Minimum System Requirements

Technical requirements for completing DeVry University undergraduate coursework that requires a student-provided personal computer.

Sufficient technology and Internet access is required to access online coursework when you take a college course online. The following list will help verify that you are adequately equipped.

Minimum System Requirements - Undergraduate

(Need graduate technical specs?)

Following is the hardware and software needed to complete your college course at DeVry:

Supported Operating Systems:

  • Windows XP (32-bit, with Service Pack 3)
  • Windows Vista (32-bit). 64-bit Operating Systems are not currently supported due to software incompatibility issues, particularly with Cafe Scribe eBooks and other required applications.
  • MAC OS 10 is supported, but there are some applications that require the Windows OS. You should be prepared to run the Parallels desktop and a Windows OS if you elect to use a MAC system. For more information on Parallels, see http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/ and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306559

It is highly recommended that you have administrative rights to the computer used for college coursework. If you must use a computer over which you do not have administrative rights (such as a library computer or a workplace computer), you may experience difficulties with needed functions, such as installing plug-ins. Students using library or workplace computers will have limited support options due to access limitations on such networks. Check with your workplace IT department to ensure that you may access course materials from your company's network.

Productivity Tools:

  • Microsoft Office 2007 Professional for Windows. Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac is an acceptable option for many courses. (NOTE: This software will be available to matriculating students at deeply discounted pricing through the Student Software program after you have begun taking courses. Office 2007 is also available at no charge through DeVry’s online lab environment.)

Internet Access:

  • ISP account for Internet access and email address. (See more on Internet connectivity specifications below.) For optimal course performance for undergraduate nursing students, network ports 8085 and 5272 should not be blocked. Check with your ISP to ensure that these ports are available.

Supported Browsers: Java-enabled internet browser:

Other browsers, including the AOL browser, Opera, Google Chrome, and Safari for Windows, are NOT currently supported for some components of your coursework. You may use AOL for your ISP, but you should use either IE or Firefox browser versions listed above. As new browser versions are released, announcements will be issued to notify students when the new versions have been tested and may be used safely.

See below for required Browser settings.

Plug-ins: The following plug-ins are required for many of the resources available in your online courses.

Adobe Flash Player(Current version is 10.0.22.87)

Adobe Acrobat Reader(Current version is Adobe Reader 9.1)

Café Scribe NOTE: This application will support eBooks in your courses.

RealPlayer (Basic) (Click on the Get RealPlayer Free button)

Apple QuickTime Player (Quick Time 7.0)

Java 1.5 or higher (The latest Java plugin is available at http://www.java.com)

Citrix Client: XenApp Client

          Windows

          MAC

Additional plug-ins and/or downloads may be required by specific courses. The courses will include information for obtaining and installing the appropriate plug-ins.

Browser Settings:

Supported Computer Security (Windows): Anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware

Recommended and supported:

NOTE: McAfee VirusScan 8.5 will be available for free download from the Student Software site after you have started your classes.

Minimum Hardware Specifications:

  • For Business, Management, and Nursing programs, Pentium-class 1 GHz or faster processor. For technical programs (BMET, CET, ECT, EET, CIS, GSP, WGD, MDD, NETW, NSA), Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD equivalent (1.8 GHz or faster)
  • 2 GB of RAM (3 GB recommended for technical students and those running the Vista Operating System)
  • High speed connection to the Internet
  • CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive - Note that some software may require a DVD drive for installation
  • Hard drive: 160 GB
  • Graphics card and monitor capable of 1024 x 768 display
  • Monitor - 1024 x 768
  • A Webcam may be required in courses in some programs. Check with your academic advisor.

Additional requirements for all electronics students taking online coursework:

  • USB 2.0 port(s),
  • A Webcam with still camera capabilities

Additional requirement for all Game and Simulation Programming (GSP) students:

  • Required: Graphics card with 256 MB graphics memory capable of handling DirectX 9.0 (or higher) and Open GL.
  • Recommended for optimal experience: 512 MB graphics memory. Capability of running dual screen or widescreen that can run in split mode. Number pad on keyboard.

NOTES:

  • Specific curricula for college courses may require additional software purchases. Any additional software requirements will be provided in the syllabi for your courses.
  • Computer specifications are reviewed and revised every six months to accommodate changes in technology. While every attempt is made to ensure that these specifications satisfy all curricular needs for students completing courses, DeVry reserves the right to require upgrades in the event of technology changes. Students will be given 90 days notice before such changes are implemented.
  • Courseware cannot be accessed using Web TV.
  • Course access using iPhones and mobile devices is not supported at this time.
  • Students who need assistive technologies will have different computer and technology requirements. Please check with your Student Services counselor to determine the requirements for the specific technologies needed to support your coursework.
  • For questions regarding these requirements, please phone the Help Desk at 877-784-1997.

Additional Information and Recommendations


Internet Access

Internet access is required to participate in online components of your college courses at DeVry. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) will provide you with the software and access necessary to utilize the Internet in order of preference:

  • Recommended: LAN, Cable, or DSL connection. Highly recommended for optimal student experience. Required for all technical programs.
  • 56K Dial-up connection. Many course components will have suboptimal performance when accessed through a 56K dial-up connection.
  • Satellite and/or Wireless Internet connection. Satellite and wireless connections are not recommended. Performance may be suboptimal due to latency and signal instability.

