Computer Requirements

All students entering the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences – either as a first-time freshman or as a transfer student – are expected to have a laptop computer to ensure access to computing capability at all times and in all locations, helping to support student success. The specifications provided below are designed to support students’ computing needs through at least four years of Cal Poly instruction. For additional, department-level computer specifications, please click the link in each department name.

The Cal Poly bookstore offers educational discounts for computing hardware. Students who are experiencing financial hardship and who do not have resources available to purchase a computer before classes start can contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if any one-time funding may be available. You should email your request to financialaid@calpoly.edu with the subject line: "CAFES Computer Need." Cal Poly provides a host of IT support resources for students.

 
Department/MAJOR OS Size Screen Processor RAM Storage Examples
Agribusiness Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 
Agricultural Communication Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i7 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 1 TB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,700  MacBook Pro 16 ~$2,400 
Agricultural Science Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 
Animal Science Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 
Dairy Science

PC

13” or 15”

At least full HD screen (1920x1080)

Intel Core i5

16 GB ram

512 GB SSD

Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering PC 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i7 16 GB ram 1 TB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,700 
Experience Industry Management Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 
Food Science and Nutrition Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 
Horticulture and Crop Science Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 
Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences PC 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i7 16 GB ram 1 TB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,700 
Wine and Viticulture Mac or PC 13” or 15” At least full HD screen (1920x1080) Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 16 GB ram 512 GB SSD Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,200  MacBook Pro 13 ~$1,600 

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