Your Fastest Path Into GIS
If you're new to geospatial work, U-Spatial recommends you start with ArcGIS Online, Esri's cloud-based mapping and analysis platform. No need to install a program, simply sign in with your UMN Internet ID and you're building maps within the hour.
What ArcGIS Online Does
ArcGIS Online brings everything you need to turn spatial data into insight into a single browser tab: build interactive maps, run spatial analysis tools, and publish or share your work with a link.
It's built to grow with you, too. ArcGIS Online is tightly integrated with more advanced tools, like ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Field Maps. This means you can scale your research or add complexity to your project without changing platforms or learning new software from scratch.
Built for Flexible, Collaborative Research
Works Anywhere, On Any Device
Because ArcGIS Online runs in the cloud, you can build and edit a map from a lab computer, your own laptop, or your phone. Your work stays saved and synced across all of them.
Share With a Link, Not a File
Publish a map or app and share it with a link, adjusting permissions from fully private to fully public. No more emailing files back and forth with collaborators.
Grows With Your Project
ArcGIS Online is a beginner-friendly GIS tool that integrates with more advanced software. Start with a simple web map, then add field data collection or more advanced analysis as your research develops.
Getting Started Takes Minutes
Sign in with your UMN Internet ID. There's no separate account to request and no approval to wait on. Access is included for every UMN student, faculty, and staff member through the University's site license with Esri.
Note: It may take up to 10 minutes for your account to be fully enabled and able to use all features.
Steps
Go to the University's ArcGIS Online sign-in page.
Select Sign In from the top of the page.
Sign in with your UMN Internet ID credentials.
Enter your UMN ID and password on the single sign-on page.
You're in. Start a new map from your Content page, or open one shared by your team.
Documentation & learning resources
Everything you need to go from install to your first analysis.
Instructions for Signing On
A walkthrough of signing in to ArcGIS Online with your UMN Internet ID.
Open guide →Guidelines for Using ArcGIS Online
U-Spatial's recommendations and guidelines for using this tool.
Open guide →Training opportunities in ArcGIS Online
Find workshops and tutorials designed to help you build, share and manage spatial data.
Scheduled sessions
Live & Instructor-led SessionsArcGIS StoryMaps: Visual Storytelling with Maps
Web GIS: Introduction to ArcGIS Online
External & Vendor Training
Hosted outside of the UMNGet started with ArcGIS Online
Create and share an evacuation map to prepare for an incoming hurricane.
ArcGIS Online FAQs
Quick answers to what people ask us most when getting started.
Do I need to install anything to use ArcGIS Online?
No, it runs entirely in your browser.
ArcGIS Online is cloud-based, so there's nothing to download. Sign in through any modern, up-to-date browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari) on any device, and your maps and data stay saved to your account.
What's the difference between ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro?
ArcGIS Online is more beginner-friendly, while Pro is best for depth.
ArcGIS Online is the fastest way to build a map, run basic analysis, or collect field data, all from your browser. ArcGIS Pro is a more powerful desktop application built for large datasets, advanced editing, and publication-quality maps. Many projects use both. You can build and analyze in Pro, then publish and share through ArcGIS Online.
What if I run out of credits?
Contact us for help.
You start with 1,000 credits. If you need additional credits, you can always contact the U-Spatial Help Desk. Sometimes we might suggest alternative methods for completing your analysis that uses fewer credits.
Is my data private?
You control who sees it.
You choose the sharing settings for every map, layer, and app you create — private, shared with a specific group, shared across the University, or fully public. Nothing is shared beyond your own account by default.
Can I keep using ArcGIS Online after I graduate or leave the University?
Access ends with your UMN affiliation.
ArcGIS Online access is tied to your UMN Internet ID, so it ends when your University affiliation does. If you expect to need GIS software after you leave, QGIS is a free, open-source option worth learning alongside ArcGIS Online. Learn more in our UMN ArcGIS Online - Offboarding document.
What It Costs
Free at the University of Minnesota
ArcGIS Online is free for every University of Minnesota student, faculty, and staff member, covered by the University's site license with Esri.
Esri resources obtained through the University may not be used for commercial purposes. Use is limited to academic, research, and outreach work.
For the Public
For those who aren’t affiliated with the University, the software comes with a charge that varies by user types. See Esri’s pricing page for up-to-date details, or sign up for a free trial.
Ready to Start Mapping?
Sign in with your UMN Internet ID and you'll be building your first map in minutes.