If AOL is your ISP, you must use the Internet Explorer or Firefox browser, rather than the default AOL browser, to complete coursework in a college course online. Simply launch the appropriate browser after logging onto your AOL account.

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.

Email Account

A valid email address, which is checked frequently, is required for participation in components of your coursework. All students are provided with an email address that we recommend you use. This will avoid issues with Spam blockers and other problems that may prevent you from receiving email from your instructors. It will also enable you to participate in special student offers that are available only to students with a ".edu" email address. If you change your email address, you must supply the correct address to DeVry Student Services. You can access your university student email account by logging in to the student portal and clicking the My Student Email link.

Plug-ins

All plug-ins needed to participate in components of your online coursework are available free of charge. It is recommended that you review the list of plug-ins and install them prior to beginning your coursework.

Computer and Internet Security

The ease and convenience of accessing educational materials through the Internet brings with it the need to ensure that our computers do not become targets of unwanted and often malicious attacks and intrusions by computer viruses and/or hackers. To prevent this, we recommend using an anti-virus package and a firewall.

Your computer is subject to virus attack whether you're surfing the Internet or getting information from floppy disks, CDs or a network. Email attachments are particularly vulnerable.

McAfee Virus Scan is one of the most popular and effective anti-virus programs on the market. This product offers the security of automatic protection against viruses, malicious ActiveX controls and Java applets and other dangerous code. This program also offers automatic retrieval of new anti-virus definitions for updating. Since an anti-virus program is no better than its virus definitions, virus definitions should be updated regularly, preferably on a weekly basis. McAfee Virus Scan is available to enrolled matriculating students while courses are in session The Student Software Site is located at http://devry.e-Academy.com.

Personal firewalls are another means to protect your computer from malicious activity when you are connected to the Internet. Windows comes with a built-in personal Firewall. It is recommended that you enable the Windows Internet Connection Firewall and learn how to use this application to protect your computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet.

Along with keeping your antivirus updated, it is equally, if not more important to also ensure that your Windows critical updates are current. As Microsoft finds weaknesses in their Operating Systems, they post updates that can be downloaded and installed. These updates can be set to occur automatically, but they may at times require user input to complete the update. You can learn more about Windows updates at microsoft.com. Your Windows updates should be checked on a weekly basis.

More information from Microsoft.

Screen Settings

Your screen resolution (size) should be set at minimum 1024 x 768 or higher.

Buying a System? Here's what we purchase when we buy new computers ...

If you are purchasing a new system, the following are the specifications for all new computers purchased by DeVry for student labs. These specifications exceed the Minimum Requirements, but they may provide you with a guideline for configuring your new system.

Laptop
  • Processor: AMD Turion ZM-80 (2.1Ghz),
  • Monitor: 15.4 WXGA display,
  • RAM: 2GB RAM (800DDR2/1DM),
  • Hard drive: 160GB HD (7200RPM),
  • DVDRW drive,
  • Connectivity: Intel 802.11 a/b/g/n (wireless), 56k modem
  • Warranty - 3 Year
Desktop
  • ENERGY STAR® 5.0 Qualified EPEAT™ Gold 85% efficient power supply
  • Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo E8500 processor (3.16 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache, 1333 MHz FSB)
  • Memory: - 4 GB DDR2 800 MHz non-ECC (2 x 2 GB DIMM)
  • Hard Drive: - 250 GB 7200 rpm SATA 3.0 Gb/s NCQ, SMART IV
  • Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator
  • Optical Drive: 16X/48X SATA DVD-ROM
  • Sound: Integrated High Definition audio with ADI1884 codec
  • Network Card: Integrated Intel 82567LM 10/100/1000
  • 19-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
  • Warranty - 3 Year
GSP Student Notebook
  • Operating system - Genuine Windows Vista® Business with downgrade to Windows XP Professional custom installed
  • Processor - Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 3 MB L2 cache)
  • Display - 15.4-inch WSXGA+ WVA display
  • Memory - 2048MB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM 1 DIMM
  • Video/graphics - NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M (512MB VRAM)
  • Hard drive - 160 GB SATA II 7200 rpm HDD
  • Optical drive - LightScribe DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL Drive
  • Modem - 56K modem
  • Network card - 10/100/1000 NIC
  • Wireless LAN - 802.11a/b/g/draft N (Intel 5300)
  • Bluetooth - Integrated Bluetooth
  • Battery - 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery
  • Security - TPM & Fingerprint
  • Warranty - 3 Year
GSP Desktop
  • Operating system - Genuine Windows® XP Professional SP2
  • Processor - Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q9650/ 3.00 GHz, 12 MB L2, 1333 MHz FSB, Intel 64FSB
  • Memory - 4 GB (4 x 1 GB) DDR2-800 ECC
  • Hard drive - 250 GB SATA 3 Gb/s NCQ 7200 rpm
  • Optical drive - 16X DVD+/- RW DL SuperMulti
  • Network card - Integrated Broadcom 5755 NetXtreme Gigabit PCIe
  • Graphics Card: GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
  • Sound card - Integrated High Definition audio with Jack Retasking technology
  • Monitor - 20-inch Wide TFT Flat Panel (600:1 Contrast Ratio)
Curious about the online learning experience? Try it now. Now offered online: Web Graphic Design. Interested?