Connect to Tech Student Guide

Penn State offers many Information Technology (IT) resources to help students get the most out of their time at the University. This website will help you familiarize yourself with these resources and help ease your transition to college life.

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IT Essentials

Penn State Account

Your automatically assigned Penn State user ID usually consists of your initials followed by a one- to four-digit number. There are no password limitations, but Penn State’s Office of Information Security suggests you create a “passphrase”—a phrase, sentence, or random series of words—which is much harder to hack.

You will use your Penn State Account to log in to all the University’s sites and services for as long as you’re affiliated with Penn State.

Wireless

Connecting to campus Wi-Fi only requires a one-time download and configuration to use. Students, faculty, and staff members should connect to the “psu” wireless network using their Penn State user ID and password. Visitors or guests to Penn State campus locations
should connect to the “psu-guest” wireless network. For more information, visit Penn State Wi-Fi FAQ.

Canvas

Canvas is Penn State’s online learning management system where you can access your courses, take quizzes, submit assignments, monitor grades, and collaborate with instructors and classmates.

Penn State Go

Available on multiple platforms, Penn State Go is the University’s official all-in-one app for Penn State. Check the homepage frequently to learn about new features and integrations.

Office 365

Office 365 includes your Penn State email via Outlook, all of the other Microsoft programs you’re likely familiar with—from Word to Excel—and much more. Explore new ways to unleash your creativity and increase your productivity.

IT Alerts

Sign up for Penn State IT Alerts to receive email notifications about the status of services such as wireless, Canvas, LionPATH, and more.

Personal Laptop Recommended

Penn State recommends that you own a laptop that meets or exceeds the minimum technical specifications listed below. Having your own laptop that meets certain standards better positions you to complete assignments, collaborate effectively with classmates, receive hands-on instruction, and make use of flexible educational environments and online resources.

Note that some majors or colleges may have technology recommendations or requirements that go beyond the University’s specifications. Please consult your college’s website for additional information.

Windows Laptop

Basic Recommended Specifications:
  • 13” MacBook Pro
  • Apple M2 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 10-Core GPU
  • 8GB unified memory
  • 512GB SSD storage
  • 16-Core Neural Engine
Better Recommended Specifications:
  • 14” MacBook Pro
  • Apple M2 Chip with 12-Core CPU and 19-Core GPU
  • 16GB unified memory
  • 1 TB SSD storage
  • 16-core Neural Engine

MacBook Pro Laptop

Basic Recommended Specifications:
  • Intel 11th generation Core i5 CPU with built-in Intel DirectX 12 GPU or AMD Ryzen 3000 equivalent
  • 16 GB dual channel DDR4 RAM
  • 500 GB NVMe Hard Drive
Better Recommended Specifications:
  • Intel 12th generation or higher Core i5 CPU with built-in Intel DirectX 12.1 or higher GPU or AMD Ryzen 5000 equivalent or higher (Core i7 or Core i9)
  • Discrete DirectX 12.1 or higher GPU instead of built-in GPU
  • 32 GB dual channel DDR5 RAM
  • 1 TB NVMe Hard Drive

MacBook Air Laptop

Recommended Specifications:
  • 13.6-inch MacBook Air
  • Apple M2 Chip with 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU
  • 256GB SSD storage
  • 16GB unified memory
  • 16-Core Neural Engine

The Penn State Bookstore has several laptops available for purchase at a discounted rate, which can be shipped to you or picked up on campus. While you can purchase any laptop that meets these requirements from any vendor, we encourage you to purchase them through the Bookstore as some of these solutions come with multiyear support plans or promotional rebates. If you already have a laptop that meets the minimum specifications, you do not need to purchase a new one.

Students who do not have access to a laptop may be able to borrow one for a short-term loan period from among a limited number of laptops, if any are available at your campus library. Find your library online and look under the “Equipment to Borrow” section on the library’s landing page if it is displayed.

Protect Yourself

Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is an additional layer of security that requires verifying your identity on a secondary device. MFA is mandatory for all students.

Phishing

Phishing is an attempt to steal your personal information with a fake email message or call. Learn how to protect yourself and where to report a phishing attempt.

Password Safety

It’s important to keep your Penn State Account information private and only log in to secure sites.

Stay Legal

Intellectual property laws and guidelines can be complex and difficult to navigate. Make sure you’re familiar with Penn State’s policies.

Virus Detection/Spyware Tools 

Download free anti-virus software and learn best practices for keeping yourself safe online.

Services

Adobe

Creative Cloud (CC) accounts are also provided at no additional cost and allow you to access programs like Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat Pro, and After Effects.

Paw Prints

This modern cloud-based print system is available to students, faculty, staff, and visitors at many convenient locations around campus.

Cloud Storage

As a Penn State student, you have unlimited cloud-based storage space through Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive.

Sites/WordPress

With Sites at Penn State, you can easily build websites, blogs, and portfolios at no additional charge.

Google Apps

A Google Workspace account—which includes apps like Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Hangouts Meet and Chats, Sites and Jamboard—is available to all Penn State students at no additional cost.

Software Downloads

Discover free and discounted software.

Kaltura

Kaltura is for storing, publishing, and streaming videos and other media in the cloud and works in tandem with Zoom.

Starfish

Stay on track with your academic progress! Starfish is Penn State’s main system for course progress reports and will connect you to academic advisers and others who are here to help.

LinkedIn Learning

Visit LinkedIn Learning’s library of thousands of free, on-demand tutorials to enhance your coursework and build your resume.

WebLabs

WebLabs is an extension service of Cooperative Lab Management (CLM) that provides remote access to classroom and lab resources via a web browser.

LionPATH

On LionPATH, you can view transcripts, access financial aid information, pay tuition bills, schedule courses, and more.

Zoom

Zoom allows you to join, host, and record meetings from your computer or smart device.

Locations

Immersive Experiences Lab

The Immersive Experience (IMEX) Lab is designed specifically for 360° video creation and viewing as well as other immersive technology and experiences.

Media Commons

Penn State’s Media Commons help you envision, produce, and publish multimedia projects.

Labs

Find a computer lab, discover lab hours, and even check which computers are available.

One Button Studio 

Film a video in the One Button Studio, a simplified production area available at a growing number of campus locations.

Maker Commons

Maker Commons offers services to help you envision, produce, and document maker projects with 3D printers.

Student Workers

WorkLion

WorkLion is the University’s human resources portal. If you are an employee of Penn State while studying, you can use it to access your pay history and much more.

Research Network

The Research Network gives graduate student researchers access to secure, high-performance research data transfers.

IT Learning & Development

IT Learning and Development (ITLD) provides free personalized professional development resources for a variety of software systems and technology tools.

Learning Resource Network

The Learning Resource Network (LRN) offers online and instructor-led opportunities to continue developing skills across all disciplines. Courses cover Box, Zoom, Canvas, and Office 365 applications along with subject-specific classes.

Help

IT Service Desk

The IT Service Desk provides troubleshooting and help with technical services, programs, and devices, and can be accessed at on-campus locations, by phone 814-865-HELP, or online via chat.

Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base contains step-by-step instructions, general information, and frequently asked questions about many Penn State IT services.

Penn State IT Website

This is the central hub where you can view a list of all Penn State IT services, find knowledge articles, request services, report issues, and get help.

Penn State Learning

The University’s multi-disciplinary academic assistance program supports individual and group tutoring and is staffed by undergraduate tutors, scholars in residence who are content experts in their respective fields, and by professional and administrative staff members.

Tech Tutors

Technology tool assistance is available for all students online via Zoom, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Tech Tutors can help you use Canvas, Office 365, Kaltura, Zoom, and more.