Esri ArcGIS Products

Several UCSB entities contribute to a university-wide site license for the Esri suite of GIS software. Several different options are available, depending on your departmental affiliations and how you want to use the software.

Desktop & Pro

In the DREAM Lab 

Coming soon

  • City Engine 2022

ArcGIS Pro 3.1.2

All students, staff, and faculty at UCSB are eligible for a license to ArcGIS Pro for their personal computers.  Fill out this form from a UCSB email address to request your license and download the software.

Installation instructions for ArcGIS Pro can be found here.

If you requested a Single Use License for  ArcGIS Pro, they will last until June 30 and need to be renewed annually. A single use license is used for a UCSB device or field device that needs to be used offline.  Personal ArcPro licenses are tied to users UCSB NetIDs and need to be authorized once before use but do not need to be renewed, because they are tied to the users's university affiliation.  

ArcMap 10.8.2

Important: ArcMap 10.8.2 is the current release of ArcGIS Desktop and will enter mature support in March 2024. Esri has no plans to release ArcGIS Desktop 10.9 and it is recommended to migrate to ArcGIS Pro. More information about ArcMap's retirement can be found here.

We will be using the Limited/Specialty License form to handle new ArcMap requests. Esri will be retiring this product in 2026 and we will no longer distribute it after this upcoming academic year. 

Installation instructions for ArcMap can be found here. 

All ArcMap licenses are single use licenses and are active between June 30, 2023 to July 1, 2024. Depending on when you request your software, you may not have the full 12-months. This 12-month license should not be used on UCSB-owned computers, unless there is a special circumstance.

Within 2-3 business days of submitting the form, we will send you a license file and link to an installer for ArcMap Desktop 10.8.2

If you have any questions please email dreamlab@library.ucsb.edu. 

For UCSB-owned hardware

If you are affiliated with one of the site-license contributors listed below: please contact your local technical support for access to Esri software. 

  • Bren School: Brad Hill
  • ERI/General Research IT(GRIT): help@grit.ucsb.edu 
  • National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis: Mark Schildhauer
  • Marine Science Institute: Brian Emery
  • Life Sciences: Life Sciences Group Helpdesk
  • UCSB Library: Jon Jablonski
  • Facilities Management: Paul Bartsch

Letters & Sciences Departments:

  • Contact the DREAM Lab for access to Esri software.  

ArcGIS Online

All users with UCSB NetIDs have access to ArcGIS Online, a platform for creating and sharing maps, mapping applications, and data. More infomation.

On the Server

Esri's server-side applications are all available for campus use.  AWS and Azure both support ArcGIS Server products.  Please contact us for information about Esri server software.

Getting support

We have a page of troubleshooting tips for some common issues with ArcGIS Desktop. The Library has a number of GIS training manuals and workbooks available as part of its collection--both print and e-book editions.  Search UC Library Search.

Esri Training

Esri provides access to all of its online training materials as part of our campus site license.  Signing on to ArcGIS Online for the first time gives you access to anything marked "Requires Maintenance" in Esri's catalog. An excellent starting point for both beginners and experience researchers looking for an overview of Esri technologies is Modern GIS: An ArcGIS tutorial collection.

Contact the DREAM Lab

The DREAM Lab is available for basic Esri support.  We are happy to get you started using ArcGIS Pro on your Windows desktop, help you to choose a Virtual Campus class, or to identify data from our collections or on the Internet to help you complete your mapping and spatial analysis projects.  Please email us at dreamlab@library.ucsb.edu.

Campus GIS Discussion List

We run an email listserv to discuss GIS issues. You may also be interested in our page describing GIS activities in the Library and around campus.

Several UCSB entities contribute to a university-wide site license for the Esri suite of GIS software. Several different options are available, depending on your departmental affiliations and how you want to use the software.