Microsoft IT Academy at the UW
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Login to your MS IT Academy courses
You will need your Windows Live ID and password
Online Learning Materials
The University of Washington is a subscriber to the Microsoft IT Academy program, making an extensive collection of online learning materials available to UW students, staff and faculty. In addition, the Microsoft Digital Literacy program is also available to the UW community. The courses range from the very basics to expert to computer professional. You'll be able to:
- Work at your own pace on your own schedule
- Take as many courses as you want, as many times as you want
- Earn certifications that are valued by employers
Microsoft Digital Literacy
Microsoft Digital Literacy teaches basic computer skills. It has three curriculum levels and is available to everyone without any registration. Courses are available in many languages and can be used online or downloaded to your computer.
Microsoft E-Learning
Microsoft E-Learning courses are designed to provide the best and most complete learning solutions possible, matched to the learning style and objectives of each student. Course completion will prepare students for Microsoft Office Specialist and other Certifications.
MS E-Learning courses require registration and a UW course access code. See the instructions below.
Accessing an E-Learning Course
To access a Microsoft IT Academy at the UW class, use the following steps:
- StepsActions
- Important: A Windows Live ID is needed to access Microsoft IT Academy. You may already have a Windows Live ID for personal access or a UW Windows Live account. If so, continue with the steps below. But if not, click here to create a UW Windows Live ID.
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Go to the access code page below appropriate for you and find the access code(s) for the course(s) you want to subscribe to. Copy down the code(s).
- Go to http://itacademy.microsoftelearning.com.
- Read and accept the End User License Agreement (check the box).
- Type or paste the access code in the Access Code box and click the Enter button.
- If you have not registered before, complete the registration process as directed.
- At the popup window that says, "To complete this action you must be signed in to the Microsoft E-Learning web site," click the "Sign In" button.
- Enter your email address and your Windows Live password as prompted and click "Sign in".
- You should next see a "Thank You" and a list of any E-Learning courses you have access to. Bookmark this page to simplify returning to your courses in the future. These Microsoft videos and courses work best with the Internet Explorer browser.
- Click on the "My Learning" link or any course to begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I cannot access the Microsoft IT Academy.
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You may not be eligible to access MS IT Academy through this program.
Current UW faculty and staff on all UW campuses are eligible for the courses.
The following categories of students are eligible for the Microsoft IT Academy at UW courses:
- UW students who pay the Student Technology Fee
- UW students enrolled for the current quarter (Autumn, Winter, or Spring only)
- UW students who were enrolled for and graduated in the previous quarter
- Professional & Continuing Education (PCE) students who pay the UW Student Technology Fee
- UW Access program students
The following categories of students are NOT eligible for the courses:
- Students enrolled for Summer Quarter only
- Graduate students on leave
- What is an alternative to this service if I am not eligible?
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All residents of Washington State can access Microsoft E-Learning courses through the Employment Security WorkSource Program. In addition, the Microsoft Digital Literacy courses are available to everyone.
- What Web browsers are supported when using the Microsoft E-Learning courses?
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A recent version of Internet Explorer (version 7 or newer) is best. You may run into problems using other browsers. If you experience problems running the E-Learning courses in Internet Explorer, click on the "Compatibility Mode" button to see if that fixes the problem:
In addition, there are certain browser settings that may be necessary. For more information and help with problems, please see the Microsoft E-Learning Browser Information page.
- How do I access my courses? I have signed up for a course but have forgotten how to access it.
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Go to this URL: http://itacademy.microsoftelearning.com/. Then click the "Access Site" button to get to the Microsoft "My Learning" page that lists your courses. (You'll be prompted to login using your Windows Live ID and password.)
- Do courses expire?
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Microsoft's E-Learning service sets time limits for its courses. For the UW the time limit is 150 days from enrollment in a course. If a course expires, you will not be able to complete it.
- Why am I seeing extra courses in the "My Learning" list?
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Some of the E-Learning courses come together as a set. The access codes are tied to the full set for that product, so you may use one access code and be enrolled in more than one E-Learning course.
- Should I use my UW Windows Live ID or my personal Windows Live ID?
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You may use any Windows Live ID that you have. If you don't have one, you may create a UW Windows Live ID (if you are eligible).
- How do I remove courses from the My Learning page?
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That option is not available from Microsoft. If you really can't get by with the full list of courses, you could create a new Windows Live ID and start over from scratch, but you would lose records of any course work you completed.
- What is the "Library" option that links single Access Codes to many courses?
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Microsoft bundles some courses into what they call a Library. A Library typically includes a large number of courses on a single topic area. We recommend that you choose the courses individually rather than as a library so that your course list isn't unnecessarily long and you are less likely to run into the 150-day time limit before you complete courses. If you want to activate a course Library, send email to help@uw.edu and include the Library title in your message; the Access Code will be sent to you.
Get Help
- For help with Windows Live, see the Windows Live Help Center.
- For help with E-Learning, see the Microsoft IT Academy E-Learning FAQ.
- To get help or make comments about the information on this page, use the Send a Question to UW Information Technology form or send email to help@uw.edu.
