Curriculum

All students should own a computer with these minimum requirements: 

• Form Factor: A notebook or desktop computer (a netbook or tablet should not be used as the primary computing device). A minimum of six hours of battery life is recommended. 
• Processor: 64-bit multi-core (quad-core or higher) Intel or AMD processor or better. 
• Memory: 16 GB or more. For best performance, install as much memory as affordable at the time of purchase. 
• Operating System: The newest version of Windows (10 or better) or MacOS (10.15 or better). As you progress through the degree program, continue updating to the newest version for better protection against cyber security risks; turning on automatic update can help with this. Before applying software and hardware updates, back up your computer (see below) and ensure the updates will work with your existing applications. 
• Browser: The newest version of Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. 
• Primary Hard Drive: 256 GB minimum. You may work with large datasets, so the larger, the better. Solid-state drives (SSDs) are ideal because they’re much faster than hard-disk drives (HDDs). 
• Backup Device or Service: Having a quality backup of your important files is vital to your success as a student. Windows and MacOS have an optional built-in backup support (e.g., via Time Machine on MacOS). For students who would like to take advantage of it, we’ve negotiated a student discount for Crashplan. OneDrive, provided by GT at no charge, is a great solution as well.   
• Free GitHub Repositories: Git is an industry-standard way for collaborative coding and version control; many companies now expect git familiarity from employees. As a Georgia Tech student, you can create unlimited repositories, which are great for group projects. Always set up repositories to be private (instead of public), and never put any sensitive information (e.g., passwords, AWS keys) in them. Criminals scan public repositories for such information and when they find it, it can lead to huge financial loss for victims. Therefore, use your credentials to run AWS jobs. 
• Networking: Wired connection via Ethernet NIC (1Gbe RJ45/Cat5e or better) or a Dual-Band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) Wireless 802.11 ac-enabled computer and a reliable, fast network connection (recommended minimum 10Mbps down/4Mbps up).  
• Accessories:  A laptop or desktop with a webcam and microphone (built-in or external). Also, although you aren’t required to use a headset with a microphone, they often help students communicate more clearly during video-conference sessions. 

Please note: Most netbooks and tablets (e.g., Apple iPad, Galaxy Tab, and others that run on an operating system designed specifically for the device) do NOT meet the minimum hardware requirements above. They tend to provide sufficient performance for basic tasks, such as web browsing or simple word processing; however, using courses’ technical software may not be possible.

Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE) strives to offer the necessary tools for students to collaborate, study, research, and innovate.  

IT resources for online master’s students 

Something not working? Submit a help request. 

GTPE Hours

Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. EST

Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Microsoft 365

Students enrolled in Georgia Tech online courses have free access to Microsoft Office 365, a collection of services that allow you to collaborate and share your schoolwork. The service includes Office Online (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote), unlimited personal cloud storage, and SharePoint sites. To see what’s included, visit the Office 365 Education product page, and then sign up with your Georgia Tech email address.

Microsoft Teams

You may use Microsoft Teams, an application within the Office 365 online suite, to communicate with other students within the program. Teams is a hub for teamwork, a chat-based workspace that enables teams to be more productive by giving them a single and secure location that brings together everything a team needs: chats, meetings, calls, files, and tools. You can manage and monitor all features in one centralized portal in a digital workspace.

Teams is available on Desktop, Tablet, Browsers, Windows/OS X, iPhone, Droid, Edge, Chrome, Safari.

Learn more on how to access your account.

Zoom

Zoom is the interactive, online meeting tool you will use to join live sessions and collaborate with your colleagues. All Georgia Tech students have free Zoom accounts. 

For more details, visit https://gatech.zoom.us/. At the bottom of that webpage are links to help you get started, download the Zoom application, and access support if you need it.

Canvas

Canvas is Georgia Tech’s learning management platform. This is where students access syllabi, course materials, course schedules, and collaborate with other students. For additional information, review the support articles and videos.

Each professor determines due dates for assignments and exams. Georgia Tech recommends a one-week delay to professors, but they may alter this recommendation. If you feel meeting their deadline will be impossible for you, we advise you to withdraw from your class(es) or request an extension from the professor. 

Most classes have proctored exams. A proctored exam is similar to an exam taken in the classroom. This means that your instructor may limit your access to textbooks, notebooks, notes, or other reference materials as well as to electronic devices, web sites, or people. These exams are delivered via a tool called HonorLock, which is an online proctoring solution.

HonorLock is utilized for student identity verification and to ensure academic integrity. HonorLock provides student identity verification via facial and ID photos. For courses that utilize proctored exams, HonorLock employs AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to notify course instructors of potential academic integrity violations. Course instructors can review video of the potential violations and resolve potential academic integrity issues. For each course in which the HonorLock is used, you will have the opportunity to take an on-boarding test, so you are familiar with how it works. 

Each May and December, Georgia Tech holds commencement ceremonies for graduate students. You must complete an online application for graduation prior to commencement. Graduation application deadlines can be found on Georgia Tech's Academic Calendar. 

Graduation is the act of completing your degree, and commencement is the ceremony to celebrate your upcoming graduation. You can graduate without participating in the commencement ceremonies. All online master’s students are invited to participate in commencement, but it is not a requirement.  

To participate in commencement, students must RSVP. Georgia Tech sends RSVP emails to all students who have applied to graduate.

Visit Georgia Tech’s commencement website for all the details you need to prepare for your ceremony, including graduation requirements, deadlines, day-of logistics, and information regarding academic regalia.