The table below lists the software available to the campus community. The table includes IT and department-provided software as well as open-source freeware or shareware regularly used on campus.
Methods to install software include the following and this information is summarized in the table column Source:
- Available in the Amherst Software Collection. This Google drive contains many installers that used to be distributed by the Software drive. Some software using this method is only available to faculty and staff using College-owned computers or to particular departments.
- Download using Mac Self Service for faculty and staff College-owned computers only. Learn more about how to enroll your Mac for Self Service.
- Deployment by IT Support Services using the Kace (Windows) or Casper (Mac) software management systems.
- Appointment with and installation by Academic Technology Services (ATS).
- Self-enroll using the IT website.
- Download from the Web for freeware/shareware
Software installed on public-use computers in the computer centers/labs/classrooms is indicated in the table column IT Facilities Availability. Use of software purchased by individual departments and only managed by IT may be limited to use in certain facilities.
Software that can be installed on personally-owned computers, such as software for download from the Web (shareware/freeware), is described in the table column Individual Availability.
IT is required to enforce licensing limits for some software. We do this by using network license servers, KeyServer, software management tools, and/or hardware keys. Any such limitations are described in the table column Licensing. Note that if you are off-campus, you will need to make a VPN connection to the Amherst network if you want to run licensed software.
To install and use any KeyServed program, you must have installed on your computer the Amherst KeyServer client software KeyClient 7. College-owned computers usually will be provided with this software installed. If needed, use the KeyClient 7 Install software available for download from the Amherst Software Collection.
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | Read, create, and edit PDF files; check PDFs for accessibility features, convert PDFs from image to image + text (optical character recognition — OCR), batch processes for conversion / checking, PDF screen reader with Read Out Loud. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Individual | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Adobe Illustrator | Create illustrations using vector graphics. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Individual | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Adobe InDesign | Layout posters, brochures, books, etc. See also Microsoft PowerPoint. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Individual | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Adobe Photoshop | Manipulate images and photos. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Individual | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Adobe Reader | Read Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files, both stand-alone and within your web browser. See also Adobe Acrobat Pro. | Windows / Macintosh | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| ArcGIS | Industry-leading application to create maps and analyze geographic information. | Windows | All Windows except Kiosks and Podiums | Everyone | License Server | Amherst Software Collection | Docs | |
| ArcGIS Online | Cloud service to create and share maps and embed them within narrative story maps. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement – Contact AskIT for full access |
Web | AskIT | |
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| Dragon Naturally Speaking | Speech recognition for voice control of computer and voice input. | Windows only | None | On Request subject to department/IT discretion | Individual | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Endnote | Compile bibliographic sources for research citation; Use with Word for endnotes and footnotes. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | KeyServer | Amherst Software Collection | Library | |
| Explain Everything | An interactive, collaborative whiteboard with many useful features, e.g. importing and drawing on PowerPoint slides to create new presentations. Works best with iPads and other tablets. | All | All | Faculty / Staff | Campus Agreement | Web | Docs | |
| FileZilla | A graphical file transfer program providing FTP and SFTP. | Windows / Macintosh | None | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Filemaker Pro | Easy-to-use database program that provides relational data modeling along with scripts, triggers, calculation functions, and graphical design tools to build robust applications. See also Microsoft Access. | Macintosh | None | Faculty / Staff | Individual | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Firefox | The Mozilla Foundation's open-source web browser. | Windows / Macintosh | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| GIMP | Manipulate images and photos, similar to Adobe Photoshop. | Windows / Macintosh |
All |
Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Docs | Google’s Web-based, collaborative word-processing program, similar to Microsoft Word. | All | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Drawings | Google’s Web-based, collaborative drawing application, similar to Adobe Illustrator. | All | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Earth | View the surface of the Earth as photographed from above, visualize topography in three dimensions, zoom to named locations, mark points, and overlay roads and buildings. | Windows / Macintosh | All Windows except Kiosks | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Forms | Google’s Web-based data collection application, relatively simple to setup, and can save results to a Google Sheet. | All | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Jamboard | Google’s Web-based, collaborative whiteboard, providing a number of tools for free-hand drawing and writing. Works best with iPads and other tablets. | All | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Sheets | Google’s Web-based, collaborative spreadsheet application, compatible with Microsoft Excel. | All | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Google Slides | Google’s Web-based, collaborative presentation application, similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. | All | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| Gradescope | A tool for helping grade more quickly and consistently, and for managing handwritten responses. Integrated into Moodle. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | Docs | |
