In order to support our modern campus learning environment, every undergraduate Wake Forest student is required to bring a laptop to campus. Wake Forest's laptop program, WakeWare, includes Apple and Surface laptops selected for campus compatibility, along with included on-campus repairs through SafeWare coverage. Most laptops, if purchased within one year, may be eligible to add Safeware (please contact the Wake Forest bookstore to arrange this).
The minimum configuration requirements for undergraduate student laptops, including those in the WakeWare program, are listed below. Requirements are updated every Spring. Newer models will be better equipped to support your studies and our modern campus environment. Older devices may not be able to handle required academic software and can become unreliable. Devices such as Chromebooks and iPads do not meet our minimum laptop requirements. Note: some undergraduate students are eligible for a tech grant, which can be thought of as a "laptop voucher," and which is used to cover the purchase of a standard WakeWare model. Please refer to your financial aid portal for tech grant eligibility information.
Graduate and professional school students, refer to your program for specific computer requirements.
Windows
- Operating System: Windows 11 Professional
- Processor: Intel core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
- Memory: 8GB (16 GB recommended)
- Hard Drive: 256 SSD
- Antivirus Protection: Windows users with Windows 10 and 11 have Windows Security on by default, which provides the latest antivirus protection.
Apple
- Operating System: macOS 14
- Processor: M-series
- Memory: 8GB
- Hard Drive: 256 SSD
- Antivirus Protection: Avast is recommended to protect your device. Consult this page for information on installing Avast.
If you are considering a degree in the Wake Forest University School of Business, please note many School of Business faculty require students to run various Windows-based applications that do not have Mac equivalents. These applications range from statistical software packages to Windows-only Excel plugins. If you prefer an Apple laptop, pay strict attention to the minimum configuration requirements so that you will be able to run the Windows operating system.
Students interested in taking courses within the Department of Art should also pay strict attention to the minimum configuration requirements since you may be expected to run graphics-intensive programs simultaneously, such as products in the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Important Tips for Successful Computing at Wake Forest
- Software such as Microsoft Office, and other academic software, is included in tuition. Visit software@WFU to download academic software.
- All students have access to printers located in the ZSR Library for a small fee. We do not allow wireless printers on our campus network, so have a USB cable for wired connection to your laptop if you do bring a personal printer.
- Never leave your laptop unattended! We strongly encourage you to write your serial number and keep it in a safe place, as well as add your laptop to your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Because you own your laptop, the university is not responsible for replacing stolen laptops.
- Read and understand the Ethical Use Policy, which outlines the responsible and ethical use of the computing resources and computing systems of Wake Forest University.
- Have a plan to backup your data, because data loss can happen to anyone. Students have access to cloud storage solutions.
Assistance with BYOD devices is available on a best-effort basis.
- Assistance with basic configuration and general questions regarding wireless connectivity, WFU account questions and email configuration will be provided at the Service Desk at no charge to students.
- Hardware repair requests will only be received during Service Desk hours, Monday-Friday. View the Service Deskpage for current hours of operation.
- Apple, Dell, Lenovo ThinkPads, and Microsoft Surface laptops can be serviced by the Service Desk at no charge for warranty repairs. Charges to students for parts and labor will apply if repairs are not under warranty. If available, a loaner computer may be provided, although the availability of a loaner computer is not guaranteed.
- Other model computers (Acer, Toshiba, ASUS, HP, etc.) cannot be serviced by the Service Desk.
- The Service Desk will provide a list of local repair facilities in Winston-Salem. Students can also contact the vendor’s sales/support for their shipping instructions for computer repair.
Professional School Requirements
Masters of Business Administration & Masters in Management
School of Law Residential Programs (JD, LLM, SJD)
School of Law Online Degree Programs (MSL, CERT)
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