Newcastle University has a number of licence arrangements in place for the provision of Microsoft software.  The most commonly used software titles are detailed below.  For all other queries about Microsoft software please contact the IT Service. 

Microsoft Software for University Machines

Additional subscription licences for use with Office 365

In addition to the applications provided free of charge as part of Office 365, additional subscription licences can be requested for:

• Visio Pro (Note: there is a free version of Visio available to all staff and students; see FAQs below for details)
• Project Pro
• Power BI Pro

Some of the most common questions in relation to these licences are answered below.  If you have a question that is not addressed, please contact the  IT Service .

How can I get Visio for free?

Microsoft has an online-only version of Visio, which is available free of charge to all staff and students.  To use this online version, go to the O365 portal and search for Visio.

The online version does not include all of the functionality that is available with the desktop version.  The key differences are outlined on this page.  Visio Plan 1 is the online version; Visio Plan 2 is the desktop version.  The pricing on this page can be disregarded as the university has an academic licence agreement in place which means that Visio Plan 1 is provided for free; and Visio Plan 2 is priced as set out below.

Where can the subscripton licences be used?

These licences are linked to your Newcastle University account.  They can be downloaded and installed on up to 5 devices (see instructions on download and install of Office365 applications).  This includes personal devices and mobile devices.

Which version of Office do I need to have to use the subscription licences?

These licences are all compatible with Office 365.  If you have an earlier version of Office installed, you should contact the IT Service to request installation of Office 365.

If you have a specific reason for wishing to retain an earlier version of Office, please DO NOT order a licence using the forms below, but instead contact the IT Service to discuss your options.

Is there a charge for these licences?

There is an annual charge for these subscription licences, as follows:

How long do the subscription licences last?

These are annual subscriptions, which expire at the end of May of each year.  The pricing is not pro-rated to the remaining length of the subscription, so the same charge is made regardless of when in the year you purchased your subscription

How do I renew my subscription licence?

You will be contacted prior to the end of May to confirm if you wish to renew your subscription for a further year.  If you renew, a further charge will be payable.  If you do not renew, you will no longer be entitled to use the software. 

Requesting additional subscription licences for use with Office 365

Important Information:

The university's current licence agreement for Microsoft ends on 31st May 2024 and all subscriptions will need to be renewed at this date, regardless of how long they have been in place.  For this reason, you may wish to delay any request for Visio, Project or Power BI until after that date.

To request a subscription for a Visio, Project or Power BI licence, please log a self-service request using the request type Software Licence Advice and provide the following details:

• The name & email address of the person requiring the subscription
• The subscription required (i.e. Visio / Project / Power BI)
• The cost centre to which the subscription should be charged
• The device name of the machine on which the software is to be installed

A self-service request can be logged at nuservice.ncl.ac.uk

Microsoft Software for Personal Machines

Software available free of charge

The following software is available to users with a Newcastle University email address for use on personal machines:

• Office 365 Pro Plus: This provides use of MS Office and its associated applications whilst you remain a member of staff or a student at the university and have an active IT account

• Azure Dev Tools for Teaching: This provides use of some of Microsoft’s development tools such as Visual Studio Pro, SQL Server and Windows Server for STEM students and staff only (i.e. those enrolled on, or teaching, courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)

Additional subscription licences for Office 365

If you have purchased any additional subscrption licences for Office 365 (e.g. Visio Pro, Project Pro, Power BI Pro), the applications can be downloaded and installed on up to 5 devices (see Office 365 Pro Plus for details of how to download and install applications)

Software available at a discount

Software is available at a discount from the following sites, as a benefit of the licence agreements that the university has in place with Microsoft.

Please Note: These offers are provided by suppliers external to the university.  Anyone buying software from an external supplier is entering into a contract directly with the supplier; the cost of the software is not met by the University and support for the software will not be provided by the University.

• ncl.ac.onthehub.com: Once you sign in using your university email address, you will see offers specific to you (these differ for staff and students)

• Office365 Home Use Program: This provides access to staff only, to buy Office365 at discounted prices for personal use - i.e. it is not dependent on your continued employment by the University.  You can also buy a family program, allowing up to 6 users to access the software