CET Student Tech Guide

Whether you are preparing for your first day on campus or managing the tools needed for senior-level labs, this hub provides the hardware specs, software access, and technical support required for the College of Engineering Technology.

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Computer Recommendations

View the college-wide hardware standards and check if your major requires higher performance.

Explore Laptop Specs

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Software and Program Guidelines

Find your program’s software list, download RIT-provided applications, and follow setup guides.

View Software Guide

Getting Started: Your "Day One" Checklist

New to CET? > To help you prepare for your first week of classes, we’ve outlined the most important steps to take before arriving on campus. Following this guide ensures your technology is configured correctly so you can focus on your labs from day one.

All CET programs require a Windows 11 environment. Before purchasing a new machine, verify the standards on our Laptop Specs page to ensure it can run our required engineering tools.

RIT provides Microsoft 365 and Adobe Acrobat to all students at no additional cost. Check the Software page for download instructions before making personal purchases.

Specific courses (such as Digital Fundamentals or DC Circuits) require lab kits that must be purchased via Tiger Bucks on your RIT E-Services account.

You will need the local administrator password for your laptop to install program-specific software and connect to RIT network printers during your first week.

Technical and engineering software is battery-intensive. We recommend a laptop with a high-capacity battery and suggest keeping your charger with you.