A new partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the Hawaiʻi Police Department (HPD) is giving law enforcement officers across the state a clear path to earning a bachelor’s degree while continuing to serve their communities.
Launching this fall, the Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice cohort offers online classes through UH Hilo’s College of Arts and Sciences. Officers can work full-time and study alongside a dedicated group of peers.
“It’s the first of what I hope will be many workforce partnerships here on Hawaiʻi Island,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin while meeting with law enforcement officers who attended the program’s orientation. “We know that you’re ready, and we’re going to give you at UH Hilo all the support you need to be successful students and then soon graduates of this program.”
The inaugural class includes 10 officers from Hawaiʻi County Police, Honolulu Police and the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement or DOCARE division. The program is open to officers statewide. Applications for the fall cohort are due on August 15, while the deadline to join for the spring 2026 program is December 1.
Sharpening skills to serve
HPD officer Ryan Barrett said joining the fall cohort is a step toward answering some of the tough questions that come with his job.
“As a patrol officer right now, sometimes there are questions of, ‘What’s the best way to do this? Or, you know, what does case law say? How can I go about this in the best approach?’ And I think using these next couple of years to get a degree in Administration of Justice will help me better equip myself to better help the community,” Barrett said.
The new degree pathway drew praise from Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda, who expressed how the program’s impact stretches far beyond the classroom.
“For every police officer who gets a degree in higher education—that improves their quality of life, their self esteem, and that has ripple effects to their family and ultimately, the community,” said Alameda.
UH Hilo’s Administration of Justice program is the only standalone bachelor’s degree of its kind in the UH system.
“We really want to be there for our law enforcement partners to develop workforce readiness, and we see that as beneficial, not just to our law enforcement partners, but to our administration of justice students and our communities. That educational enrichment is beneficial to everyone involved,” said Professor Katherine Young, department chair for administration of justice.
Application information
To apply or learn more, contact Professor Young at youngkat@hawaii.edu.
