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Department of Occupational Therapy Education

School of Health Professions > Occupational Therapy Education > Student Computer Requirements

Student Computer Requirements

The information on this page applies to all students in any academic program in the KU Department of Occupational Therapy Education.

Academic programs in the KU School of Health Professions utilize a technology-rich curriculum. The following recommendations are made with student success in mind. Please contact the department with questions about a specific device meeting the program's requirements.

All students are responsible for having a working device that meets the minimum requirements listed below. Please use this guide to help in making decisions regarding purchase of a computer and software for study. High speed broadband internet service is recommended.

Program curriculum incorporates the following tasks:

  • Accessing and downloading course files (e.g., documents, presentations, videos, etc.).
  • Uploading assignment files (e.g., documents, presentations, videos, etc.).
  • Taking quizzes and exams.
  • Posting to discussion boards.
  • Accessing resources through different browsers.
  • Taking notes/annotating resources.
  • Presenting student-created files/media through a data projector. Lecture halls and classrooms on campus are equipped with Windows computers for use by presenters.
  • Use of a functioning microphone and camera.
  • Course- or program-related meetings using applications requiring audio and video (e.g. BlackBoard Collaborate, Zoom, etc.).
  • Live BlackBoard Collaborate sessions.
  • Use of online learning resources outside of KU Medical Center.
  • High speed access to the internet.
  • Use of Microsoft Office 365 (see software section below).

It is the student's responsibility to maintain a backup of all work. Use of an online backup service (e.g., OneDrive included with Office 365) or, at a minimum, utilizing an external hard drive, is strongly recommended.

Students can receive support for basic computing issues related to their academic work from the Jayhawk Tech Clinic. Appointments are available in Taylor Building Room 3021. The support desk may also be reached by phone at 913-945-9999 option 2, or at the Information Technology website (711 TTY).

Students may explore possible options for financial support in purchasing a computer for learning by contacting the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Devices acceptable for completing course work in this program.

YES

green checkmark iconWindows 10 laptop or desktop computer.
Some Microsoft Surface devices are acceptable, if they meet the hardware/software requirements indicated on this page.

green checkmark iconMacintosh or Apple laptop or desktop computer.

 

NO

red X iconWindows 7 laptop or desktop.

red X iconiPad or Android-based tablet devices (any model).

red X iconiPhone (any model).

red X iconAndroid smartphone (any model).

red X iconGoogle Chromebook (any model).

red X iconLinux-based computers.
Specifications

Software

Type

  

Product

Availability

Office

  

Microsoft Office 365

Free to enrolled students; KU Medical Center provides the licenses to Microsoft Office 365 allowing students to activate the Office Suite on up to five computers.

To install the Office Suite on a personally owned computer, visit office365.kumc.edu and log in with a KU Medical Center username and password. Download the installation files by clicking the Install Office apps button in the upper right corner of the screen. Once installed, follow the prompt to activate the software using a KU Medical Center username and password to authenticate.

Security

  

Antivirus

Any paid reputable antivirus application (e.g. Norton, McAfee, etc..); Free options include the antivirus program installed with Windows 10 or download and install Avast for Windows.

 

Firewall

Free, Windows built-in firewall (check to ensure the firewall is enabled)

 

Antispyware

MalwareBytes (free version scans on demand, paid version catches live)

Browsers

  

Various

Free; Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge

PDF

  

PDF Reader

Free; Adobe Acrobat Reader

Media Players

  

General/audio

Free; Windows Media Player

 

Flash

Free; Adobe Flash Player

 

Video

Free; VLC, videolan.org

Windows-based (PC) System Hardware

Hardware Component

  

Minimum

Recommended

Processor

  

Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen R5

Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen R7

Style

  

Laptop

Laptop

Protective Case

  

N/A

Device compatible case or backpack

RAM

  

8 GB

16 GB

Hard Disk

  

256 GB or higher

512 GB or higher

Display

  

1920 x 1080 (HD)

1920 x 1080 (HD)

Networking

  

Wireless 802.11 b/g/n

Wireless 802.11 b/g/n/ac; Wired ethernet port

Warranty

  

1 year warranty

2-4 year warranty

Operating System

  

Windows 10 Home Edition or Pro Edition

Windows 10 Home Edition or Pro Edition

Data Backup

 

OneDrive (Microsoft Cloud Storage) *

OneDrive (Microsoft Cloud Storage) *

Remote Video Class/ Work

  

Microphone and camera (standard on most laptops)

Wireless Bluetooth microphone and camera headset

 

* Included in Office 365 see software section below.

Apple/Mac Hardware

Hardware Component

  

Minimum

Recommended

Processor

  

Intel Core i5

Intel Core i7

Style

  

Laptop

Laptop

Laptop Protective Case

  

Carrying case or backpack

Carrying case or backpack

RAM

  

8 GB

16 GB

Hard Disk

  

256 GB or higher

512 GB or higher

Display

  

Non-Retina / Retina

Non-Retina / Retina

Networking

  

Wireless 802.11 b/g/n

Wireless 802.11 b/g/n/ac and Wired ethernet port adapter

Warranty

  

1 year warranty

2-4 year warranty

Operating System

  

Mac OS 10 (OSX 10.13 or higher)

Mac OS 10 (OSX 10.15 or higher)

The nature of health care training and education requires access to private and personal health and other personal protected information. Student personal computers and devices must comply with KU Medical Center's policy on confidentiality, privacy and security of data in addition to the policy on sensitive information.

Last modified: Jun 12, 2020
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