School of Information Sciences - FastTrack MLIS Program

Technical Requirements

At the risk of stating the obvious, your personal computer and Internet service are essential elements of your education in an online program like the FastTrack MLIS. So, what type of system do you need, and what pieces of software are required? The short answer is that you need a computer system capable of running a modem Web browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and the latest version of Microsoft Office. In most instances, this means a personal computer running under Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista, or Macintosh OS X, preferably 10.4 or higher.

The University uses Blackboard 7.3 as its course delivery system. Known at Pitt as CourseWeb, the Blackboard system is not only the platform on which FastTrack MLIS courses are mounted, but also the site of a number of forums and services designed to support the FastTrack MLIS program and its students. To use CourseWeb successfully, you will need a recently updated Web browser. Examples include Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. (Internet Explorer 7.0 works well in relation to CourseWeb, but recent versions of Firefox work equally well and also offer users the option of incorporating a wide variety of features and services through the installation of so-called "extensions." Perhaps the most important point is that a great deal of the educational experiences that the FastTrack MLIS provides run through your Web browser, so selecting the browser that best serves your interests and requirements is an important decision.) The browser will require Java support—Java is required to use Blackboard chat services and to access the University's digital library services—and a plug-in capable of displaying PDF documents. In addition, you will need to install a copy of newest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer; it is available without charge from Adobe's Web site.

Because the University of Pittsburgh subscribes to the Microsoft Campus Software program, which provides Windows and both the Windows and Macintosh versions of Microsoft Office to students free of charge, Microsoft Office is the de facto standard for end-user computing in the FastTrack MLIS program. As a result, students must own a computer that is capable of running Microsoft Office 2007 (for Windows) or Microsoft Office 2008 (for Macintosh OS X).

In addition, students should acquire a headset with a microphone, and a Web camera (assuming that it is not already built in to the computer). During the course of your studies, you will have the option of using VOIP and video conferencing services, and these items are necessary to take advantage of those services.

For FastTrack MLIS students considering buying a new computer or upgrading an existing machine, please visit the University's Computing Services and Systems Development (CSSD) group's page on computer purchases.

FastTrack MLIS students should make certain that they have anti-virus software which conforms to the University's standards installed and updated, as well as utilities supporting remote login via SSH, ftp, and text editing. (FastTrack MLIS students are likely to find that an HTML composer/editor is a good investment. There are many such tools available, but Adobe's Dreamweaver is by far the best choice.)

Preferred ISPs

In addition, FastTrack MLIS students should contract for service with ISPs that provide service in their respective communities. Successful participation in the FastTrack MLIS program depends to a significant degree on the speed and reliability of the services provided by the student's ISP. We therefore recommend that a student's Internet connection to the University network should be based, wherever possible, on a broadband Internet service.

Selecting a specific ISP should be based on the following factors:

 

Diverse group of learners

FastTrack MLIS students come from more than 35 states and 6 countries.  Technology makes it possible!