Computers and Laptops

You may need to bring your computer to campus if your classes are in-person.

The basic minimum hardware and software requirements to participate in classes and complete assignments fall into one of four categories:

• standard
• power user
• workstation
• custom

To find out which type of computer you'll need, review the list of programs for each option. If your program is not listed, please check the program page for specific requirements or contact the Academic Chair.

Students enrolled in any online classes also need a computer camera, microphone and speakers (integrated or external.)

Not sure where to purchase your computer? You can order via SAIT's preferred vendor, Dell. Dell offers a catalogue of laptops in the standard, power user and workstation configurations with exclusive student pricing.

Internet and bandwidth recommendations for online learning

Ensure you have a reliable internet connection to participate in your online classes. Most plans offered by internet service providers will meet the bandwidth and available data requirements. 

• Recommended: 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload
• Minimum: 6Mbps download and 400Kbps upload
• Test your bandwidth speed

Higher speeds will help, particularly for courses involving media elements such as video. 

To improve your connection speed when streaming video and audio, we recommend you access the internet via a wired connection using an Ethernet cable, as wireless can be less reliable depending on the signal quality.

Standard hardware and software

Power-user hardware and software

Workstation hardware and software

Custom hardware and software requirements

Some programs require hardware and software beyond the standard, power user, or workstation configurations.

Please see your program page to find specific requirements.