Technology Requirements

Required for students enrolled in

    • BS in Health Sciences
    • BS in Health Professions (Sonography & Echocardiography tracks ONLY) 
    • UMTC BS in Nursing program 

NOTE: Students enrolled in the BS in Health Professions (Radiography and Respiratory tracks) are provided a laptop.
 

Minimum Laptop Technical Specifications
If you are satisfied with your personal device and it meets our “minimum specifications”, you do not need to purchase a new device. 

UMR IT recommends 2 manufacturers who exceed the minimum requirements which are available at the Rochester MGear store. There are multiple options available from Apple and Dell.
 

Minimum specifications

PC: Windows 11
Mac: MacOS Monterey 

Web camera and microphone
WiFi
 

The following devices DO NOT meet our minimum specifications

    • ChromeOS
    • Tablets (iOS,Android)
    • PC OS’s prior to Windows 10 and Windows 10 in S mode
    • MacOS prior to Big Sur
    • Linux systems

Use of these devices will not meet all of your academic technology needs. 
Why? 

    • Online testing (Lockdown Browser) will not be supported when using an Android or iOS device.  
    • Older versions of operating systems are not being updated and may encounter security or secure data connection issues (WIFI).

While you can use a variety of devices for your academic work, reading course materials on a tablet for example, may be preferred to reading on a laptop, there will be activities you CANNOT do without a computer that meets the above minimum specifications.

Required for students enrolled in 

    • BS in Health Sciences 
    • UMTC BS in Nursing Program (students taking Microbiology) 

UMR Faculty have found that the use of a digital pen tablet has become essential for class participation. Many courses in Rochester are centered upon drawing figures, writing mathematical expressions, illustrating biological processes, drawing chemical reaction mechanisms, and annotating documents. To do this effectively, a digital tablet is required for BSHS students taking any chemistry, math, biochemistry, or microbiology courses, as well as, Nursing students taking BIOL 3344: Microbiology.
 

Digital tablet recommended specifications

    • A physical surface to write on with a stylus
    • Cable connected device (wireless connections seem to lose accuracy)
    • Active writing area be approximately 4" x 6"

UMR’s recommended device is the Wacom Intuos, model CTL4100. However, other device options such as a laptop, ipad, or other digital tablet could suffice.
 

Purchasing the device at the Bookstore  
The Wacom Intuos tablet, along with textbooks, and other course materials may be purchased at MGear Store. By purchasing the device at Rochester MGear, students have the option to charge their purchase to their student account. Then, if a student has remaining financial aid (after aid applies to tuition, fees and housing) they may use the aid to cover any purchase at the Rochester MGear store.
 

If you need financial support, please keep in mind that appeals to financial aid due to the cost of a laptop will be capped at $1500. There are numerous computer configurations that meet the requirements and stay below that cost.

Students who need financial support to help cover computer upgrade costs to meet the essential minimums should contact UMR One Stop.