Oxford username and Single Sign-On password

Your Oxford username is usually of the form abcd1234, where abcd is a code for the college or department to which you are first affiliated. It is administered by IT Services and is separate from any other local college or departmental accounts you may have. 

Your Oxford username gives you access to many web-based services at Oxford.

Your Oxford username and Single Sign-On password can be used to log in and this will start a Single Sign-On session.  Single Sign-On means that after your initial login, you can use associated services without having to re-enter your username and password.

Oxford Single Sign-On is the only login page where you should enter your Oxford username and Single Sign-On password. You can think of the Single Sign-On as a central authentication system that is trusted by various services in Oxford to handle all the username and password checking so that each individual service doesn't need to do it for itself. Once you have entered your Single Sign-On details you will need to enter your additional authentication credentials to proceed.  See Multi-factor authentication.

To end your Single Sign-On session ("logout") you will need to close your web browser (that includes quitting all running copies of your web browser).

Single Sign-On (SSO) now uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.  This includes:

• Second factor – A second step is added which involves customers receiving a code (e.g. via a mobile, landline or text message) or generating a code using the mobile app (which can be used without mobile data or Wi-Fi), clicking approve or entering the code into the required field when prompted. Once the second factor is activated, the requirement to enter a code will depend on individual circumstances such as devices, settings and location, and so most users will rarely be prompted.

The Oxford username and Single Sign-On password is used to access the following, from IT Services:

• Nexus365 (As this is a Microsoft service, you will need to use the Oxford username in the format of abcd1234@OX.AC.UK)
• Sending email from outside the Oxford network
• Virtual private network (VPN)
• The GNU/Linux service
• Personal web space on users.ox.ac.uk
• IT Services Self Registration for software downloads, managing accounts and viewing data about you
• Course Booking System  (CoSY)

There are also many services hosted outside IT Services that use Single Sign-On.  For example:

• SOLO the Search Oxford Libraries Online service

See Login to a service for which credentials you require to access our popular services.