Student technology recommendations and competencies
Be prepared for day one
To assist students with adequate preparation for their coursework at University of Phoenix, technology recommendations and competencies have been established. Students will need to access and use the hardware as described below.
Additional recommendations and competencies may be required for courses or programs. Students using software and hardware other than that recommended must still meet the technology competencies. Please note: due to the rapid rate of change in information technology, hardware and software competencies will be updated on a regular basis. Some courses in the College of Business and Information Technology may require additional software.
NEW STUDENT TIP
Computer requirement
You will need regular access to a laptop or desktop computer to give you the best opportunity to succeed.
Mobile devices alone will not be sufficient to complete your program. Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment.
You will need regular access to a laptop or desktop computer to give you the best opportunity to succeed.
Mobile devices alone will not be sufficient to complete your program. Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment.
Technology requirements
You will need a computer with Microsoft® Windows or Apple® Mac OS and familiarity with the following items:
Operating System:
Recommended
- Microsoft® Windows 10 or higher
- Apple® Mac OS X Latest Version
Microsoft® Windows may be required for some technology courses.
Web browser:
Windows Recommended
- Google® Chrome Latest Version
- Mozilla® Firefox Latest Version
- Microsoft® Edge Latest Version
MAC OS Recommended
- Apple® Safari Latest Version
- Google® Chrome Latest Version
- Mozilla® Firefox Latest Version
The University of Phoenix only supports the browsers listed above. Please note that newer browser versions incorporate security fixes and newer technologies, which may often lead to a better user experience.
Current browser versions are highly recommended when the option is available.
Microsoft Office is required; Microsoft Office 365 is provided free of charge to all active students.
- An up-to-date installation of Adobe® Reader
- A current anti-virus and / or security suite application is recommended but not required.
Some courses may require the following software provided by the University through the Classroom. This software requires Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft® Visio
- Microsoft® Project
You need access to a computer with the following:
- An Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor or better recommended.
- 8 GB RAM or greater
- A high-speed internet connection with a recommended connection speed of 25 Mbps or better.
- The use of satellite and cellular connections may result in slowness or errors (timeouts, access problems) when accessing the classroom and course materials.
- The use of public access computers and internet (for example, at restaurants and public institutions such as libraries) may result in slowness or errors (timeouts or access problems) when accessing the classroom and course materials. Public access computers may not permit any access to certain course materials or systems due to security limitations.
- Keyboard and Mouse is recommended
- Speakers/Headphones and Microphone
- A noise cancelling headset is recommended
- Public access computers may not permit usage of speakers, headphones or microphones.
- A web camera capable of video web conferencing
‣ Public access computers may not permit usage of web cameras.
A DVD/CD-ROM drive may be needed to install software in select courses.
Students are required to have reliable access to a PC or Mac but may use a mobile device such as a phone or tablet as a secondary means of access.
Access to website functionality and required course materials may be limited on mobile devices.
All students need access to a computer for success in their coursework.
The operating systems on most computers already have some features that include these accessibility technologies:
- Changing font size
- Changing size of desktop icons
- Magnification of portions of your screen
- Converting text to speech
- Altering background color
- Captioning for audio
- Speech recognition
Microsoft, Apple, and Google provide additional accessibility guides, tutorials, and tips for use on your computer. Visit the Microsoft, Apple, or Google website for information beyond the documents provided here. Students may contact the Disability Services Office for questions about accommodations or visit the University's page on accessibility.
Student discount
Need a laptop?
Is it time to upgrade or get a new computer for your program? If so, check out Revive-it.io computer purchasing to receive $100 off a laptop, which means you can get a computer for as low as a few hundred dollars.
Is it time to upgrade or get a new computer for your program? If so, check out Revive-it.io computer purchasing to receive $100 off a laptop, which means you can get a computer for as low as a few hundred dollars.
College-specific requirements
The College of Business and Information Technology may require access to additional software. Software currently provided by the University on the student website is subject to change and may require students to purchase or obtain access to the software. Please look for updated software requirements in your course. Students must have access to a Mac computer to complete iOS mobile coursework or the latest Windows operating system to complete Windows mobile coursework.
The College of Education may require access to additional software and hardware for the purpose of meeting individual state mandates. You may be required to submit video clips during your program to meet assignment requirements, during the student teaching or practicum experience (if applicable) to meet assessment requirements, and near the end of your program to meet licensure requirements. You may be required to purchase or obtain access to relevant software and hardware. Please look for updated software/hardware requirements in your courses.
A minimum Internet upload speed of 2Mbps is recommended to help facilitate the video uploads.
The College of Doctoral Studies requires that students bring a laptop computer that meets the above technology requirements to any/all physical residencies or classes.