Software
Since 1998, The University of Texas System has participated with Microsoft Corporation in a Microsoft Campus Agreement (MSCA) to provide students, faculty, and staff access to Microsoft software, including the latest release of Microsoft’s Windows OS and Microsoft Office and Office for Mac productivity suites, at no cost or a substantially reduced cost.
Software is available for both personal and UT Dallas-owned computers, select which is relevant:
Student, Faculty, & Staff personal computers
Personal Computers – Students
Students are eligible provided they are currently enrolled in a degree-granting program at UT Dallas. Students are permitted licenses to run the Microsoft software covered by the agreement on one personally-owned machine for use for the duration of the agreement. The one exception to this is Office which can be installed on one desktop computer and one portable computer for your exclusive use. Students may purchase a copy of the installation media for use on a personally owned machine at the UT Dallas Tech Store with a current UT Dallas Comet Card.
When students graduate, they become permanently licensed for products covered at the time of graduation. If students leave the University without graduating, they must remove all products obtained under the MSCA.
Personal Computers – Faculty & Staff
Faculty, faculty emeriti, and staff at UT Dallas are eligible for home use of the Microsoft software covered by the agreement with certain restrictions. Retired faculty and staff are not eligible.
Faculty and staff may purchase a copy of the installation media for home use at the UT Dallas Tech Store with a current Comet Card and are permitted to run the software on one personally-owned machine for use for the duration of the agreement.
Faculty and staff who install the home use software must uninstall the software from their personal computer when they leave employment in the UT System or if the software is no longer provided through the MSCA.
Who is not eligible?
Individuals are not eligible under the MSCA unless they meet the specific criteria above. Such ineligible individuals consist of (but are not limited to):
- Anyone enrolled exclusively in non-credit courses
- Conference attendees
- Alumni
- Visitors
- Companies, and their employees, who have been hired on a contractual basis for services on or off campus. (i.e., individuals not directly employed by UT System)
- Retired faculty and staff
UT Dallas-Owned Computers
Microsoft
All UT Dallas-owned computers are covered by the Microsoft Campus Agreement and are licensed for the most recent release of Microsoft Windows, Office, and Office for Mac for the duration of the agreement. Access to the installation files is restricted, so please request installation through normal means of contact for your Technical Support staff or call the IR Help Desk at x2911.
The license for Microsoft Windows is an upgrade-only license, which means that the UT Dallas-owned computer must have a qualifying independently licensed operating system installed to be eligible for installation.
Qualifying operating systems are:
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
- Windows 2000 Professional
- Windows NT Workstation 4.0
- Windows 98
- Mac OS
Apple
As of July 2012, all UT Dallas-owned computers are now covered by the Apple Education Licensing Program and are licensed for the most recent Mac OS, iLife and iWork software for the duration of our participation in the program. Access to the installation files is restricted, so please request installation through normal means of contact for your Technical Support staff or call the IR Help Desk at x2911.
Technical Support Staff
Installation files for software made available through MSCA and AELP are restricted. Access is currently administered by the Director of Technology Customer Services and is limited to UT Dallas staff members who have desktop support or systems administration as a primary job responsibility at UT Dallas. Requests for access can be sent to Don Davis and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. More information on the installation files will be made available upon approval.
Please keep in mind that the installation of the MSCA and AELP software is for UT Dallas-owned computers only. By being granted access to the installation files, you accept the responsibility to adhere to all covenants of the agreements between the UT System and Microsoft or Apple.
Qualifying operating systems include:
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
- Windows 2000 Professional
- Windows NT Workstation 4.0
- Windows 98
- Apple Mac OS
The MSCA makes available additional Microsoft titles for use by technical support staff. Click here for a complete list of available software.
