License Overview

SAS is available at no additional cost for UMass Amherst faculty and staff. Please fill out the Software Request Form in ServiceNow to request a license. 

The University of Massachusetts site license for the SAS system is available for Windows, Linux, and Windows Server. UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff are eligible to get the software under the site license.

License Terms

Under the University of Massachusetts site license, SAS software is restricted to:

• Use by UMass Amherst faculty, staff, and students
• Installation only on university-owned equipment, or on your personally-owned equipment
• Use for university-related work
• Use within the United States, except for up to 3 months per license year on a laptop.

You must accurately classify your use of SAS Software as "Teaching and Research", or "Administrative", according to the following guidelines:

• Teaching/Research use is limited to non-commercial research activities, classroom instruction, and coursework directly related to the university's degree requirements.  This includes the formulation of theses and dissertations.
• Administrative use is limited to activities related to the university's operations as an academic institution. This includes institutional research and any such use related to reporting about the university to the university. Software for administrative use may only be licensed by university employees and installed on university equipment.

The software runs under an annual license. You can renew your license as long as you remain at UMass. Windows server licenses and Linux licenses are only available for Teaching and Research use.

System Requirements

See SAS System Requirements

SAS OnDemand for Academics

SAS provides a free version of SAS, available to students and educators. See more at SAS OnDemand for Academics.

Obtaining a SAS License

Submit the Software Request Form for SAS.

Checks may be mailed to the address listed above, or brought in person. Payment must include Massachusetts sales tax. Contact IT at 545-TECH to determine the exact amount. Your license will be granted when your payment is received.

Note: All software license sales are final! Read the System Requirements carefully to be sure the software will work on your system.

Downloads & Installation Instructions

Teaching/Research Use

Windows Download *

Windows Installation Instructions

* If you are installing 64-bit SAS, you must select SAS PC Files Server during SAS installation, as described in the Windows Installation Instructions. If you have already installed SAS without SAS PC Files Server, you must download and install it separately (SAS PC Files Server Installation Instructions for SAS PC Files Server I Download SAS PC Files Server).

The Windows downloads are about 23GB. Before downloading, make sure you have gotten a license from the UMass Amherst IT Help Center. You must have a SAS Installation Data file that matches your use (Teaching and Research or Administrative) and your version of SAS 32-bit or 64-bit for Windows, Windows Server, or Linux. You will not be able to install the software without a correct SAS Installation Data file.

Linux Download 

Linux Installation Instructions

Administrative Use

These downloads are about 15GB. Before downloading, make sure you have gotten a license from the UMass Amherst IT Help Center. You must have a SAS Installation Data file that matches your use (Teaching and Research or Administrative) and your version of SAS 9.3 or 9.4 (32-bit or 64-bit). You will not be able to install the software without a correct SAS Installation Data file.

Windows Download

Installation Instructions

Migrating From 32-bit to 64-bit SAS

SAS datasets (.sas7bdat files) created with 32-bit SAS can be read directly using 64-bit SAS. However, doing this will create some inefficiency, as SAS will be doing the conversion "on-the-fly". For improved efficiency, convert the dataset to 64-bit, using PROC CPORT/CIMPORT. Formats catalogs created under 32-bit SAS and code that imports Excel/Access data requires migration.

Migrating From 32-bit SAS to 64-bit SAS

Technical Support

UMass Amherst IT provides technical support for installation and license renewal, not for software usage. We can only provide support if you have registered for a license with UMass Amherst IT Administrative desk, 545-9400, software@umass.edu, and have received your SAS Installation Data (license) file. Requests for support must include your full name and come from your official UMass Amherst email address. Consulting on software usage and statistical questions is available through the Biostatistics Consulting Center.

e-Learning: The site license includes SAS e-Learning, a series of self-paced, web-based learning modules covering topics from beginning to advanced SAS programming techniques. SAS e-Learning is free, but requires registration. To register, please visit the SAS e-Learning site. If you have questions about this, contact the UMass Amherst IT Help Center.

Note: Adding very large files, such as the SAS or SPSS downloads to your university-owned computer (in certain locations) can greatly increase the time it takes to log in and out. Information on Storing Large Files on University Computers