Essential Software for Students

This is a listing of essential software for Grainger College of Engineering students.

For further assistance, students can email engrit-help@illinois.edu.

Connecting Securely

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

The campus VPN is required to use many on-campus services. The Tech Services' VPN Essentials link below provides guidance on what applications need VPN connections. Once connected, you could also directly connect to file storage and other systems on campus, allowing you to do many school tasks remotely.  Unlike the remote desktop option however, you are limited to software that is installed on the laptop or offsite desktop computer. 

Collaboration & Communication Tools

Office 365

The Office 365 suite includes Teams, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and more

Google Apps at Illinois

Google apps includes Docs, Sheets, Hangouts Chat, Meet and more

Zoom

Zoom provides audio, video, and chat interactions along with screen and document sharing. Meetings can be recorded and automatically transcribed.

Cloud Storage

Check the comprehensive listing for a complete guide to cloud storage options.

U of I Box

U of I Box is the only approved campus cloud storage option for university-owned information, including FERPA and HIPPA data.

Google Drive

Google Drive includes Docs and Sheets and is part of the Google Apps suite

Microsoft OneDrive

File storage available as part of Office 365 suite

Grainger College of Engineering Software for Students

Engineering WorkStations (EWS) labs maintain a large number of installed software packages requested by faculty that teach in our labs and are available to Grainger College of Engineering students.