MBA in Pharmaceutical Business Online Program System Requirement Information
System Requirements
To successfully participate in the program, your computer configuration must meet the following requirements:
Operating System
- Windows XP or Vista
- Macintosh OS X
Desktop
- Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor – 2.2 GHZ CPU
- 2 GB of Ram
- At least 60 gigabytes of hard drive space
- Network Interface Card
Laptop
- Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor – 2.2 GHZ CPU
- 2 GB of Ram
- At least 40 gigabytes of hard drive space
- Network Interface Card
- 802.11G Wireless
Browser
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (7 or higher) or Mozilla Firefox (2 or higher)
- Java Runtime Environment 1.4 or higher
Plug-ins
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Flash Player 9
- Quicktime Player
- Windows Media
Additional Software
- Microsoft Office 2003/2007
- Virus Scan provided by USP for resident students
You'll be required to access online courses through your own Internet Service provide (ISP) or through your workplace. The connection must support full access to the World Wide Web. If accessing the Internet from work, you may discover that the workplace connection is through a firewall. If so, your network administrator may need to contact the USP help Desk to work out technical details to allow computer access to the course materials.
To ensure the best performance from your PC when accessing online course content, do the following:
- AOL users: Close the AOL browser and use one of the above-listed browsers to access the course site.
- If you are running ad-blocking software, please modify the software to allow pop-ups from the usp.edu domain. Software that disables pop-up windows and other Javascript functions also disables course management tools.
Residential Colloquia
All Students in the Online MBA in Pharmaceutical Business at USP are required to attend three live one-week colloquia, each taken at specific milestones in the program.
Through face-to-face interactions with faculty and other students, your cohort will develop a sense of community and you will develop the knowledge and skills that are essential for success in the online graduate program. The colloquia are outcomes-based and placed in a sequence that is designed to meet your developmental needs.
Residency fees, session dates, and locations can be found on the MBA program website. Fees do not include airfare, ground transportation, lodging, or meals; students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and accommodations.
Students should consult their adviser for detailed information about specific requirements, including housing and cancellation policies.
Online Courses
Between the three 1-week residential colloquia, the online MBA students will participate in online courses. Each online course is five weeks in duration and provides remote interactive access to cohort members and with the faculty through a course management system.
Course Preparation
Textbooks will be mailed to each program participant, and online access to the course syllabus, and other instructional materials will be provided prior to the start of each course. Because of the demanding nature of the Online MBA in Pharmaceutical Business Program, there will be a substantial body of knowledge and skills to be mastered in each course. Accordingly, each course syllabus will list a set of assigned readings and projects that are to be completed prior to each classroom or virtual course session. A reasonable estimate would be that these assignments will require approximately 10 to 15 hours per week of work. Some additional work, but at a reduced level, will also be required between courses in preparation for each new topic. Course assignments will provide you with the tools needed for the capstone project at the conclusion of the program, and aid in enhancing your skill set.
As with other USP graduate programs, those students who take their assignments most seriously will be the ones who will benefit most from the coursework, and in the process achieve the best academic performance. The most manageable way to reduce the burden of the readings and assignments is to break the activities down into small chunks, distributed over the life of the course, and logging into the online course for short periods 3-4 times a week instead of trying to find large blocks of time to participate in the virtual classroom.
Review the Eligibility Requirements >
Review the Curriculum & Course Descriptions >
