Understand Your NetID & Password

Basic information about your UMass Amherst NetID and password is provided below.

Your OIT Account NetID

Your NetID serves as the primary user name for your Office of Information Technologies (OIT) Account and gives you access to the campus network, SPIRE, email and much, much more.

Note: Some faculty and staff have Subsidiary OIT Accounts. These accounts are typically used to access course Web sites (a.k.a. Course OIT Accounts) or for other academic or administrative projects. The user name for this type of account is not your OIT Account NetID. Your OIT Account NetID is the user name associated with your primary OIT Account.

Forgot your NetID?

Applicants: We will email you your NetID and a temporary password. On the SPIRE Logon page, under OIT Accounts (right side of the page), click Password & NetID Help.

Students, Faculty & Staff: Come to the OIT Help Center (A109, LGRC Lowrise, M - F, 9:00 a.m.- 4:45 p.m.) or the Learning Commons Technical Support Desk (Lower level of W.E.B. Du Bois Library) or contact the OIT Help Center. Don't forget your UCard!

Your OIT Account Password

You OIT Account password provides access to your personal information such as your email, your SPIRE account, or files stored on UDrive. To protect your personal information, please do not share your OIT Account password with anyone.

Forgot your password?

• On the SPIRE Logon page, under OIT Accounts (right side of the page), click NetID & Password Help to retrieve your password reminder or get a new temporary password.
  Note: To get a temporary password, you need to have email forwarding set for UMail or a non-UMass email address stored in SPIRE. (To add a non-UMass email address, log in to SPIRE, then go to SPIRE navigation > Personal Information > Email Addresses.)
• Stop by the OIT Help Center (A109 LGRC Lowrise, M - F, 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.) or the Learning Commons Technical Support Desk (Lower level of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library) with a picture ID.

Create a Password Reminder

Store a word or phrase to help jog your memory if you can't remember your password. To create a password reminder:

1. Log on to SPIRE with your NetID and password.
2. In the SPIRE navigation, go to My SPIRE > Change My Password. To set your reminder, you will need to change your password first.

Change Your Password

Keep your online identity safe. Change your password twice a year.
Note: If you have administrative access to the Human Resources system, you are required to change your OIT Account password every 180 days. more...

1. Log on to SPIRE with your NetID and password.
2. From the SPIRE navigation, choose My SPIRE > Change My Password. The Password last changed on field will show the date and time when you last changed your password.
3. Enter your new password in the fields provided and click Change OIT Password. Make sure your password meets OIT’s requirements for strong passwords.
4. To change your password for a Course OIT Account or Subsidiary Account, go to OIT Accounts > My OIT Accounts, click the account name, then follow the prompts on the screen