Skip to main content
Current Students

Computing & Technology Resources

Laptop Policy

All students enrolled in Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) courses are required to have a laptop they can use in classes and for their studies.

Tablets/Chromebooks alone are not acceptable. HCDE recommends the following minimum laptop specifications:

  • Intel® or AMD processor with at least 2 cores and 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster processor or Apple M1 processor
  • 8GB of RAM (16GB recommended)
  • 256GB storage space or larger
  • A graphics card with DX12 support for Windows such as an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or equivalent (Apple M1 and above meet this requirement)
  • OS requirements:
    • Windows 10 or 11 22H2 or greater; LTSC versions are not supported 
    • MacOS version 13 (Ventura) or newer
  • A note on other operating systems:
    • While for many classes you only need a browser, but for many classes with systems design or programming you need to run programs such as Adobe CS, Rhino, Arduino, or be able to write and run programs in Python or Javascript. Therefore, while for some classes you can manage with a tablet, for many you will not.

UW computing resources courses

  • UW Information Technology (UW-IT): Free courses, workshops, and online tutorials.
  • UW-Learning and Scholarly Technologies: Free online courses on Computing Fundamentals (e.g, Security, Networking); Design and Graphics (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator); Digital Audio (e.g., Audacity, Garageband); Document Creation (e.g., Word, InDesign); Spreadsheets and Databases (e.g., (Excel, Access); and Web Publishing. Some in-person workshops.

Computer labs on campus

  • Odegaard Learning Commons: The Odegaard Learning Commons, with hundreds of workstations, provides access to learning technologies in the heart of the undergraduate library.
  • Media Studios on Campus in Odegaard and Mary Gates: The Media Studios serve as a boutique studio space for students working on media projects. Visit one of our Media Studios for access to special hardware and software geared toward video and audio editing.
  • Engineering Student Computer Lab The College of Engineering supports a computer lab located in the basement of Wilcox hall, room 73.
  • Virtual Student Computer Lab The College of Engineering also supports a virtual computer lab that HCDE students can access. (VPN required if off campus)

Discounted or free software for students

  • ATLAS.ti: Students get a semester discount on ATLAS.ti.
  • Axure RP Pro: Free for students and instructors.
  • Overleaf Pro: Overleaf Professional for all UW students, faculty and staff who would like to use a collaborative, online LaTeX editor for their projects.
  • Rhino 8: The UW bookstore offers student discounts on Rhinoceros 8.
  • Usertesting.com: HCDE has basic licenses that can be issued to students on a quarterly basis. Please email the computing manager if you are interested in using one of these licenses.
  • UWare: Software from UW at reduced cost or free (e.g., Office, Overleaf, Qualtrics, Solidworks, SPSS, Tableau).