Popular Articles for Students

Computer Requirements

Information about computer hardware and software needed for students.

How to Activate Your Account

Instructions for activating your new BearPass account.

Account Types and Uses

Information about your MSU accounts and when to use them.

How to Login to Your Office 365 Account for the First Time

Instructions for logging into your Office 365 and email account for the first time, including how to set up self-service password reset options.

How to Change Your BearPass Password

Instructions for changing your BearPass account password.

How to Install Office 365 Education (ProPlus)

Instructions for downloading and installing the Office suite on your computer.

Computer Services Help Desk

Please Note: Due to the ongoing response to COVID-19, our phone support is limited at this time. Submit a request here, email us, or start a chat session for faster service.

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Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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Sunday Noon - 9:00 p.m.
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More Information

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Welcome, New Bears!

This page is a student's introduction to all things "IT" at Missouri State. You will find information about your email account, configuring self-service password reset, obtaining free software for your computer, using Microsoft OneDrive for Business cloud storage for all of your documents and work, information on purchasing a laptop at academic pricing, and more!

Listed below are just some of the important services we will provide to you now and throughout your college career at MSU. Computer Services is committed to providing all students the technology resources and support that they need for all academic and other pursuits while you're with us.

At any time, if you have questions that are not answered below, search through the Knowledge Base, submit a request from the Service Catalog, or contact us using any of the other methods listed below.

Student wearing headphones uses computer at MSU

Basic Services

Your BearPass Account and Email

A BearPass account is available to all MSU students and is required to use University technologies and resources, such as the My Missouri State portal and Blackboard Learn.

A BearPass account consists of a BearPass Login and a BearPass Password. For instructions on activating your account and additional guidance, visit the Accounts and Access area of our knowledge base.

In addition to your BearPass account, MSU uses Office 365 for email. You can access your email from a web browser or from a mobile device at portal.office.com at any time while connected to the Internet. You will use your BearPassLogin@Login.MissouriState.edu to sign in to Office 365; this is your Office 365 username and it is only used to log in to Office 365 and access your email, it is not your email address. Along with email, Office 365 provides downloads of the Microsoft Office software, a calendar, a variety of web apps, and the ability to collaborate with other Missouri State users. Because the safety of your account is important, all students will be asked to enroll in Self-Service Password Reset the first time they log in to Office 365. This way, if your account must have its password reset due to excessive spam attempts or possible phishing scams, you can reset your password without needing to contact Computer Services.

Office 365 with OneDrive for Business

Microsoft Office 365 with OneDrive for Business is available to all students at Missouri State. Use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote to access all of your files stored on OneDrive any time from a web browser or from any Office app installed on a computer or mobile device. 

OneDrive for Business provides you with 1 terabyte (TB) of free cloud storage for as long as you are a student at MSU. You can share your documents and collaborate on projects with other Missouri State users. 

As a Missouri State student, you can download and use the latest version of Office on your PC or Mac for free! Log in to portal.office.com and click Install Office > Office 365 apps. You also have complete access to all of the Office 365 apps online.

Check out all of the Office 365 apps at portal.office.com.

For more information, visit our Office 365 Education articles in the knowledge base.

BearPrint Printing

BearPrint printing services allow SCUF-funded printing to be managed more efficiently while conserving resources and providing students with more printing options.

  • Each student receives a printing allotment of $60.00 per academic year.

  • A standard 8.5” x 11” page printed in black and white is $0.08, even when duplexed (double-sided).

  • Color printing costs $0.75 per page. There is no discount for duplexing.

  • Prepaid printing allotment cards are available at the Bookstore.

  • Printing in University labs and classrooms is provided for academic purposes and covered by the University’s Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy.

  • Print from mobile devices using Web Print.

Computer Purchases and Requirements

Missouri State has collaborated with Apple, Inc. and Dell, Inc. to provide our students with discounted prices on computers, tablets, and computer peripherals.

For more information on computer purchasing, visit our Get Hardware page.

To learn about required hardware and software requirements for students, see the Computer Requirements article in the Knowledge Base.

Software

In addition to Office 365 and the latest full version of Office, Missouri State works with several software vendors to offer titles to Missouri State students at no cost. Some of these titles include PC SAS, SPSS, and Mathematica. Other software titles may be purchased at educational pricing.

For more information about free software, visit our Get Software page.

 

Additional On-Campus Services

Wireless

Connect your laptop, iPhone, iPad, other smartphone or tablet device to Missouri State's wireless network. Access BearPrint, surf the web, stream Philo TV and more. Choose the MSU or MSU Residential (for residence hall users) network name from the wireless configuration screen of your device and enter your BearPass Login and Password (while on campus). For more information view our ResNet Wireless or general Wireless pages. 

You should NOT bring your own wireless router. Consumer wireless routers will not function correctly on campus so we ask that you leave any wireless router or access point you have at home.

Telephone

The university can provide local telephone service upon request for students in the residence halls. Students may submit a telephone line request to Residence Life. There will be a one-time charge of $50 and a monthly charge of $20.

Television

Anyone who lives on campus has access to stream live TV on their mobile device, computer, or Roku streaming equipment with Philo. iOS and Android devices have dedicated Philo apps available in the app store. People looking to stream on a laptop or desktop can navigate to watch.philo.com and sign in with their BearPass credentials. For streaming to a TV, we recommend using an HDMI display adapter from a laptop/desktop or the Roku Ultra, as it allows for ethernet connectivity. Wireless Roku devices should work with Philo as long as they are connected to the MSU Roku network, but they will be only able to stream Philo since the traffic on the MSU Roku network is restricted. Be sure to visit Philo Support or get in touch with ResNet if you're having any issues with setup.