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MSU Online

Technology Requirements

Minot State University is not responsible for providing computers, Internet access, or software for students taking online courses. It is your responsibility as an online student to have access to a computer, Internet Service Provider, and the appropriate software (if required) to complete your online course. The the technical requirements for your computer are listed below. If the course has any additional requirements such as software, these requirements will be listed on the Schedules page prior to each semester.

It’s important that you have a computer system that can adequately support your online courses. You will need to have access to a computer system that meets the following minimum technical requirements.  Planned, regular maintenance is also required and part of your ongoing responsibility to maintain access.

  • PC1.2 Ghz or greater (Intel Pentium or Celeron, or AMD Athlon processors)
  • Windows 98, 2000, XP Pro or Home (XP Pro or Home preferred), Vista
  • Check the Blackboard List of Supported Browsers for Recent Updates:
    • PC Browser Requirements: Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 7 and 6 (Service Pack 1 and 2), AOL 9.0, Mozilla 1.7.x, Firefox 1.0.x and 1.5.x (Netscape is not supported for this system).
    • MAC Browser Requirements: Safari 1.2, 1.3, 2.x, Mozilla 1.7.x, and Firefox 1.0.x
  • Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Versions
    • 1.3.1 on Mac OS operating system software only
    • 1.5.0_07
  • 512 MB RAM or greater
  • 8 GB hard drive or larger
  • Internet service provider (ISP) account
  • Minimum of 56.6 kbs modem, or DSL, or cable modem (DSL or cable preferred)
  • 800 x 600 or greater video resolution and 256-color
  • MSU e-mail address (free of charge)
  • A current anti-virus application (McAfee preferred, with free download for MSU students)
  • A virus cleaner that can be run weekly is recommended in addition to McAfee
  • Software and hardware recommended for all courses. Some of these are required only in certain courses.
    • Sound card with speakers (headset with speakers and microphone is required for some classes)
    • Microphone (not required if headset is equipped)
    • CD-ROM
    • Inkjet or laser printer
    • Microsoft® Office 2003 or higher (dependent on course requirements; BIT courses required Office 2007)
    • Microsoft® Word
    • Microsoft® PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer
    • Windows Media Player,  Adobe Reader, Acrobat Flash Player, and other plugins are available by free download under Plug-Ins below (for selected courses)
  • See individual degree programs for specific software requirements

Once you get started with your courses, make sure you have plenty of CDs on hand. While technology is marvelous, it is far from perfect. You will want to "save" copies of every assignment and paper you submit. Even though it is a rare occurrence, technology does fail at times and your course work could be lost. So, from the very beginning, create and save copies of your work. You won't regret it.

We have also prepared some instructions to check your Browser Settings so you are ready for your online courses.

Plug-Ins
Some online courses have multimedia that requires software that is available as a free download if you follow our instructions. The registration page will tell you what software is needed for each course. You can wait to download the plug-ins because not all are required for every course. Downloading only the required plug-ins will save space on your hard drive.
→ Download Plug-Ins

Anti-Virus
Online students are required to have virus software and to keep it current. Computer viruses are major problems to the online experience. Their effects range from inconvenient to catastrophic. In an online learning environment, where file attachments are often shared, viruses have a good opportunity to proliferate. At MSU it is our policy to take every precaution to guard against viruses.

You can take steps to minimize your chances of infections by being careful of what you download, open only attachments you know are safe, keep your anti-virus program updated, install all Windows updates, and install a spyware program and run it on a weekly basis (i.e. Ad-Aware). The McAfee site has some tips to help protect your computer from viruses.

A campus site license provides for the free installation of McAfee anti-virus software on all faculty, staff and student-owned computers.

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