All physician assistant students will be required to own a laptop computer and bring it to class on a regular basis.
Mississippi College does not endorse a specific operating system or computer brand. The computer requirement focuses on function and open standards. The following capabilities are required at a minimum:
Hardware
- Modern, network-aware operating system
- Up-to-date Windows operating system, Mac OS Mavericks or above
- WiFi Wireless network capability
- 802.11n is strongly recommended
- Sound capable with a headphone jack
- At least one USB port
- Long life battery*
- Printer**
Software
- Malware protection
- Current, fully-patched operating system
- Anti-virus software installed and up to date
- Anti-spyware software installed and up to date
- Modern, standards-compliant Web browser
- Google Chrome, Vivaldi, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, or Opera are good choices.
- Standards-based email client
- Must be capable of accessing campus email.
- Some students may wish to use the campus email exclusively.
- Standard "runtime" environment for Java programs
- Software to read/write Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats***
- Ability to read PDF files
* Laptop batteries have a limited lifespan. It is very common for students to experience less than one-hour battery life. This is a sign that the battery is old and should be replaced. Given the length of the school day, we strongly encourage students to replace old, failing batteries; and invest in a second spare battery. The Lithium-ion (LiON) battery type is preferred.
** Printers should be able to produce large numbers of copies at a low price.
***Microsoft Office is available at no cost for the duration of enrollment.
