Week One
Get connected fast
Activate your EID, set up Duo, join campus Wi-Fi, open Canvas, and make sure your email and storage are ready before classes accelerate.
Open setup checklist →
Student Tech Hub
Your digital toolkit for
classes, campus, and AI
Built for how students actually move through the semester: get set up fast, find the right tools when deadlines hit, and use UT-supported AI, software, Wi-Fi, and support without hunting across a dozen systems.
Student command center
Included with your UT EID
Right now
Launch Spark, Canvas, and your core setup in minutes
$0
Student cost for UT Spark and campus software access
24/7
Support when your login, Wi-Fi, or coursework tools fail
100+
Software titles, services, and platforms available to students
Designed Around Student Moments
What you need changes across the semester
Instead of one generic tools page, this hub should feel like a live guide for how students actually work: onboarding, deadline mode, and getting help when something breaks.
Mid-Semester
Work smarter under pressure
Use Spark for studying and drafting, VLab for licensed apps, and Microsoft 365 for group work, file sharing, and presentations.
Jump to essential tools →When Things Break
Recover quickly
Lost password, device issue, LMS trouble, or software access problem? Route students to the right fix fast instead of burying help in dense service copy.
Go to support options →Most students need this first
Canvas should be the front door to your academic day
Courses, assignments, grades, announcements, and deadlines all converge in Canvas. If a student only clicks one thing on this page, it should probably be this.
Student priority
Before class
Check announcements, modules, readings, and assignment due dates.
During the week
Submit work, take quizzes, review grades, and manage notifications.
When something is off
Go straight to Canvas first, then route to support if the issue is access or tooling.
UT.AI — Free for Every UT Student
UT Spark gives every student
a private AI workspace
UT Spark is UT Austin's free, secure generative AI platform. Explore frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic, build personal agents, work with files, and use official campus agents inside UT's protected Azure environment.
Free · Sign in with UT EID
UT Spark
UT Austin's free, secure generative AI platform gives students access to conversational AI, personal agents, official campus agents, file analysis, and speech-to-text in one protected workspace.
⚡
GPT-5.1
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Claude Haiku 4.5
GPT-4o Agents
💬 Conversational AI for writing, studying, and research
🤖 Personal agents powered by GPT-4o
📄 Chat with PDFs, docs, spreadsheets, and images
🎙️ Speech to text for fast prompting
Why students use it
- Draft essays, project outlines, and cover letters
- Explain difficult concepts and quiz yourself with follow-up questions
- Summarize readings, lecture notes, and study packets
- Debug code in Python, Java, R, MATLAB, and more
Official agents available now
📄 Syllabi & CV Search
🦆 Rubber Ducky Coder
🎓 Texas Today Events
🔍 UT Directory Agent
💡 UT Spark Help
Always check your course syllabus and instructor guidance before submitting AI-assisted work.
Platform Capability
What You Can Do
Use UT Spark for conversational AI, personal agents, official campus agents, and document analysis in one student-friendly workspace.
Privacy
Protected by UT
UT Spark runs in UT's Azure environment. Conversations are private to your account and are not used to train commercial models.
Use Responsibly
Academic Integrity & AI
Understand course policy, citation expectations, and how to use AI in ways that support learning without crossing academic integrity lines.
Essential Tools
Your everyday student toolkit
The services students reach for constantly during the semester.
Start here
Canvas
Access course materials, assignments, grades, announcements, and deadlines. This is the most important academic tool on the page.
M365 Mail
Your official university email and Microsoft 365 suite — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and 1 TB OneDrive storage.
EID & Duo MFA
Manage your UT EID password and Duo two-factor authentication — required for all UT systems.
Campus Wi-Fi (SSID: utexas)
Connect using SSID utexas with your UT EID. Requires a 5GHz or 6GHz capable device and WPA2-Enterprise support.
Virtual Lab (VLab)
Access licensed software (SPSS, MATLAB, AutoCAD, SAS) from any device via UT's virtual computer lab.
Printing & UT Copy
Print from any campus location using the UTCopy system. New students receive a $15 printing credit each fall.
VPN Access
Cisco AnyConnect VPN for secure access to UT library databases, restricted course materials, and research systems off-campus.
Zoom
Free Zoom Pro account with unlimited meeting time. Integrated with Canvas for online class sessions and group projects.
New Students
Get set up in four steps
Complete these before the first day of class — takes about 20 minutes total.
Step 1
Activate Your EID
Your UT EID is your master key. Activate it at utexas.edu/eid, set a strong password, and enroll in Duo MFA — required from day one. UT provides 1Password free to all students to help manage your passwords.
Activate EID →
Step 2
Connect to Campus Wi-Fi
Select SSID utexas and sign in with your UT EID. Your device must support 5GHz or 6GHz and WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x). If your device is older or incompatible, see KB0020135 for alternative networks.
Wi-Fi Setup Guide →
Step 3
Access Canvas
Log into canvas.utexas.edu — your courses appear here. Check your Canvas notification settings so you never miss an assignment update.
Canvas Student Guide →
Step 4
Launch UT Spark
Sign into UT Spark with your EID to access GPT-4o and Claude — free, private, and ready for coursework, research, and more.
Get UT Spark →
Wi-Fi, VPN & Devices
Stay connected anywhere on campus
Campus Wi-Fi — SSID: utexas
Available to current students, faculty, staff, and official visitors. Select SSID utexas, authenticate with your UT EID, and accept the certificate (CN: dot1x.utexas.edu). Requires 5GHz or 6GHz device support — 2.4GHz is not supported on this network.
→
Cisco AnyConnect VPN
Required for off-campus access to UT library resources, licensed databases, and restricted systems. Free download with your EID.
→
Computer Labs & Reservations
Dozens of open-access computer labs across campus with specialized hardware for 3D printing, video editing, and research computing. Reserve a workstation online.
→
EID Password & Duo MFA
Reset your EID password, manage trusted Duo devices, and add backup authentication methods. Keep your account secure — phishing attempts targeting UT students are common.
→
ET News & Events
Latest stories & upcoming events
Stay up to date with AI launches, campus technology updates, training sessions, and workshops from Enterprise Technology.
ET Newsroom
UT Engineers Just Flew Humans to the Moon. ET Exists to Support the People Who Make That Possible.
Six UT Austin alumni — including NASA's Chief Flight Director — powered the Artemis II mission around the Moon. Their success is a reminder of why the work of supporting a research university with the right infrastructure, tools, and technology actually matters.
ET Newsroom
In the AI Era, the Competitive Advantage Is Still Human
New research from IDEO makes the case that AI-era growth depends on human strengths — creativity, insight, growth mindset, psychological safety, and a culture of change. Here's how ET is building those capabilities at UT Austin, and why point five is the one we all have to own.
ET Newsroom
Responsible AI for Education 2026: A Campus Convening on April 21
The second annual Responsible AI for Education convening brings students, faculty, staff, and experts together on April 21 at the Texas Union for panels, workshops, and a keynote conversation between Cole Camplese and James P. Frazee of San Diego State University.
Upcoming Events
All Events →
Get Help
Student support channels
IT Service Desk — 24/7
Call, chat, or email for help with EID, Wi-Fi, Canvas access, software, and device issues. Average wait time under 5 minutes for chat.
Get Help Now →
Walk-In Support
In-person help at the UT IT Service Desk in the Student Services Building (SSB). Bring your laptop for hands-on troubleshooting. Open M–F 8am–5pm.
Find Us →
Knowledge Base
Hundreds of self-service articles covering EID setup, Wi-Fi troubleshooting, Canvas tips, VPN configuration, and software installs. Available 24/7.
Browse Articles →