Microsoft Online Programs in the GCU Portal

Once you have signed into the portal, you have the option to use several different apps. You may have noticed or added apps such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. These are a few of the Microsoft Program apps that are accessible from your Student Portal and linked to your Microsoft 365 account. When you create and edit documents using the online programs, they are saved to OneDrive and accessible centrally at OneDrive.com. For information about using OneDrive, check out our article OneDrive for GCU Students.

If you do not see the icons for these apps in your GCU Portal, you may need to manually add them to your My Apps section. For instructions on how to add apps, check out Navigating the GCU Portal.

NOTE For information on how to use the Microsoft 365 Apps in your Student Portal, refer to the sections below. Selecting the icon relevant to your application will provide more information on the use of that application.

Accessing Microsoft Online Programs in the GCU Portal

You can access the individual apps through your GCU Portal. However, rather than going to an individual program that only shows recent documents, OneDrive automatically saves your files and makes re-accessing them much more manageable.

If you haven’t already, add the OneDrive app to your app dashboard by Customizing Your Apps and select it to navigate to the OneDrive homepage.

NOTE Non-active students (including graduated students) will not be able to access OneDrive through their Student Portal. Instead, they should use portal.office.com or the Microsoft 365 app to access their files. In this situation, we recommend adding the Microsoft 365 app to the student portal, to make it easier to access. For information on how to add this app to your portal, please view Customizing Your Apps.

If you have not already signed into Microsoft 365, you may be prompted to sign in when you select the app you want to use from the GCU Portal. Alternatively, you can access the online programs at portal.office.com or by going to myapps.microsoft.com.

Be sure to sign in with the same credentials you signed into the portal with and select Work or school account if you receive a prompt.

NOTE If you are using a mobile device to access the Microsoft Apps, some features may be limited. If you encounter issues, please consider instead using a GCU approved device or downloading the Microsoft Programs for your device.

After signing in, you may be prompted with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Which can happen when signing into any Microsoft programs with your GCU student account.

Once verified, you will be directed to your main page and you can select your file or upload files to edit from here. OneDrive will display all of your files, regardless of application, and will allow you to access and edit them. For more details about uploading, utilizing, or accessing documents in OneDrive, please see the OneDrive for GCU Students article here.

Direct Access

You can also access specific online applications using direct links, rather than going thorugh the Student Portal or the Onedrive. You can use the links below to access Word, PowerPoint, and Excel directly. You will need to sign in with your GCU credentials to access any of your files and save your work to your student OneDrive account.

Microsoft Word: word.cloud.microsoft
Microsoft PowerPoint: powerpoint.cloud.microsoft
Microsoft Excel: excel.cloud.microsoft

Navigating the Applications

Please select and click on one of the Microsoft Application icons below for further details about using Microsoft Online through the Portal:

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

Opening a Document

To open a new file in Word, either select a template, or select Blank Document to get started.

You can find previously created files and edit them by searching the Recently Opened or All sections.

Editing a Document

Once you have your file open, you can edit the file online. Since you are using an online version instead of the downloaded program, some features may be limited.

If you have already downloaded the offline version of PowerPoint, and you would like to use it instead, you can select Open in Desktop from the top menu bar at any point.

Downloading a Document

Begin by navigating to the Word document you are wanting to download.
Then, select File in the upper left-hand side. After clicking File, select Create a Copy.
Next, click on Download a copy.
You will be prompted with a message stating "Do you want to download a copy of this file and work offline?" Select Download a copy to begin the automatic download of your document.

Opening a Presentation

To open a new file in PowerPoint, either select a template, or select Blank Presentation to get started.

You can find previously created files and edit them by searching the Recently Opened or All sections.

Editing a Presentation

Once you have your file open, you can edit the file online. Since you are using an online version instead of the downloaded program, some features may be limited.

If you have already downloaded the offline version of PowerPoint, and you would like to use it instead, you can select Editing then Open in Desktop from the top menu bar at any point.

Downloading a Presentation

Open up the PowerPoint you wish to download.
Select File in the upper left-hand side.
After clicking File, select Save As.
In Save As, click on Download a Copy.
You will be prompted with a message stating "Your presentation is ready." Select Download to begin the automatic download of your presentation.

Opening a Spreadsheet

To open a new file in Excel, either select a template, or select Blank workbook to get started.

You can find previously created files and edit them by searching the Recently Opened or All sections.

Editing a Spreadsheet

Once you have your file open, you can edit the file online. Since you are using an online version instead of the downloaded program, some features may be limited.

If you have already downloaded the offline version of Excel, and you would like to use it instead, you can select Editing then Open in Desktop from the top menu bar at any point.

Downloading a Spreadsheet

NOTE Your Excel workbook may be in read-only mode if you are able to see an Edit Workbook in the upper right-hand side. To disable the read-only mode, select Edit Workbook. Then, select Edit in Browser from the drop-down menu. You are now able to continue making edits to your document.

Open up the Excel Workbook you wish to download.
Select File in the upper left-hand side.
Under File, select Create a Copy.
Next, click on Download a Copy.
Your Excel Workbook should automatically download.

Navigating the Applications

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