Technology Requirements (Effective July 1, 2025)
Pfeiffer University emphasizes digital learning and collaboration, with a significant portion of coursework delivered online. To ensure academic success, all students are expected to have access to a reliable laptop and high-speed internet that meet or exceed the following specifications.
General Requirements for All Students
- Broadband Internet Access: Required for all students. Residential students have access to campus Wi-Fi; non-residential and online students must secure their own service.
- Webcam: Integrated or external, required for video conferencing.
- Headset with Microphone: USB or Bluetooth preferred for clear communication.
- Wi-Fi: Dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) recommended.
Laptop Specifications:
Windows Systems
- Operating System: Windows 11 (64-bit)
- Windows 10 will reach its end of support on October 14, 2025.
- Processor: Intel Core i5 (12th Gen or newer) or AMD Ryzen 5 (5000 series or newer)
- Memory (RAM): 16 GB recommended
- Storage: 512 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) recommended
- Graphics: Integrated graphics are sufficient for general use; a discrete GPU is recommended for media-intensive majors
- Battery Life: 8+ hours recommended
Macintosh Systems
- Operating System: macOS Sonoma (14) or later
- macOS Ventura (version 13) is expected to reach its end of support in October 2025.
- Processor: Apple M1 chip or newer (M2/M3 recommended)
- Memory (RAM): 16 GB recommended
- Storage: 512 GB SSD recommended
- Battery Life: 10+ hours recommended
Google Systems, like Chromebooks, are not supported as they do not meet the minimum requirements to provide a reliable digital learning and collaboration experience for online coursework.
Software and Security
- Microsoft 365 Education Suite: Provided free to all students (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive).
- Microsoft 365 for Mac supports the three most recent major versions of macOS.
- Security Software:
- Windows: Windows Security (built-in) is sufficient.
- Mac: Students should install reputable antivirus software.
- Browser Compatibility: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge are supported; however, Chrome is the recommended browser.
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