Computer Access

Students must have daily access to a computer. If you don’t have frequent access, online learning will become a significant challenge for you.

Not only will you need access to a computer, but you will also be required to log into the Internet. Almost all computers now come with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) program like AOL or Earthlink already installed. If you haven't yet subscribed to an ISP, you must to do so to access USC’s distance education website.

Computer Comfort

You don’t need to be a computer or software engineer to be a successful online student. You do however need to be comfortable using email, an internet browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape) and know how to use a word processing program like Microsoft Word. If you can work with these three things, you are a great candidate for online learning. If not, you should become familiar with them before starting your online course.