How to download Microsoft Office

All current students and staff now have free access to Microsoft Office on your devices as part of Southern Cross University's subscription to the Microsoft Office 365 platform.


As a student or staff member at SCU, you'll be able to use this software at no cost on up to 5 personal compatible PCs, Macs, and Mobile devices.

Note: this does not apply to SCU PC Computers. The University's standard operating system includes this as a part of the basic Universities PC operating system.

Important: Your Office 365 subscription will only stay active while you remain enrolled/employed at SCU. You can then subscribe to the consumer version of Office 365 using the same software you already have installed.

Apps that are part of your Microsoft Office desktop



Microsoft Office for your computer

Step 1: Click here to access the Office 365 Software page

Step 2: At the Microsoft login screen, type in your SCU email address e.g. f.smithville.10@student.scu.edu.au or fred.smithville@scu.edu.au 

Step 3: At the SCU authentication page, type in your SCU email login credentials 

Step 4: More information required... approve your sign-in request; you will either do this via the authentication method you have previously configured e.g. Microsoft Authenticator App. If you haven't setup a second authentication method; it will take you through a wizard to configure see Multi-Factor Authentication - MFA @ SCU!

Step 5: On the installation page select your language and click the button Install Office   

Step 6: The download will then begin and follow the wizard through, Next


See Microsoft Office365 page that will demonstrate similar steps with pictures, so you know what to expect.


Microsoft Office Apps on Chromebook, iOS and Android


Important: 

  • You can’t install the Windows or Mac desktop versions of Microsoft 365 or Office 2016 on a Chromebook.             
  • The Android versions of Office, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive are not currently supported on a Chromebook.


You can find important information regards to Microsoft Office does not support Chromebook in the link bellow. 

How to access Microsoft Office on a Chromebook


Step 1: Open your device's app store​

Step 2: Download the individual programs Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Step 3: When prompted, sign in with your SCU email login credentials (this will unlock full editing capability) e.g. f.smithville.10@student.scu.edu.au or fred.smithville@scu.edu.au 

Step 4: More information required... approve your sign-in request; you will either do this via the authentication method you have previously configured e.g. Microsoft Authenticator App. If you haven't setup a second authentication method; it will take you through a wizard to configure see Multi-Factor Authentication - MFA @ SCU!

One Drive for Business application for Mac OSX is currently not supported. Microsoft have indicated it is in development and will provide an update to this application soon. However One Drive for business is available via Outlook on the Web: http://onedrive.scu.edu.au


Please Note

Not all features or services are available on the Office 365 Mobile Apps version.


Trouble Installing?

If you are unsure on what your SCU username, please refer to this article: How do I find my SCU username and SCU email address?

Asking You To Subscribe? Sign-In with your SCU email address

If you have trouble installing Office, this guide may resolve your issue: http://aka.ms/office365help.

If you have already done these steps and signed up for Microsoft Office but you need to download another copy, visit this page.