Academics
Seven colleges focused on subjects from agriculture and business to science and the arts. More than 300 undergraduate majors and minors, graduate degrees, and professional certifications.
Admissions
We’re regularly named among U.S. News & World Report’s Top Public Universities in the West. Our historic campus is within walking and biking distance of Chico’s charming, tree-lined downtown. Our graduates go on to become leaders in their careers and communities.
Cost and Aid
A Chico State education is more affordable than almost any other four-year college. And our students graduate with some of the lowest debt in the country—so you can focus on your future, not loan repayment plans.
Student Life
When you’re a Wildcat, you’ll get so much more from your time here than simply a degree. You’re going to learn about yourself, your community, and the things that inspire you to step forward. Student life at Chico State is all about being active and engaged—building skills and memories you’ll carry with you well after graduation.
Athletics

Home
Academics
Academic Colleges
College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management
About the College
ECC Programs Laptop Requirement

ECC Programs Laptop Requirement

Students who declare a major or minor in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management (ECC) are required to purchase a laptop for use in coursework. Please carefully read through the requirements listed below. If you have any additional questions regarding these requirements, please reach out to your department directly.

PC Laptop Requirements
Component	Recommended	Minimum	Construction Management Majors
CPU (no Celeron)	Intel Core i7-7600 or AMD Ryzen 7	Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5	Intel i-Series, Xeon, or AMD equivalent 2.5 GHz or higher
RAM	32 GB or higher	16 GB	32 GB
Hard Disk	500 GB or better SSD	256 GB or better SSD	30 GB free disk space (10,000+ RPM or SSD)
Display	15.6 inch 1080p or better	14 inch 1080p	Minimum of 15” with a minimum resolution of 1920 x 1080 (second monitor highly recommended)
Video RAM	NVIDIA GeForce RTX	Intel HD Graphics or AMD Radeon Graphics	DirectX 11 capable graphics card with Shader model 5, minimum of 4 GB of video memory
Operating System	Windows 10 (or 11, check specifics by department below)		Microsoft Windows 10 or Newer

Laptops purchased through the Chico State Wildcat Store on campus can purchase an extended warranty on the computer and the Wildcat Store provides some technical support.

Other Laptop Requirements by Major and Department
Major Program	Laptop Requirements
Engineering (Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, and Mechatronic) and Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Robotics	PC laptop with two USB ports At least one USB port with a powered USB hub Operating System - Windows 10
Computer Information Systems and Computer Science	Contact the Computer Science Department at csci@csuchico.edu
Concrete Industry Management and Construction Management	PC not MAC (Dell, HP or equal) 10 key on key board HDMI port 3 USB Ports

Important Notes

Apple Laptops

Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, and Mechatronic Engineering, Concrete Industry Management, and Construction Management majors require a PC laptop.
Students and faculty in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems find that Apple computers are more straightforward to use in their courses.
Apple products are available at a discount through the Chico State Wildcat Store.
Connecting to more than one external monitor requires Apple's Pro series chipset, e.g. M3 Pro. Two monitors are convenient but not required and add cost.

If you're program allows for the use of a Mac, we recommend the following machine specifications:

Recommended: 14" MacBook Pro M3 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage
Minimum: 13" MacBook Air M1 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage

How to Verify Compatibility (PC or MAC)

To verify compatibility with an MS Windows laptop you currently own, open System by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking System. Under System, you can view the processor type and speed, as well as a variety of other information about your laptop.

To verify compatibility with an Apple Mac laptop you currently own, open About This Mac by right-clicking the Apple button, and then clicking About This Mac. You can view additional information about your laptop by clicking the More Info... button.

Interfacing with Hardware

The EECE department has adopted the latest technologies into our courses to provide students with hands-on practice in digital and analog electronics. To name a few, our students use:

microprocessors in EECE 237, which are programmed at home as part of the course assignments, and in the EECE 344 labs;
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in EECE 144, EECE 343, and EECE 425;
portable electronic instruments with the combined function of a digital logic analyzer, an oscilloscope, an arbitrary function generator, a dc power supply, and a spectrum analyzer, which are used in almost all of the EECE labs and projects; and
Internet of Things (IoT) kits in our advanced computer engineering courses.

To make full use of these technologies, EECE students must have access to a laptop to bring to lectures and labs (preferably fully charged to lectures so that they can power the devices if no power outlets are nearby).

As most of the software that interfaces with our microprocessors, FPGAs, and portable instruments is Windows-based, students who purchase MAC or Linux machines should configure these machines to dual boot to Windows or to run a Windows virtual machine. Assistance is available from the IT support group on campus.

Additional Questions

Reach out to your respective Department Chair or Program Director for questions

Concrete Industry Management (CIMT) – Nick Steinberg, nsteinberg@csuchico.edu
Civil Engineering (CIVL) – Dr. Jared DeBock, ddebock@csuchico.edu
Construction Management (CMGT) – Marie Patterson, mepatterson@csuchico.edu
Computer Science (CSCI) – Dr. Tyson Henry, trhenry@csuchico.edu
Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering (EECE) – Dr. Kurtis Kredo II, kkredo@csuchico.edu
Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (MMEM) – Dr. Nathan Anderson nlanderson@csuchico.edu

Financial Aid

If you are required to purchase a laptop and you are unable to afford the purchase out-of-pocket or with your current financial aid award, please contact the Financial Aid Office directly with your estimated laptop cost on-hand. If possible, the Financial Aid Office will increase your "Cost of Attendance" to include the additional computer expenses and process a new loan for you. You MUST use these loan proceeds to purchase the required computer system. Contact the Financial Aid office for additional information at 530-898-6451 or finaid@csuchico.edu.