Computer Requirements

General Hardware and Software Configuration

Executive MBA classes make extensive use of computer software for spreadsheets, word processing, database management systems, and the Internet. The Executive MBA program uses the Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Students will need to acquire the individual software packages or the Microsoft Office Suite, Professional version (available at heavily discounted academic prices). All students must have full access to a laptop PC with the above software. This PC must also have full, graphical access to the Internet and be able to send and receive E-mail messages with attachments. In addition, to support effective classroom use, minimums are specified for processing speed. Executive MBA classes are held in an interactive technology classroom with wireless connections to the Internet.



Required Notebook Computer Specifications for MBA, MSIR, and EMBA Students

- Last updated 5.7.13

Required Minimum - (If you already own a notebook)
Processor P4 or Higher
RAM 1 GB
Hard Drive 120 GB
Network Interface Card Any wireless card that is 802.11b/g/n that supports WPA/WPA2 and Microsoft PEAP should work. WPA and AES compatibility required. The College and University IT staff will make their best effort to get non-standard cards to work, but we cannot guarantee success.
CDROM or DVDROM 4x DVD-ROM
Suggested Minimum - (If you are purchasing a notebook)
Processor Intel® Core™ Processor, 2.4 GHz or higher
RAM 2 GB or more
Hard Drive 250 GB or more
CDROM or DVDROM 8X DVD+R or higher
Network Interface Card Any wireless card that is 802.11b/g/n that supports WPA/WPA2 and Microsoft PEAP should work. WPA and AES compatibility required. The College and University IT staff will make their best effort to get non-standard cards to work, but we cannot guarantee success.
Required
Operating System Windows 7; Windows 8
English Language version is the preferred Operating System.

Some software used in the MBA program is currently not compatible with Mac OS. If Mac computers are configured to run Windows OS AND Excel 2010 for Windows, the business software should be able to operate. A Windows based computer with Excel 2010 for Windows is necessary for the Business Research and Decision Analysis classes.
Virus Protection Software Choose from the recommended:
1. Symantec (Norton) Anti-virus - Free to WVU students
2. Microsoft Security Essentials
3. McAfee Anti-Virus
Software MS Office Professional 2010 or MS Office University 2010.
Be sure to request the academic price. (available at microsoft.com, journeyed.com and other sites)
Strongly Recommended USB Flash Drive, 4GB or larger

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Laptop Setup

Configure Wireless Setup for connectivity while on the WVU Campus.

  • WVU.Encrypted – secure network which stores your MyID login credentials between password changes
  • WVU.MountainAir – open network which requires login with MyID credentials every 30 minutes

For configuration details specific to your operating system, visit http://wireless.wvu.edu.

Verify that antivirus software is installed.

If not, we recommend the following software: Microsoft Security Essentials (http://windows.microsoft.com/mse) OR Symantec Antivirus (http://oit.wvu.edu/tsc/antivirus/). Note: only one antivirus should be installed.

Ensure that your browser and Java meet the requirements for eCampus and WIMBA.

Run through the both the eCampus and Wimba tests:

If needed, download the latest version of Java 6

Note: Internet Explorer 9, Chrome, and the most recent version of Mozilla Firefox will fail the eCampus browser check. Most of the functionality should work within the new browser but these browsers have not been certified as compatible.