This course has been specifically designed to engage you in models and methods to manage complex systems, without the use of substantial coding experience or proprietary coding packages. The focus in the course is on substantive challenges that arise when building complex systems, not in having you build large or complex models.
As such, three applications are required:
- The ability to download and run Microsoft Excel files with macros. Although you may be able to use other software to view the files, generally the macros will not work outside of Microsoft Excel
- The ability to download and edit Microsoft PowerPoint files. There are several programs that can do so
- The ability to download and read PDFs
In several places in the course optional links to models are provided, should you wish to explore models in more detail. These are often given for Matlab files. As these are optional, Matlab is not required for this course.
Access to the course requires an Internet connection, as videos are only available via online streaming and cannot be downloaded for offline viewing. Please take note of your company's restrictions for viewing content and/or firewall settings.
The ability to download and read PDFs is also necessary.
Our courseware works best with current versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. For the best possible experience, we recommend switching to an up-to-date version of Chrome or Firefox. If you do not have Chrome installed, you can get it for free here: http://www.google.com/chrome/browser/
We are unable to fully support access with mobile devices at this time. While many components of your courses will function on a mobile device, some may not.
If you are on a secured machine or network, there are likely limits to the types of content that can be downloaded, uploaded, and shared. Please be aware and abide by your local IT policies when taking an online course. Organizations with limitations on the use of Chrome have granted special waivers for MIT course attendees in the past, or learners have chosen to use their personal/home computer.