Overview

All current Normandale students and employees can install Microsoft Office 365 on their personal devices for free. Microsoft Office 365 is not only available online, but can be installed on your computer as full-featured applications. 

You don't need to be online to use Office after it is installed and activated on your devices. However, you will need internet access initially to install and activate Office, to install any updates, and to manage your billing. Internet access is also required to access documents stored on OneDrive, unless you install the OneDrive desktop app. However, after your Office applications (like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) are installed, you can use them offline.

You should connect to the Internet regularly to keep your version of Office up to date and benefit from automatic upgrades. If you don’t connect to the Internet at least every 39 days, your applications will go into reduced functionality mode, and you might see an unlicensed product error. To reactivate your Office applications, simply reconnect to the Internet and sign in to Office 365. Learn how to sign in.

Office 365 Applications: Download instructions for PC and Mac

1. Login to Office 365 by going to www.office.com and click Sign In
   • Students: StarID@go.minnstate.edu
   • Employees: StarID@minnstate.edu
   • Password: your StarID password
2. Set up multi-factor authentication to verify your identity (if you haven't already)
3. Select the "Install Apps" button (on the right-side of the main page)
   
4. Follow the directions to download the software to your PC or Mac
5. ACTIVATION: the first time you start an office app, choose to login and login with your Office 365 credentials:
   • Students: StarID@go.minnstate.edu
   • Employees: StarID@minnstate.edu
   • Password: your StarID password

How can I find out more?

• Office 365 Help and Training
• Microsoft's student resources