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Students receive a base Purdue Career Account that allows access to specific services at Purdue. 

Account setup for newly admitted undergraduate students 

Newly admitted students should click this link and follow the instructions to open the application portal: Activate Your Career Account & Purdue Email.

Additional options: 

• Click here to setup your Purdue Career Account (Purdue ID number and your career account setup password are required). 
• See: How do I setup my Purdue (West Lafayette) Career Account?

The Purdue login system utilizes 2-Factor Authentication protections to validate logins and access. The first factor is your career account username (alias) and career account password.

This is commonly referred to as Purdue Web SSO (Single Sign On) for web applications. The second factor is commonly the Duo Universal Prompt on your smartphone and provides several methods to verify your identity.

To learn more, visit the Purdue Login page. 

For instructions logging in using the Duo Mobile App on your device, see How to use Duo authentication with Purdue Login.

NOTE:  If you use a mobile device or smartphone to access Purdue services such as email, Purdue Wi-Fi, or VPN, please read What steps should I take with my mobile device when resetting my password? before changing your password.  This will help ensure that your mobile device doesn't cause you to become locked out while your password change is propagating through the system.

Users have two options for changing your Purdue career account password:

• • • Option 1: Go to boilerbot.purdue.edu and follow the prompts for resetting your password. This requires you to either have access to your Purdue email account or Login two-factor authentication.
      
      If BoilerBot is unavailable, and you have access to two-factor login, you can also go to https://www.purdue.edu/apps/account/flows/ResetPassword and follow the steps to create a new password. 
      
      
    • Option 2: If you do not have access to two-factor authentication or your Purdue email account, contact the Purdue IT Service Desk at (765) 494-4000 or via email (it@purdue.edu) to request a password reset. As part of the verification process, you will need to provide a government photo ID and either show it in person, or via a Zoom meeting set up by the Service Desk, and you should also know your 10-digit PUID number, your name as it appears on official Purdue mailings, and your Purdue career account login. You will be asked additional questions for verification purposes.
    
    

If you have forgotten your password and have not set up your challenge questions and need your password reset, visit a Purdue IT Labs Help Desk location. This is your most secure method. You may also call the Purdue IT Service Desk at (765) 494-4000 to request a password reset. 

A @purdue.edu email account is provided to all individuals who maintain an affiliation with Purdue University, and new students are expected to check their Purdue AND personal email accounts regularly for important updates.

How to set up your @purdue email  

1. Set up your Purdue Career Account following the instructions above.
2. To log into  your email, go to  https://outlook.office.com and login using your @purdue.edu email address and Password.
3. After logging in, you'll be required to set up Microsoft MFA authentication on your account (see below) by following the instructions on the screen. Or see the instructions here: How to set up Microsoft multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Setting up email on your personal device (once you have signed in to Purdue email): 

• How do I set up my Android device to read my Office 365 Exchange email?
• How to Set Up Purdue Career Account Email on Apple Devices
  

1. Go to outlook.office.com*
2. Enter your full @purdue.edu email address.
3. Enter your career account password.
4. If this is your first time logging into your email, or the first time in several weeks (or if you're logging in from a new device/browser) you will be prompted to authenticate using Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication (for details, see here).
5. Your @purdue.edu email inbox should now be visible.

• Visiting www.purdue.edu and clicking on the "Outlook" link on the bottom of the page under "Communication."
• Installing Microsoft Outlook to your device via Purdue's Microsoft 365 portal.
  
  

Your Purdue email is a source for news, notices, announcements, and more. This is the main channel of communication for your professors, peers, and other University administrative units to keep you updated with changes to campus and services. It is important that you read your email frequently.

There are two important things to keep in mind when checking your Purdue email.

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the spam filter that protects student, staff and faculty email. Learn more on the MDO page.
• Do not be fooled by phishing emails! Phishing emails are common because your email address is public information. Phishing emails will commonly ask you to “click here” to give up your Purdue career account credentials (username and password) which can be used to take over your email. This could lead to a loss of money or other important information. 

