COMSOL Multiphysics is a finite element analysis, solver and Simulation software / FEA Software package for various physics and engineering applications, especially coupled phenomena, or multiphysics. COMSOL Multiphysics also offers an extensive interface to MATLAB and its toolboxes for a large variety of programming, preprocessing and postprocessing possibilities. The packages are cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux). In addition to conventional physics-based user interfaces, COMSOL Multiphysics also allows for entering coupled systems of partial differential equations (PDEs). The PDEs can be entered directly or using the so-called weak form (see finite element method for a description of weak formulation). An early version (before 2005) of COMSOL Multiphysics was called FEMLAB.

ToolBoxes: SERIAL, CHEMCKL, COMSOLCKL, LLMATLABCKL, NONLINEARSTRUCTMATERIALSCKL, RFCKL, STRUCTURALMECHANICSCKL, CADIMPORTCKL, HEATTRANSFERCKL, MEMSCKL, COMSOLGUICKL, CADREADERCKL

Installation of COMSOL Multiphysics on a Mac OS X PC

Comsol now has ARM M1/M2 version and an Intel Version, download according to your chipset

Some Images were from prior version, instructions have not been updated yet for 6.1

  1. Download the COMSOL package:
    Comsol 6.1 (ARM M1/M2)
    Comsol 6.1 (Intel)
    Comsol 5.6 (Intel)

  2. Connect to engineering VPN

  3. Mount the Comsol package and navigate to the mounted location.

  4. Open the ‘setup’ file to start the installation. If the install does not start check to see if your macOS version is compatible OR if you need to provide admin access (steps on how to allow access for Comsol are located at end of page)

  5. The COMSOL installer will open, select your language, and click Next.

  6. Select ‘New COMSOL Installation’.

  7. Accept the license agreement.
    Change License Format to <port number>@<host name>
    Enter for the Port number: 1718
    Enter for the Hostname: comsol.engr.ucr.edu
    then click Next.

  8. Check to make sure all settings are correct and continue to click Next.

  9. Once you are ready, click Install, which will proceed through the installation.

  10. To run COMSOL, make sure you are connected to engineering VPN and then run the program like you normally would.


NOTE: You can download the previous versions if needed.

NOTE: You may need to allow administrative access to the program.
  1. CMD + space Type “Security and Privacy” -> General [tab]
  2. Click the lock to allow admin/sudo access. Select “Allow apps downloaded from App Store and identified developers.” Allow the software to run as shown in the screenshot

Patch for Users Using Mac OS X Yosemite

If you are having issues installing or running COMSOL Multiphysics, and you are running Mac OS X Yosemite (10.10.x), a patch has been released to resolve this issue: