB-C Video)
- Additional devices
- 2 x 3.2 USB port Type A
- 3.2 USB port Type-C with power
- HDMI port/display port
- Extended two-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Hardware
These recommendations are intended for three to four years at SLU.
- Operating system
- Windows 11 or OR MAC OS 13 Sonoma (w/Parallels) operating system with 13th Generation Core i7 or Series 1 Core 7 - 3.5 GHz (10 core or better) or M3
-
MAC OS 13 Sonoma (Caution: macOS 10.15 and beyond does not support 32-bit applications. This may cause issues with some software. New MacBooks with the M processor may not run certain engineering software natively.)
- Memory
- 24 GB RAM (Windows) or 8 GB RAM (Mac)
- 1 TB or more hard drive capacity, SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11ac
- Graphics
- 6 GB integrated memory video card
- HDMI / Thunder Bolt 3 (USB-C Video)
- Additional devices
- 3 x 3.2 USB port Type A
- 2 x 3.2 USB port Type-C with power
- HDMI port/display port
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Cloud Account - Google Drive, One Drive, Box, AWS, Drop Box - SLU will provide one drive space
Optional Items
- Touch Screen
- Processor - 13th i9 or 14th i7
- Memory - 32 Gigabytes
- Hard Drive - 1 Terabyte SSD
- Wired Network Card - RJ45 or USB to ethernet adapter
- Jump Drive - 32 Gigabytes
- Carrying Case - Backpack with separate padded space design for laptops
- Keyboard/Mouse - USB, three-button scroll mouse or trackball for CAD classes
- Power Strip - Surge suppressing
- Cable - HDMI Cable / USB Type-C to HDMI cable
- USB C Hub or Docking station - USB A ports, HDMI, RJ45 鈥� Especially useful for Macs
- Antivirus - keep Windows Defender up to date
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Saint Louis University School of Law strongly recommends, but does not require, that law students own a personal laptop computer for use throughout their law school career. Computers play a significant role in nearly every aspect of legal education, and most students find that a laptop is an invaluable tool in the classroom.
A personal laptop allows students to easily capture and organize lecture notes, access online course materials, and utilize online legal research services. Additionally, most exams may be taken using computer-based testing software, which many students find preferable to handwriting their answers.
Recommendation
Students may bring any computing device they prefer; however, though all SLU LAW systems are compatible with Windows and Mac, some third-party services and software may not be available to Mac laptops. For example, several legal research software titles provided by WestLaw and LexisNexis are currently only available on the Windows platform.
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
- European power adapter
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
- European power adapter
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Required System Requirements
- An internet connection 鈥� broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE)
- Speakers and a microphone 鈥� built-in, USB plug-in, or wireless Bluetooth
- A webcam or HD webcam - built-in or USB plug-in
Required Operating System
- macOS X with macOS 10.9 or later
- Windows 10/11 (Note: Devices running Windows 10 must run Windows 10 Home, Pro, or Enterprise)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4 or higher
- Oracle Linux 6.4 or higher
Required Browser
- Windows: Edge 12+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
- macOS: Safari 7+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
- Linux: Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
Required Processor and RAM
- Dual-core 2Ghz or higher (Intel i5/i7 or AMD equivalent)
- RAM 16 Gb
Required Bandwidth
- 800kbps/1.0 Mbps (up/down) for high-quality video
- Note: Receiving 1080p HD video requires 2.5Mbps (up/down)
- Note: Sending 1080p HD video requires 3.0Mbps (up/down)
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Special notes about the College of Public Health and Social Justice system requirements:
- All students must bring their laptops to new student orientation for configuration. A special helpdesk will be available during the new student orientation to walk the students through the SLU wireless setup.
- Students taking introductory and intermediate-level biostatistics and epidemiology courses must also have SPSS. Students taking advanced biostatistics and epidemiology courses will also need to have SAS. If you have an Apple computer, you will need any virtualization software program running Windows 7 Pro or greater
- All software required for specific classes must be installed before student orientation.
- Students must contact the appropriate vendor to resolve hardware or software issues.
- Students will be responsible for backing up their files. It's recommended that students purchase and use an external USB thumb drive or hard drive to back up all files.
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.14.x (Mojave)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.12.6 (Sierra)
- Word processing program
Special notes about the College of Public Health and Social Justice system requirements:
- All students must bring their laptops to new student orientation for configuration. A special helpdesk will be available during the new student orientation to walk the students through the SLU wireless setup.
- Students taking introductory and intermediate-level biostatistics and epidemiology courses must also have SPSS. Students taking advanced biostatistics and epidemiology courses will also need to have SAS. If you have an Apple computer, you will need any virtualization software program, running Windows 7 Pro or greater
- All software required for specific classes must be installed before student orientation.
- Students must contact the appropriate vendor to resolve hardware or software issues.
- Students will be responsible for backing up their files. It's recommended that students purchase and use an external USB thumb drive or hard drive to back up all files.
Recommended Hardware
- Operating system
- Windows: Intel i5 or i7
- Apple: Intel i7
- Memory
- 16 GB or more of RAM
- 512 GB or more hard drive capacity, preferably SSD
- Networking
- Physical gigabyte NIC ethernet. If an ethernet port is not included on your laptop, we suggest purchasing a USB- or Thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter.
- Wireless NIC 802.11g/n
- Devices
- 8 GB or more USB flash drive
- 100 GB or more capacity external hard drive
- Extended four-year warranty with accident coverage
Recommended Software
- Windows
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- LoJack
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan)
- Microsoft Office 365 (Provided to enrolled students free of charge)
- iCloud
Minimum Software Requirements
- Windows
- Windows 10 Home Premium
- Word processing program
- Anti-virus program
- Apple
- Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)
- Word processing program