Tech Requirements

You will need various software applications for different courses. The following are required for all courses: 

• Adobe Acrobat Reader – most recent version 
• Skype – most recent version. A personal ID, not a family ID. To facilitate recognition, your ID should contain your name in recognizable form, eg., lynn.fox, lynnefox, lynne_fox, LynnFox, lynnfox12
• Microsoft Office – most recent version
• Additional software is available at the Wisconsin Integrated Software Catalog site. A UW ID is required. 
• Virus Protection, such as McAfee or Symantec. 

Installing Demo Software. Depending on the course, you may also be asked to download and install demo versions of software (e.g., Alexandria, Fireworks) and to register/subscribe to some online software/services (e.g., Twitter, Flickr, LibGuides, RefWorks). 

Recommended browsers (Most recent versions):

• Mac:  Chrome, Firefox, Safari
• PC:  Chrome, Firefox, Edge . (Internet Explorer no longer supported)

Set the following preferences

• Cookies enabled  
• Javascript enabled 
• Java Plug-in

Timely and important messages from your home campus and instructors will go to your university email account. It is your responsibility to check this account regularly and/or set up mail forwarding so messages go to an account you do check. 

ADMINISTRATOR RIGHTS:  At minimum, you must have a personal user space to download and install software and organize your files. On a shared machine, you need to set up a separate and secure partition with with full administrator rights. 

HARDWARE DETAILS

• Monitor:
  • Resolution: 1024 x 768 or greater 
  • Size: 15" display or larger recommended
• RAM: 8 GB minimum
• Hard drive size: 256 GB minimum 
• Processor speed: 2.5 GHz minimum   (Intel core i5 or higher)
• 100/1000 integrated Network Card or 802.11 n/ac wifi card 
• Webcam (external or built-in) 
• USB microphone with headset (or wireless mic and headset)
• Sound card 
• If Windows: at least 10 or higher 
• If Mac: at least OS X (10.13 or higher) 
• Check system requirements for Canvas (starting summer 2019)

Note: iPads, Tablets, Chromebooks – At this point, a tablet device (iPad, Android, Surface, etc) is insufficient for this program. Chromebooks are not adequate for the program. They do not support downloading some of the software needed for classes  or using some of the programs.

You must be able to access the course from your home and independent of your school. Filters in schools, and often public libraries, are too restrictive and block necessary items, tools and communication. You must be able to download and install software on the computer you use as well as search the Internet in an unfiltered mode. 

Home access requires Broadband (DSL, cable, cellular, satellite).

While useful, a tablet device (iPad, Android, Surface) is insufficient for this program. 

• RealPlayer 

• QuickTime Player 

• Adobe Flash Player 

• Windows Media Player 

Additional software and plugins will be required for specific classes. You must have administrator rights to download and install software, extensions and plugins.