Technical Requirements

Student Technical Requirements

Students at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health must have a personal computer (i.e. laptop or tablet) available to them as a graduate student. For software not provided through the virtual computer lab, the school provides reduced software prices through the UT Bookstore for certain required software titles, including Windows Operating System, MacOS, Microsoft Office, and certain statistical software products required to use during study. For compatibility purposes, students should have access to a personal computer running the latest version of either the Windows Operating System or Macintosh Operating system. However, students should note that the most commonly used platform is the Windows Operating System.

All students are provided with a UTHealth Houston user account, which offers access to a Web-based electronic mail application (Outlook), an online learning management system (Canvas), the ability to connect personal wireless computers within campuses, and a file repository and sharing system.

All students need to have a computer with the following minimum requirements and recommendations:

  • Operating System: Windows 10 or higher, Mac OS X 11.1 (Big Sur) or higher
  • Web Camera: Resolution at least 1280 x 720, should also include a microphone
  • Memory (RAM): 8 GB minimum, 16 GB or more is recommended
  • Browser: Edge Chromium, Chrome, Firefox
  • Internet Speeds: Preferred: DSL and Cable connectivity form outside the campus. Dialup and ISDN services will not provide enough bandwidth for most applications to function properly.
  • Antivirus Software: You must have Antivirus software. Windows 10 has built-in anti-virus software (Defender). Sophos Antivirus for Mac users is free.
  • Proctor Software: You can test your system’s compatibility with our proctor solution here.
  • Other Software: Access to most course software through a virtual computer lab environment is provided. This system is called Parallels. You can gain access to the software and instructions for configuring the software on the “Students” section of the IT Services website. Parallels software clients are available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. Additionally, Microsoft Office is the primary application tool used by all faculty. Regardless of your operating system, you will be most compatible with your faculty if you have Microsoft Office installed.