All WVU Students Can Now Use ArcGIS Pro for Free, Expanding Opportunities for Mapping and Analysis

All West Virginia University students now have free access to ArcGIS Pro, one of the world’s most widely used geographic information system (GIS) platforms, thanks to a collaboration between WVU’s Department of Geology and Geography, the West Virginia GIS Technical Center, WVU Information Technology Services, and ESRI, the company behind the software.

The ArcGIS commercial software suite from ESRI is a powerhouse for digital mapping and spatial analysis. It includes the desktop application ArcGIS Pro and the web-based ArcGIS Online tools used by universities, research institutions, government agencies, and businesses worldwide. WVU maintains a site license for ArcGIS software, managed by G&G and the West Virginia GIS Technical Center.

Through a newly implemented system, all WVU undergraduate and graduate students can now access ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online using their WVU credentials on university-owned lab computers and their personal devices. This update allows students across many disciplines to easily use professional-grade mapping and analysis tools to support coursework, class projects, research, and independent learning.

“This is a phenomenal step forward in giving our students access to the same technology used by leading researchers and industry professionals,” said Aaron Maxwell, Director of the West Virginia GIS Technical Center. “Students can now build critical geospatial skills that will give them a competitive edge in their future careers.”

ArcGIS software is widely used in WVU’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, the School of Medicine, and other academic units. Students should ask their professors or advisors for more information about how to access the software.