All incoming students at Cummings School are required to have a laptop computer or tablet. You may purchase either a PC or a MAC; however, if you are considering a new purchase and have experience with PCs we highly recommend them in place of MACs because of compatibility with a variety of software we use in this program. We also recommend purchasing an extended warranty from the manufacturer to cover the cost of hardware repairs that may be needed.
| Hardware | Minimum | |
| Hard Drive | 256 Gb Solid State Drive | |
| Optical Drive | CD/DVD Burner (Optional) | |
| Memory | 8GB Ram | |
| Processor | 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5-5300U | |
| Video Card |
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| Wireless Network Card | 802.11n | |
| Hardware | Recommended | |
| Hard drive | 512 Gb Solid State Drive | |
| Optical Drive | CD/DVD Burner (Optional) | |
| Memory | 8GB Ram | |
| Processor | 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5-7300U | |
| Video Card | Intel HD Graphics 5500 | |
| Wireless Network Card | 802.11n | |
| Software | Recommended | |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 64 Bit Mac OSX v.10.12 or higher |
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| Office Suite | Microsoft Office 2016/Office 365 (Available for students to download) | |
| Anti-Virus Protection | TrendMicro AntiVirus |
Special Laptop Pricing
Tufts University has negotiated discounted prices with several vendors. Please view the recommended hardware and software list before you make your purchase. Information on student discounts can be found on the university’s IT website here.
Laptop and Computer Services through Tufts
Tufts University offers services to graduate students on the Grafton campus such as Computer Purchase Consultations, Data Recovery, Travel Laptop Loaner Program, and Computer Donation and Recycling. Information can be found on the university’s IT services website here.
Special Software PricingTufts University has negotiated discounted prices with several vendors. Information on student discounts can be found on the university’s IT software website here
Financial Aid
Students who will be seeking financial aid should be aware that the cost of a laptop computer or tablet, up to certain limits, can be added to the student's budget for purposes of computing financial aid under the guidelines of the U.S. Office of Education. If you have questions about the financial aid application process, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at https://vet.tufts.edu/admissions/financial-aid/contact-financial-aid/ or 508-839-8733 for detailed information, before purchasing your laptop.