All students and employees of Cornell University have access to the web-based Microsoft Office 365, which can be used from any computer and does not require downloading or installing any software. When possible, we recommend that customers use Microsoft Office 365 Online Apps in preference to desktop-based software.

You may be able to use Microsoft Office 365 on a personally-owned computer, depending on your University affiliation status and the Microsoft Office 365 license currently assigned to you. Please see our Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus for Faculty and Staff article for more information, including an explanation of which of the two types of license you've been assigned.

Please note that Weill Cornell Medical College has its own arrangement with Microsoft, and is not covered by the Campus Agreement. Weill Cornell staff and faculty should check with Weill Information Technology & Services or their local Weill IT providers for more information.

Microsoft Office 365 on Cornell-owned Devices for Faculty and Staff

If you require the advanced features of desktop-based Microsoft Office software on your Cornell-owned computer, please work with your department's local IT support provider. They should be able to deliver Microsoft Office 365 under either Named-User or Per Device licensing, as appropriate to your University affiliation status and your University business needs.

Please check with your local department's IT support provider before attempting to install Microsoft software onto your Cornell-provided computer. Your department may have different recommendations.

Microsoft Office 365 Desktop Options

Microsoft Office Desktop software installation requires eligibility for an A3 Named-User license, no matter the edition, type, or deployment method. Under the current campus agreement with Microsoft, Cornell’s install or deployment options for Office 365 Desktop software include:

1. Microsoft Office 365 Install (per User or per Device)
   1. Available through Endpoint Management Tools for managed devices
2. Microsoft Office Volume License Install 

Two Microsoft Office 365 Install (Deployment) Methods: per User or per Device

• Per User Install – Office 365 per user is installed on the device.  It is not activated and does not function until a user with Office 365 A3 license eligibility signs in.
• Per Device Install – Office 365 per device is installed on the device.  It is activated and functions without sign-in regardless of the user having an Office 365 license.  HOWEVER, the user must be eligible for an Office 365 A3 License.

TSPs can deploy per User Install or per Device Install of Office 365 through Endpoint Management Tools to managed devices. The TSP should evaluate which version to install for each device.

Microsoft Office Volume License Editions

Microsoft Office Desktop software installation requires eligibility for an A3 Named-User license, no matter the edition or type.

The volume licensed Office Professional Plus Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) is designed for use cases where the key requirements are that (1) the computer is not assigned to a specific individual and (2) the functionality and features don’t change over time. Examples include medical systems (such as those used for MRI and CAT scans), industrial process controllers, and air traffic control devices. These devices share characteristics of embedded systems: they are typically designed for a specific purpose and are developed, tested, and certified before use. They are treated as a whole system and are, therefore, commonly “upgraded” by building and validating a new system, turning off the old device, and replacing it with the new, certified device.

Available versions of the Volume-Licensed editions of Office are:

• Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 
• Office LTSC Standard for Mac 2024 
• Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 
• Office LTSC Standard for Mac 2021 
• Office Professional Plus 2019
• Office 2019 for Mac Standard  

Download the Volume License Edition of Microsoft Office for Institution-Owned Computers

Whenever possible, we recommend delivering Office 365 ProPlus to Cornell-owned computers, either under Named-User licensing or Per-Device licensing. Microsoft no longer provides a universal MSI installer for the Volume-Licensed editions of Office. Instead, we'll need to work with your department to configure a custom click-to-run installer via the Microsoft Office Deployment Tool. Please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form for more information about delivering an appropriate volume-licensed LTSC edition of Office.

Please see Microsoft's Deploy Office LTSC 2021 article for more information about deploying the Volume-Licensed edition of Office LTSC 2021.

Product Activation

Our Office Professional Plus installers are configured to use the KMS automated activation system. Office should activate automatically as soon as your machine connects to the Internet via an on-campus local area network or the Cornell VPN. All Cornell local area networks provided by CIT, and most networks provided by local IT providers are configured for KMS. If you are on a local area network that isn't configured for KMS, you can activate via KMS manually. 

If you need to activate Office Professional Plus on a computer that cannot connect to our KMS server, such as for a computer that will not be connected to the Internet, please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form to request an MAK product key. Please include the reason why KMS isn’t appropriate for your situation.

Other Microsoft Office Licensing Programs

Cornell staff and faculty have access to other licensing options other than the Campus Agreement site license. Please see Microsoft Office Licensing for Faculty and Staff for a listing of other licensing options.