University of Hawaii at Mānoa Graduate Studies
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Contact Information
 

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies
2645 Dole Street
Kamakakuokalani 209-C
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 973-0987
Fax: (808) 973-0988
Web: kchs.hawaii.edu/index.php

Ivy Andrade, PhD
Graduate Chair
Email: andrade@hawaii.edu

 
Degrees Offered
 

MA in Hawaiian studies

 
Graduate Faculty
 

List of Faculty

 
University of Hawai'i Directory
 
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HAWAIIAN STUDIES
 

Quick Links:
Application Deadlines
| Admissions Requirements
Program Overview | Degree Requirements | Related Program(s)
Contact Information | Degrees Offered | Graduate Faculty

 
Application Deadlines
 
Fall Spring
I — February 1
D — February 1
No spring admission
 
I = international applicants
D = U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents
 
 
Admissions Requirements
 

Click here for link to online application or to download paper application. Applicants need to meet:
1) Graduate Division admissions standard and documentation requirements, and
2) program specific admissions criteria and documentation requirements
    (see below).

 
  • undergraduate degree in Hawaiian studies or completion of HWST 107, 270, 341, 342 and one of the following: HWST 343, HWST 390 or HWST 490
    (Applicants with a BA in Hawaiian Studies from UH Hilo may petition to waive this requirement.)
  • graduate program supplemental information form (download form)
  • statement of objectives * (download form)
  • sample of academic writing **
  • three letters of recommendation — Two from the applicant's former professors and one from a Hawaiian studies faculty member with whom the applicant has consulted during preadmission advising.)
  • interview (Case-by-case considerations will be made for off-island applicants.)
  • official TOEFL scores — 500/173/61 or above (Required of most non-native speakers of English. Click here for information on exemptions.)

* Include an overview of intended thesis topic or practicum topic. Two pages maximum.

** The writing sample should be five to 10 pages in length and may be an undergraduate term paper. For applicants who do not have undergraduate writing samples, an original essay may be submitted. The essay should focus on 1) overview of the applicant's undergraduate major and course work, 2) life experience with the native Hawaiian community here in the islands or elsewhere, and 3) relevant work experience.

 

Submission of Program Specific Documentation Requirements
With the exception of TOEFL and GRE scores, all program specific documentation requirements should be sent directly to the graduate program.

If required, official TOEFL and GRE scores should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Please note that GRE scores may be required by the graduate program (see above) or by the Graduate Division (more info.)

 
 
Program Overview
 

The Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa offers a graduate program leading to the MA in Hawaiian studies. The program features an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Hawaiian islands, as well as the aboriginal population of the islands and their lineal descendents, who carry on the traditions of Hawai'i in the face of relentless contemporary change.

The worldview from which this MA program operates is based on the genealogical, ancestral and attendant spiritual ties to the Hawaiian islands and the surrounding oceans as cosmogonic elders, in concert with Western academic disciplines where appropriate. This unique synthesis of Hawaiian and Western worldviews will be generated through the interaction of faculty and students in the program, and will be applied to coursework, practicum, reading and research activities geared toward individual interests.

Students in the program will be required to complete a set of core courses, after which they will choose two focus areas of concentration for their research. The focus areas include the following:

  • historical perspectives,
  • national and international issues,
  • native and non-native Hawaiian resource management,
  • comparative Polynesian studies, and
  • cultural constructions of indigenous visual, performance, and health knowledge.

Students who do not hold a BA in Hawaiian studies will be required to enroll in prerequisite courses to assure mastery of the undergraduate curriculum in Hawaiian studies.

 
 
Degree Requirements
 

All graduate students at UHM need to meet degree requirements set by the Graduate Division and their graduate programs. For general Graduate Division requirements, see Degree Requirements. Below is an overview of the degree requirements for this graduate program.

 

Students may select Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis)

  • Plan A requires 33 credits (including six credits of thesis research), a written thesis and defense of the thesis.
  • Plan B requires 30 credits of course work and a Plan B paper with practicum experience that reflects two chosen focus areas of concentration as approved by the committee.
  • Both plans require a comprehensive final exam and the completion of Hawaiian language requirements through HAW 402.

Courses
To view a listing of courses offered, visit www.catalog.hawaii.edu/courses/departments/hwst.htm.

 
 
Related Program(s)
 
anthropology, geography, Hawaiian, history, Pacific Islands studies , political science
 
 
 

Application Deadlines | Admissions Requirements | Program Overview | Degree Requirements
Contact Information | Degrees Offered | Graduate Faculty | Related Program(s)

 

© University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Graduate Division

Graduate Admissions Office
2540 Maile Way Spalding 354 Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8544 Fax: (808) 956-4261
Email: admissions@grad.hawaii.edu

 
2008-04-14
 
This Web site is intended solely to provide general information. The UHM Graduate Division makes no representation and accepts no liability for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of information found in this site. Viewers of this site are advised to contact the appropriate offices for the most up-to-date information.