It is strongly recommended that IMC majors own a full-sized modern laptop (not a "netbook") with Microsoft Office installed.
If a student is interested in pursuing a career path in a creative field (art direction, graphic design, etc.), we recommend a Macintosh (any current Apple laptop is fine), with the additional purchase of Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver). This software does not need to be purchased immediately, however.
If a student is interested in pursuing a marketing/client services or media planning career path, a Windows PC is commonly used.