Drexel University Online

Students need particular hardware and software to successfully participate in our online programs. The sections below list minimum computer hardware, software, and computer skills. Wherever possible, we avoid changing requirements for existing students, but please note that students with minimum hardware or software may need to make some upgrades before they complete the degree program.

Please note that these are minimum requirements, and that our online courses will work more effectively with higher capabilities.

Special Requirements

Our Nursing and Health Professions and Information and Science Technologies programs have specific technical requirements that may not be reflected below. Please click on the above links for those program requirements.

General Requirements

The following recommended specifications suit most our online programs (Nursing & IST excluded).

• Processor: Student computers should have a processor speed of at least 800 MHz. A processor of at least 1 GHz is recommended.  
• RAM: Computer memory is directly affected by how many programs are running at any given time. Running multiple applications at once slows a computer’s performance. Therefore, we recommend students have at least 512 Mb of RAM installed.
• Sound: A working sound card and speakers will be required. Some programs also require a headset & microphone.  
• Modem: A 56 Kbps modem can be used with our online programs. We do however recommend using a high-speed connection such as DSL or a cable modem.  
• Disk Drive: A CD-Rom drive is required for some software installation and program materials.
• Monitor: A monitor with a minimum 800 x 600 resolution is required. It is recommended that students have a monitor with at 1024 x 768 or more.  
• Disk Space: 2 GB of disk space is required for software installation.

Certain software components are required for full functionality of our online programs. To run an automatic system check, visit our browser compatibility page.

Internet Browser

Internet Explorer is recommended for viewing all online courses. The new release of Internet Explorer 8 has not yet been certified for use on our program.  If you have already downloaded and installed IE8, please follow these directions from Microsoft (click on Compatibility View on the left) on how to set your browser to Compatibility View, which will help correct some of the issues between IE8 and Blackboard.

Other internet browsers include Netscape, Firefox, and Safari.

Word Processor

Microsoft Office is required.

• Get a copy through Drexel's LinkEdu service, you can activate a Microsoft Exchange Labs account (eLink) through https://accounts.drexel.edu. The eLink account provides student access to components of Microsoft Office WebApps via Windows Live, a 25 GB SkyDrive for storage, and 10 GB of additional email quota. See Microsoft's eLink for more information.
• If you prefer to purchase your own copy of MS Office, log into DrexelOne, click the "Drexel" tab, and look under "Hardware and Software" for a link to JourneyEd. JourneyEd provides productivity software, including MS Office for Windows and Mac, at an educational discount.
• You can also purchase MS Office directly from a computer vendor when you buy a new computer.

For more information or clarification, please contact the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu or 215-895-2020.

Anti-Virus Software

Norton Anti-Virus is required and available to all students at no cost. Instructions for downloading the software can be found at our software download center.

Operating System

A Windows operating system is recommended, and our learning system works best for Windows XP or Windows Vista Desktop. Many of our students may have new computers with Windows 7 installed. Blackboard has not yet been certified for use with MS Windows 7

Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 3.0 are the reccommended browsers for Windows Operating Systems.

Some programs will work on Macintosh OS X platform. For students using a Macintosh computer, the following specifications should be met:

• Mac OS X 10.3 for use with Firefox 1.5 or Firefox 3.0
• Mac OS X 10.4 for use with Firefox 1.5 or Firefox 2.0 or Firefox 3.0 or Safari 2 or Safari 3
• Mac OS X 10.5 for use with Firefox 2.0 or Firefox 3.0 or Safari 2 or Safari 3
• Mac OS X 10.6 for use with Firefox 3.5 or Safari 4
   

Plug-ins

The following plug-ins are required for use with our online programs: Adobe Reader, JavaScript, Macromedia Flash Player, Shockwave Player, QuickTime Player, RealOne Player, and Windows Media Player. All of these programs are available free of charge from the manufacturers.

Internet Connection

Students will need access to the Internet to connect to the Drexel online courses. Our online programs work with a dial-up internet connection; however, it is recommended that students subscribe to a high-speed online service provider such as DSL or cable internet.

We strongly advise that students sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) immediately after being accepted to the program. Students find that certain ISPs including America Online (AOL) and free ISPs that display ads are less usable for online courses.

Additional Software

Additional software may be needed for some online programs. You will be informed by your instructor if additional materials are needed.