Technical Requirements
Please contact our Helpdesk at 1-800-561-4650, option 3 or 780-488-2832, option 3 if you have any questions regarding the below information. Our technical support team will be pleased to speak directly to a representative from your IT department to help ensure you can set up your connection.
Program Specific Requirements
Online Undergraduate Programs and Courses
Faculty of Business Undergraduate courses are delivered online via the Moodle learning platform. The courses are set up on the basis that students are using a PC running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Students may also use a Mac computer, but some courses require software that is not compatible with a Mac.
Students should at minimum have access to a web browser, email, and the ability to submit assignments in MS Word format.
Minimum requirements are subject to change without notice, based on rapidly changing industry standards and continuous development of new learning tools. You may be required to upgrade your system in order to maintain access to course material, especially if you elect to defer studies at any point in your program.
Some courses may have more specific requirements that will be noted in their online syllabi.
In courses that have textbooks, most will provide these as eTexts. Students may have to download specific software (e.g., Bookshelf by VitalSource) to access the eTexts.
| Windows | Macintosh | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7sp1 or higher | Mac OSX 10.10 or higher |
| Hard Drive Space | 4 GB Free | 4 GB Free |
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB or more | 2 GB or more |
| Antivirus | Security software | Security software |
| Office Suite | MS Office® 365 | MS Office® 365 |
| Internet Browsers | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer 11 or higher | Chrome, Firefox, Safari 8 or higher |
| Internet Service | High-speed Internet recommended | High-speed Internet recommended |
| Printer | Printer is recommended | Printer is recommended |
MBA & GDM
Our online graduate management programs are designed, developed, and delivered using a robust and dynamic learning environment, which can be accessed via a web browser or through installing our learning environment platform on your computer.
All Faculty of Business graduate students are required to install the learning environment platform on at least one computer. This allows AU to provide the high level of interactivity for which our school is known while also allowing students to work on or offline, and maintain a lasting archive of all course work and discussions.
To run our learning environment platform, you will require one of the following operating systems:
| Windows | Macintosh | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7sp1 or higher | Mac OSX 10.10 or higher |
| Hard Drive Space | 8 GB Free | 8 GB Free |
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB or more | 2 GB or more |
| Administrative access | Required | Required |
| Antivirus | Security software | Security software |
| Office Suite | MS Office® 2013 or newer | MS Office® 2016 or newer |
| Internet Service | Recommended: High-speed Internet | Recommended: High-speed Internet |
| Printer | Printer is recommended | Printer is recommended |
| Other | Access to a DVD player | Access to a DVD player |
NOTE: should the system requirements change while you are in the program, you may need to upgrade.
Connecting Using Your Corporate Network
If you intend to use your corporate network to connect to the Athabasca University servers, you must work with your IT department to ensure the following technical requirement is met BEFORE you install your Athabasca University IBM Notes Software:
- TCP/IP Port 1352 & 1533 must be open on your company’s firewall/router to allow for bi-directional communication with IBM Notes and Sametime.
If your IT department is unable or unwilling to open the above listed ports, you will be unable to connect to the university servers using your corporate network. If this is the case, you will have to make other arrangements in order to participate in the program while at work.
DBA
Our online graduate management programs are designed, developed and delivered using our robust online learning environment to provide the high level of interactivity for which our school is known. AU’s learning environemnt software is supplied to all new AU graduate business students.
To run our learning environment platform, you will require one of the following operating systems:
| Windows | Macintosh | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7sp1 or higher | Mac OSX 10.10 or higher |
| Hard Drive Space | 8 GB Free | 8 GB Free |
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB or more | 2 GB or more |
| Administrative Access | Required | Required |
| Antivirus | Security software | Security software |
| Office Suite | MS Office® 2013 or newer | MS Office® 2016 or newer |
| Internet Suite | Recommended: High-speed Internet | Recommended: High-speed Internet |
| Printer | Printer is recommended | Printer is recommended |
| Other | Access to a DVD player | Access to a DVD player |
NOTE: Should the system requirements change while you are in the program, you may need to upgrade.
Connecting Using Your Corporate Network
If you intend to use your corporate network to connect to the Athabasca University servers, you must work with your IT department to ensure the following technical requirement is met BEFORE you install your Athabasca University IBM Notes Software:
- TCP/IP Port 1352 & 1533 must be open on your company’s firewall/router to allow for bi-directional communication with IBM Notes and Sametime.
If your IT department is unable or unwilling to open the above listed ports, you will be unable to connect to the university servers using your corporate network. If this is the case, you will have to make other arrangements in order to participate in the program while at work.
Anti-Virus Protection
In order to maintain safe functioning of your computer while participating in the program, you should have security software on your system to protect from and repair virus, spyware, and malware damage to your computer. Security software can be purchased from many retailers or online.
Office 365
Office 365 is provided to all Athabasca University students and contains free access to the MS Office suite of applications you will need during your studies. An email with instructions on how to activate your O365 student account was sent to your IBM Notes email upon registration. For more information, click here.
On The Hub Software WebStore
Students can purchase academically discounted Microsoft products and other learning software from the On the Hub Software Webstore
Student ID Cards
Student ID cards are available to enroled students. Click here for more information on obtaining a student ID card (you will need your student ID number).