| GraphPad Prism | A graphing program with some analytical capabilities | All | None | Faculty / Staff | Campus Agreement | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| iClicker | Records input from student transmitters and displays the result in a graph. | Windows / Macintosh | Projection Computers | Faculty / Staff | Campus Agreement | Amherst Software Collection | AskIT | |
| Java | Java runtime, allows you to run Java applets. | Windows / Macintosh | All | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| JAWS | Screen reader for Windows. Good for coursework, technical and academic materials. | Windows | Frost Library Room A16 and upon request | Individual, subject to department/IT discretion | License Server | AskIT | AskIT | |
| Kaltura | A video editing platform, also integrated into Moodle. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT Docs |
|
| KeyClient 7 | Required to use all KeyServed software. | Windows / Macintosh | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Amherst Software Collection | AskIT | |
| Kurzweil 3000 & Firefly | Text-to-speech as well as writing and study support software. | Windows / Macintosh / Online | Web version available online anywhere | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web; instructions here | Description | |
| LaTeX: TeXstudio & MikTeX | Open-source document creation. Good for technical, scientific and mathematical writing. | Windows | All Windows except Kiosks | Everyone | Freeware | Web: | AskIT | |
| LaTeX: TeXShop & XeTeX | Macintosh | All Macintosh | Web: TeXShop | |||||
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| Mathematica | Solve mathematical problems and analyze numerical data, including statistics. | Windows / Macintosh / Linux | All except Kiosks | Everyone | College-owned or Student Computers: License Server — Personally-owned Faculty or Staff Computers: Home Use Agreement |
Amherst Software Collection | AskIT | |
| MATLAB | Solve mathematical problems and analyze numerical data. | Windows / Macintosh / Linux | All except Kiosks | Faculty / Staff | License Server | Amherst Software Collection | AskIT | |
| Microsoft Access | A standard desktop database program. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. See also FileMaker Pro. | Windows | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT | |
| Microsoft Excel | A standard spreadsheet program for analyzing tabular data, similar to Google Sheets. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT | |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | A popular presentation program, similar to Google Slides. It can also be used to layout posters. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT | |
| Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection | Provides secure graphical-user-interface access to remote computers. | Windows / Macintosh | All | Everyone | Freeware | Standard on Windows; for Macs available from the App Store | AskIT Docs |
|
| Microsoft Word | A popular word-processing program, similar to Google Docs. Part of the Microsoft Office suite. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT | |
| Moodle | A free, online learning management system enabling educators to create dynamic courses that extend learning, any time, anywhere. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | Docs | |
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| NVDA | General screen reader for Windows. | Windows only | All Windows computers in public computer centers | Everyone | Freeware (optional donation) | Web | AskIT | |
| Perusall | A sophisticated cloud platform for collaborative annotation and student engagement around class documents. Integrated into Moodle. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | Docs | |
| Python | General-purpose programming language. Anaconda is the recommended distribution for scientific work. | Windows / Macintosh / Linux |
All except Kiosks and Windows Podiums | Everyone | Freeware | Python Base Anaconda |
Docs | |
| Qualtrics | Cloud survey application with many useful features. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement – Contact AskIT for full access |
Web | AskIT | |
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| R | Open-source statistical analysis program. | Windows / Macintosh / Linux |
All except Kiosks | Everyone | Freeware | Web | AskIT | |
| RStudio | Integrated development environment for the R statistical analysis program. | All | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT | |
| Secure Shell (SSH) | Provides remote terminal access to Unix computers, including the College’s Unix servers Romulus and Remus. | Windows / Macintosh | All | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Windows: download of PuTTY from the Web Macintosh: Built-in: Applications > Utilities > Terminal |
AskIT Docs |
|
| SketchUp | 3D modeling for architecture, interior design, object design, and video game development. | Windows / Macintosh | None | Everyone | Cloud | Web | AskIT | |
| SPSS | Advanced statistical analysis. | Windows / Macintosh | All except Kiosks | Everyone | License Server | Amherst Software Collection | AskIT | |
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |
| Voice Over | Mac OS X and iOS operating systems provide the system screen reader VoiceOver. | Macintosh | All Mac computers and Apple mobile devices |
Apple mobile devices and Mac OS X.x computers | Part of Mac OS X and iOS operating systems | Built-in | AskIT | |
| X11 | Allows programs running on remote Unix computers to display a graphical interface on your local computer. | Macintosh | All | Everyone | Freeware | Macintosh Others |
AskIT | |
| Zoom | Video conferencing platform, with screen sharing, breakout rooms, chat, and polling. Provides recording and closed captioning. | Windows / Macintosh / | All except kiosks | Everyone | Campus Agreement | Web | AskIT Docs |
|
| Zotero | Collect, organize, cite and share your research sources. | Windows / Macintosh / Linux | All except kiosks | Everyone | Freeware | Web | Library Docs |
|
| Program Name | Description | ————————— | Compatibility | IT Facilities Availability | Individual Availability | Licensing | Source | More Information |