Purdue has licensed Office 365 from Microsoft to make it available for free on an individual basis to students, faculty and staff, including for use on their personally owned machines.

To install Office 365 on your computer, visit the Purdue Office 365 portal. Sign in with your Purdue email address and password. Then follow the instructions found here: How do I access or install Microsoft Office 365 on my computer?

You can install Office 365 on up to five devices.

Select the campus listed below and follow the instructions for connecting to Wi-Fi. Campus wireless networks are available for use in all academic buildings. Students living in residence halls should see the question below about connecting to the Internet in the residence halls. 

• Purdue West Lafayette  
• Purdue Northwest  
• Purdue Fort Wayne 

Students living in University Residences use ResNet Internet services to connect their personal devices to the campus network, either wirelessly with the EduRoam network or by using an industry standard Ethernet connection.

Gaming devices and smart TVs can be connected to the Internet using the UR Home network, which is a wireless network broadcast located in the residence halls.  It is designed to provide a simulated local network capable of supporting multiple personal devices with the use of a single access key.  

URHome (gaming and TV)

• How do I create an access key for URHome?
• What is URHome?
• How Do I Change My Residence Hall in URHome? 
• Who can help me with the TV in my residence hall room?

Printers and Routers 

• Can I use a wireless printer in the residence halls?

• How do I configure my router for use in the Residence Halls?

• What should I know about wired connections in the residence halls?

Students living in University Residences are strongly encouraged to: 

• Bring an Ethernet cable to hardwire their computers for uninterrupted connectivity. For most rooms a 20-30 foot cable is sufficient. Students with devices lacking a built-in Ethernet port will also need a USB to RJ45/Ethernet adapter. 
  
  
• DO NOT bring personal wireless routers to campus; these devices can block wireless access for your neighbors. 
  
  
• Be a good "wireless" neighbor. With hundreds of students sharing space in a residence hall, the potential for wireless interference and disturbance is high, resulting in diminished signal for everyone. Some simple steps to reduce interference include: 
  • Turn off devices like wireless printers and web cameras when not in use. 
  • Leave wireless routers at home. If you need a router to connect multiple wired devices, consider bringing a wired-only router, or turning off the router's Wi-Fi option. 

To learn more about ResNet, including how to get help connecting your devices, visit the ResNet page. . 

Academic software requirements vary by major, but Purdue students have access to many free or low-cost software options. 

To learn more about available software, visit Purdue IT's Software page.

Software Remote is a service that allows students to access many of the applications available in Purdue IT labs. To get started, go to  https://goremote.itap.purdue.edu.

Incoming students should check with their academic department or advisor to see if their program has specific computing requirements.

In general, any recently purchased laptop or desktop computer will work for Purdue's networking and software requirements. Some software packages required for a specific major may only be available (or work better) on a specific operating system (i.e. Mac vs PC). 

Hardware discounts are available for all Purdue students and staff, including discounts for Apple and Dell devices. To learn more, see our Technology Discounts for Students and Staff page.

Resources are also available for students entering the College of Engineering and Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

Instructional labs provide students and instructors at Purdue's West Lafayette campus with facilities designed to promote teaching and learning through the use of desktop computer systems. 

• Current Hours

The Purdue IT computer labs are available for use during regular hours outside of any scheduled classes or events.  Daily schedules are posted at the labs, or you can check availability in UniTime.
Purdue IT supported computers are also available in the Purdue Libraries, Residence Halls, and Cultural Centers.

For printing in computer labs and other Purdue IT printing locations, see the information available here. 

Faculty, staff and students working away from campus can securely access campus resources using a virtual private network. To learn how, see How do I connect to the Purdue VPN?

If you are having trouble connecting to a network or service, contact the Purdue IT Service Desk by calling (765)494-4000 or using the Purdue IT Service Portal.