A student sat at a desk in the University of Southampton's Student Hub, with a laptop open on the desk.

Set up your University IT account

This page takes you through setting up your IT account and enabling multi-factor authentication. You need to complete these steps to access the University's IT systems.

Set up your account

You should set up your University IT account and email address as soon as you receive your University of Southampton ID number, but not before Monday 4 August 2025.

If you're starting an undergraduate programme, you won't be able to create your IT account and email address until after 8am, UK time on Thursday 14 August 2025. This is due to the UCAS results embargo. 

You should also set up multi-factor authentication as part of this process. You will not be able to upload your identity documents or enrol at the University until you've done this.

It can take up to 24 hours for us to grant you access to our other systems and services, including:

  • Blackboard, our online learning environment
  • your email
  • ID card service
  • enrolment services

If you still can’t access services after 24 hours, contact ServiceLine.

You should check your email account regularly, as this is how we will contact you. 

We recommend opening the page to set up your University IT account in a new tab.

Set up your University IT account

What you need

To set up your account, you’ll need your University of Southampton ID number, also known as your student ID number. You'll find this 8-digit number in your confirmation of place email from the University. If you can't find your ID number, email The Student Hub.

Security questions

You’ll need to set up some security questions and answers. We’ll use these to check your identity if you ever forget your password.

Back-up email address

You should add a personal email address when setting up your IT account. You can use this as a back-up email to access your account if you forget your password. 

You can also use your back-up email address to reset your multi-factor authentication settings if you change or lose your mobile phone.

Multi-factor authentication

You'll be prompted to set up multi-factor authentication, also known as MFA, which adds an extra layer of security to your account. 

Please allow one hour for your IT account to synchronise before setting up MFA. You won't be able to access our IT services until you complete this step.

We recommend using the Microsoft Authenticator app and setting SMS as a back-up. Once you’ve set up your account, you'll use the app to verify your identity when logging into your IT account.

If you use WhatsApp with the same phone number you use to set up MFA, Microsoft will send you authentication codes using WhatsApp instead of SMS.

How to set up your IT account and multi-factor authentication

Our slideshow on Thinglink will help you through each step of setting up your account. We recommend opening this page in a new tab.

Getting ready for your studies

You can now read important information on getting ready for coursework, campus life, and your ongoing studies. 

You'll also find information on how to: 

  • access on-campus computers
  • borrow laptops
  • connect devices in halls
  • use our wi-fi service
  • get online security advice

Find out more

We recommend bookmarking this page so you can easily access it at any time.