Get started with Claude at UMD
Introduction
Claude is an AI assistant built by Anthropic that can help with writing, analysis, coding, research, and a wide range of everyday academic and administrative tasks. It's available through web, desktop, and mobile apps, as well as through an API for developers and researchers building custom workflows. This article covers what Claude can do, how to get started, and how to purchase a plan that fits your needs.
If you need any support, please reach out to the Engineering Digital Service at eds@umd.edu.
Why Use Claude at UMD?
If you're looking for an AI tool to support your teaching, research, or administrative work, Claude offers several advantages:
Versatile Capabilities: Claude can draft and edit documents, summarize and analyze text, write and debug code, work with uploaded files (PDFs, spreadsheets, images), search the web, and reason through complex problems step by step.
Desktop and Mobile Access: Claude is available on the web at claude.ai, as a desktop app for macOS and Windows, and on iOS and Android — so you can use it wherever you work.
Privacy and Data Handling: On paid plans, Anthropic does not train its models on your conversations or uploaded content by default. Team and Enterprise plans include additional administrative controls over data retention and access.
Integrations: Claude connects with tools you may already use, including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word — allowing it to work alongside your existing workflows.
Getting Started
Step 1: Create an Account
Visit claude.ai and sign up using your UMD email address (directoryid@umd.edu). You can also sign in with a Google account if your UMD email is associated with Google Workspace. New users start on the Free plan, which provides basic access to Claude with usage limits.
Important: Please follow the instructions here to disable training on your data (turn off Help Improve Claude) in order to remain compliant with institutional policies.
Step 2: Choose How to Access Claude
Claude is available through several interfaces depending on how you prefer to work:
Web App: Go to claude.ai in any modern browser. No installation required.
Desktop App: Download the Claude desktop app from claude.com/download for macOS or Windows. The desktop app includes all web features plus additional capabilities like Claude Cowork (for working with local files) and desktop extensions.
Mobile App: Download Claude from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) for on-the-go access.
Claude Code (for developers): A command-line tool for agentic coding tasks, available on Pro and Team plans. Install via npm and use it directly in your terminal or IDE.
Step 3: Explore Key Features
Once you're signed in, here are some things to try:
Ask questions and have conversations. Claude can explain complex topics, help you think through problems, or provide feedback on your ideas. Just type a message and start a conversation.
Upload and analyze files. Drag and drop PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, images, or code files directly into the chat. Claude can read, summarize, and answer questions about uploaded content.
Write and edit content. Ask Claude to draft emails, reports, lesson plans, grant language, or any other written material. You can iterate by asking it to revise tone, length, or focus.
Work with code. Claude can write, explain, and debug code in Python, JavaScript, R, MATLAB, and many other languages. It can also create data visualizations and run code in a sandboxed environment.
Use Projects to organize your work. Projects let you group conversations and upload reference documents that Claude can draw on across multiple chats — useful for ongoing research, course development, or committee work.
Search the web. Claude can search the web for current information when you need up-to-date data, recent publications, or news.
Connect your tools. On paid plans, Claude integrates with Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office apps (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), letting you pull in context from the tools you already use.
Pathways to Purchase
Claude offers several plan tiers. The right choice depends on whether you're purchasing for yourself or for a team, and how heavily you expect to use it.
Individual Plans (Purchase via PCard)
These plans are purchased directly at claude.ai using a university PCard or personal credit card.
| Plan | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic access to Claude with limited usage. Good for trying it out. |
| Pro | $17/month with annual plan ($200 billed up front) or $20/month billed monthly | More usage, access to all Claude models, Claude Cowork, Projects, Research mode, Claude for Excel and PowerPoint (beta). This is the best option for most individual users. |
| Max | From $100/month | Everything in Pro with 5x or 20x more usage, higher output limits, and priority access. Best for power users with heavy daily usage. |
To purchase: Log in at claude.ai, click your profile icon, and select "Upgrade." You can pay with a credit card. For PCard purchases, keep your receipt for reconciliation.
Team Plan (Purchase via PCard or Departmental Funds)
The Team plan is designed for groups of 5 to 150 people who want shared administration, SSO, and centralized billing.
| Seat Type | Cost | Usage Level |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $20/seat/month (annual) or $25/seat/month (monthly) | More usage than Pro |
| Premium | $100/seat/month (annual) or $125/seat/month (monthly) | 5x more usage than Standard, includes Claude Code |
Team plans include single sign-on (SSO), domain verification, central billing and administration, admin controls for connectors, enterprise deployment for the desktop app, and no model training on your content by default. You can mix and match Standard and Premium seats.
To purchase: Visit claude.ai, log in, and select "Upgrade" to create a Team workspace. You can add members by email and pay via credit card. For purchases using departmental funds or PCard, coordinate with your department's business office.
Enterprise and Education Plans
Internet2 is in active discussions with Anthropic to make Claude available at the enterprise (campus) level across many institutions. At this time, we recommend users either purchase individual Pro subscriptions or Team subscriptions on a unit-by-unit basis.
API Access (For Developers and Researchers)
If you're building applications, running experiments, or integrating Claude into research pipelines, you can access Claude through the API on a pay-per-use basis.
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Opus 4.7 (most capable) | $5 / million tokens | $25 / million tokens |
| Sonnet 4.6 (balanced) | $3 / million tokens | $15 / million tokens |
| Haiku 4.5 (fastest) | $1 / million tokens | $5 / million tokens |
To get started: Create an account at platform.claude.com, add a payment method, and generate an API key. Documentation is available at platform.claude.com/docs.
Tips for UMD Users
Be mindful of sensitive data. Claude is currently authorized to process Level 1 data. Avoid entering FERPA-protected student records, PHI, or other Level 2+ data into Claude unless your plan and configuration have been reviewed for compliance. When in doubt, consult with your department's IT security contact or email eds@umd.edu. Claude is currently undergoing a full Software Risk Management review and is anticipated to be fully approved soon.
Use Projects for ongoing work. If you're using Claude for a recurring task — like preparing course materials or analyzing research data — create a Project and upload your reference documents once. Claude will use them as context across all conversations in that Project.
Try the desktop app for file-heavy work. The Claude desktop app with Cowork mode can work directly with files on your computer, making it especially useful for editing documents, analyzing spreadsheets, or working with code repositories.
Explore Anthropic Academy. Anthropic offers free courses at anthropic.com/learn covering prompt engineering, best practices, and how to get the most out of Claude for different use cases.
Getting Help and Support
For questions about using Claude at UMD, purchasing guidance, or help evaluating which plan is right for your team, you can:
- Email the Engineering Digital Service at eds@umd.edu
- Submit a support ticket at portal.eds.umd.edu
- For Claude product support directly, visit Anthropic's help center at support.claude.com
Claude is a capable AI assistant that can support a wide range of academic, research, and administrative work at UMD. Whether you're an individual looking to boost your productivity with a Pro subscription or a department considering a Team plan for your group, getting started is straightforward — create an account at claude.ai, explore the features on the Free tier, and upgrade when you're ready.
If you have questions about which plan is right for you or how to purchase Claude using university funds, reach out to the Engineering Digital Service at eds@umd.edu. We're here to help you get started.