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.
MAJOR | OS | Screen | Processor | RAM | Storage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agricultural Business | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 or at least Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Agricultural Communication | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Agricultural Science | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
Agricultural Systems Management | PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Animal Science | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Dairy Science | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences | PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Environmental Management and Protection | PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Experience Industry Management | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
Food Science | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
Forestry and Fire Sciences | PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i7 | 16 GB ram | 1 TB SSD |
Nutrition | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
Plant Sciences | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |
Wine and Viticulture | Mac or PC | At least full HD screen (1920x1080) | Intel Core i5 or Apple M1 | 16 GB ram | 512 GB SSD |