System Requirements for Online Courses

Minimum system requirements for online courses

Minimum system requirements.      



Students must have a computer with the following hardware and software
(additional equipment and software may be required for some courses):     

Sufficient technology and Internet
access is required to complete online classes. The following list will help verify that you
are adequately equipped.      


PC Requirements      


  • Windows XP (service pack 3 for 32-bit, service pack 2
    for 64-bit), or higher
  • Intel Core-2 Compatible processor or higher
  • 2 Gb of RAM required
  • 80 GB hard drive or greater


Mac Requirements      


  • Mac OS X  10.6 (Snow Leopard) and higher is
    supported for most online course materials, but there may be
    applications that require a supported Windows Operating System    .
    You should be prepared to run a virtual machine environment such
    as Parallels desktop, VMWare fusion, Oracle VirtualBox with an
    installed and supported Windows Operating System (as mentioned above) if
    you elect to use a Mac.
  • Intel, Mac OS X-compatible processor or higher
  • 2 Gb of RAM required
  • 80 GB hard drive or greater


You may
experience difficulties (for example installing plug-ins) using public
computers (for example at library or a workplace). We
highly recommend that you have administrative rights to the
computer used for your college coursework.  Check with your workplace IT
department to ensure that you may access course materials through your company’s
network.      

Supported Internet Browsers:      

The following are supported
browsers. (Due to the rapid release cycles of
some supported Internet browsers, update your browser often. When using older versions of a browser, users risk experiencing problems with the course software.)      

  • Windows OS Users
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
  • Mac OS Users
    • Apple Safari
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox



Plug-ins
The most recent version of the following plug-ins is required for many
of the resources used in your online courses:


  • Adobe Flash Player
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Apple QuickTime Player
  • Java v7 or higher


Internet Access
Internet access is required for all online courses. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) will provide you with the software
and access necessary to utilize the Internet in order of preference:


  • Broadband: (LAN, Cable, or DSL) connection is highly recommended
    for optimal student experience and is required for all technical programs.
  • Satellite and/or Cellular (3G/4G) may also be used.
  • City Colleges of Chicago 7 campuses open computer labs
    can also provide access to the Internet and can be used as a backup in
    case of your ISP has an interruption in service.


If you connect to the Internet
through your company, you may need to ensure that appropriate plug-ins and
access rights are available to you. Check with your IT department to ensure
that you may access course materials from your company’s network.      


NOTE:      


While tablets, smartphones and other
mobile devices may allow for some completion of coursework, they are not
guaranteed to work in all areas. Please ensure you have a Windows or Mac based
computer available to complete coursework in the event your selected mobile
device does not meet the needs of the course.      


For questions regarding these
requirements, please phone the Help Desk at 312-553-3030.     


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