Professional Education
System Requirements

Following are the recommended system requirements for taking Professional Education Center courses. Below the system requirements you will find further information including links to download the latest versions of required and optional Internet browsers and software.

Note: Some courses may have additional requirements listed in their description pages in the Course Catalog.

Minimum System, CPU and O/S Requirements

Multimedia PC equipped with:

• 133 MHz Speed Processor
• 800 x 600 Display Resolution
• 16 bit (thousands) Color Graphics
• 32 MB RAM
• Intel or equivalent Pentium CPU running Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT 4.0 or above O/S, or Macintosh PowerPC, G3 CPU running MAC O/S 7.0 or higher.
  

Standard Text Courses

• Internet connection at 14.4-Kbps or faster speed (56-Kbps or faster recommended).
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 4.0 or later, Netscape® Communicator 4.0 or later, or America Online® (AOL) 4.0 or later Internet browser. (See below to download the latest versions of these browsers.)
• Adobe® Acrobat® Reader -- optional for reading PDF files offered with certain courses. (See below for details on downloading the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.)

Multimedia Courses - Video and Audio

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, Netscape Communicator 4.0 or later, or America Online (AOL) 4.0 or later Internet browser. (See below to download the latest versions of these browsers.)
• ISDN, DSL, cable modem access, DS-1 (T-1), or comparable Internet connection. (Note: A 56-Kbps modem connected at near optimal speed may be suitable for running video.)
• Sound card with speakers.
• Microsoft Windows Media Player -- allows you to download and run multimedia audio and video files from the Web. (See below to download the latest version of Windows Media.)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader -- optional for reading PDF files offered with certain courses. (See below for details on downloading the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.)

Multimedia Courses - Audio Only

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, Netscape Communicator 4.0 or later, or America Online (AOL) 4.0 or later Internet browser. (See below to download the latest versions of these browsers.)
• Internet connection from 28.8-Kbps to 56-Kbps speed; any connection speed greater will run the video portion as well. (Note: A 56-Kbps modem connected at near optimal speed may be suitable for running video.)
• Sound card with speakers.
• Microsoft Windows Media Player -- allows you to download and run multimedia audio and video files from the Web. (See below to download the latest version of Windows Media.)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader -- optional for reading PDF files offered with certain courses. (See below for details on downloading the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.)

More Information on System Requirements

The following section covers additional information regarding the system requirements and provides links to free software downloads.

Downloading the latest Internet browsers

Click one of the buttons below to download the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, or America Online free from their respective Web sites.

Using Windows Media Player

Some courses provide multimedia videos for you to view directly on your computer. To run the multimedia audio and video files from the Web, you will need to install the Microsoft Windows Media Player. Click the button below to view the system requirements and download Windows Media Player for free from the Microsoft Web site.

Using Acrobat Reader for PDF Files

Some courses provide Portable Document Format (PDF) files for you to download. To view and print PDF files, you must use Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can select the button below to download Acrobat Reader for free from the Adobe Web site.

A Note on Browser Preferences, Cookies and Java

To use the Professional Education Center effectively and efficiently, your browser must be enabled to accept cookies. Using cookies allows us to maintain your account, your logon status, and your preferences. If you prefer, you may choose to set your browser preferences to prompt you (Internet Explorer) or warn you (Netscape) before accepting a cookie (rather than always accepting it), in which case, you will receive alerts asking if you wish to accept a cookie as you navigate through the Professional Education Center. If you set your preferences to prompt you or warn you, please remember to choose "Yes" at the prompt. Your browser should also be enabled to run Java and JavaScript.