2026-2027 UH Mānoa Catalog [DRAFT]
College of Social Sciences
|
|
 Return to: Browse Departments, Schools, and Colleges
Introduction
The College of Social Sciences (CSS) at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa is changing the world. Ranked among the top 1% of universities worldwide in the area of social sciences, CSS is considered one of the largest and most prominent colleges at the flagship campus of the University of Hawai’i System. CSS students explore different cultures and worldviews, and strive daily to solve the most pressing issues facing the planet. Bold, independent and highly motivated, CSS students pursue academic studies and discover research passions through engaging coursework and transformational learning experiences. The College’s goal: To create the next generation of global game-changers who address fundamental questions about human behavior and improve the human condition by powering science into social action.
Administration
Hawaiʻi Hall 310
2500 Campus Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-6570
Fax: (808) 956-2340
Email: cssinfo@hawaii.edu
Web: socialsciences.hawaii.edu
Dean: Denise E. Konan
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Wei Zhang
Associate Dean for Research: John Barile
Advising
Dean Hall 2
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-0661
Email: cssadv@hawaii.edu
Web: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/study-at-css/advising-and-support/academic-advising
Advising, Civic and Community Engagement in the Social Sciences (ACCESS) is a network of advisors, faculty and staff committed to supporting students throughout their academic journeys. Advisors work with students to ensure that undergraduate General Education and major requirements are met for timely graduation. As part of their academic curriculum, students are offered activities and internships that extend beyond the walls of a traditional classroom. Students explore connections between fields, engage in co-curricular activities, and develop unique combinations of majors, minors and certificates. ACCESS also facilitates new pathways to academic achievement through resources such as the National Student Exchange and the Study Abroad Program.
Engagement
Aloha Pathways: Transfer Student Collaborations
Email: cssaloha@hawaii.edu
Web: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/study-at-css/enrollment-pathways/aloha-pathways
CSS maintains transfer agreements with partner universities in Hawaiʻi and around the globe. In addition to an extensive collection of courses that are transferable, qualifying students enjoy guaranteed admissions and pre-transfer advising into CSS majors and graduate programs. 2 + 2 agreements provide undergraduate transfer with junior standing from all UH Community Colleges, West Valley College in California, Palau Community College and Beijing Foreign Studies University. In addition, 3+2 agreements offer accelerated admissions to designed master’s degrees from various peer international universities.
CSS Active Military and Veteran Student Success
CSS provides a welcome academic environment to facilitate the success of its students who are military veterans and military-connected by working closely with the UH Mānoa Office of Veteran Student Services. CSS has also set aside substantial resources to support military veteran students and military-connected students to engage in community service and receive academic advising that meets specific needs. These include:
CSS Civic and Community Engagement Program
Dean Hall 6-7
Email: intern@hawaii.edu
Website: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/study-at-css/experiential-learning
The CSS Civic and Community Engagement Program provides rich, academically anchored and credit-earning opportunities for students to engage in civic and community learning. High-impact practices include community-based research, service learning, fieldwork, mentoring programs, practicums and internships. Many CSS civic and community engagement programs emphasize ‘āina-based approaches to Hawaiian and Oceanic places of learning.
Service Learning: With faculty permission, students can become involved in service learning through almost any course in the College or can participate through courses built entirely on community engagement. Opportunities range from large transdisciplinary, cultural/environmental programs to social justice-focused individual placements. Through these, students engage directly with community issues in real-world settings and reflect on their service experiences in a classroom setting. The program leads large engagement projects in collaboration with other institutions of higher education and multiple community partners. They have inspired similar programs nationwide and include:
- Mālama I Nā Ahupuaʻa: A cultural-environmental service-learning program addressing land use, and UH as a Native Hawaiian place of learning, sustainability and food security.
- Pālolo Pathway Program: Focusing on education and community-building centered around a public housing area in East Honolulu.
Micro Internships: This growing field of short-term, professional assignments are comparable to tasks offered to a new hire or an intern. Students are placed in highly specific, project-based positions, often performed virtually and taking place all over the world.
Internships: Numerous opportunities train students for future careers and bridge academic experiences within the world of work. Sites include businesses and non-profit organizations, or federal, state and local government entities. This program, first and foremost, supports the internship needs of CSS departments and units. It also encourages students to broaden their learning while still earning credits via internships, mentoring programs and practicums. Also in the field of internships, CSS has created multiple opportunities for engagement, including programs that are offered university-wide. Two major programs are:
- Mānoa Political Internship Program: A rare option for undergraduate students to work at the top levels of state and federal government.
- INDOPACOM-UHM Mentoring Internship for Intelligence: Students work directly with leaders within the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. They gain exposure to how the U.S. and its partners in the Asia-Pacific region use Intelligence to protect regional and national interests.
Leadership: Through its scholarly and administrative work, the program has become a leader in campus-wide efforts to grow and institutionalize community engagement.
CSS College and Campus Engagement
Dean Hall 6-7
Email: intern@hawaii.edu
Web: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/study-at-css/experiential-learning
CSS College and Campus Engagement develops leadership skills and enhances campus engagement. A series of special programs promotes academic success for groups including first-year and transfer students, international and recently immigrated students, active military and veteran students. CSS encourages students to realize their full potential by anchoring their educational journeys within a Hawaiian and Oceanic place of learning.
CSS fosters a vibrant academic community by supporting a growing roster of around 30 student organizations. These student-led registered independent organizations (RIOs) develop leadership and professional skills, encourage advocacy for curricular and co-curricular interests, and help build a sense of community.
CSS departments organize professional groups and honor societies, from the Anthropology Undergraduate Student Association to Psi Sigma in Psychology and Alpha Kappa Delta in Sociology. Several affinity groups, led by CSS students and faculty advisors, serve the entire university student body. Other advocacy-based groups like the Prisoner Education Project focus entirely on place-based community engagement. CSS even has a special relationship with university-wide clubs such as the Mānoa Academy of Gamers.
CSS is proud to host Pi Gamma Mu, the oldest and preeminent honor society in the social sciences. The Mānoa Ambassador program works directly with the College Dean and club presidents to support CSS initiatives and strengthen the community of current scholars, alumni and CSS leadership.
Students have access to the CSS Engagement Lounge on the ground floor of Dean Hall, which has become a lively, inspiring and supportive gathering place to study, meet and collaborate, and to organize and hold events. Regular and frequent emails to CSS undergraduate and graduate students bring updates on all aspects of the educational journey while cultivating a sense of belonging. Announcements include service learning options and internships, professional development opportunities, scholarships and fellowships, jobs and graduate assistantships, campus engagement and other resources.
Global College Initiative
Email: cssintl@hawaii.edu
Web: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/study-at-css/enrollment-pathways/css-international
The Global College Initiative (GCI) serves as a hub within CSS, providing a variety of international opportunities for UH Mānoa students, visiting students and scholars from abroad. Among the programs managed by GCI are the Global Scholars Program, Short-Term training programs, and Visiting Colleagues Program.
Global Scholars Program: This program offers a unique format for international students to participate in English as a Second Language courses, select social science courses, and a culminating practical internship experience. Students may earn an academic certificate in Economics, Ethnic Studies, Peace Studies, or Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Short-Term Programs (in-bound): These programs introduce visiting students to the rich history and culture of Hawaiʻi, while exploring current societal issues facing Hawaiʻi and the world, such as natural hazard resilience. Programs are 1-3 weeks in length, and feature a combination of lectures, cultural workshops and field trips to culturally significant sites. For each program, collaboration and exchange between UH Mānoa and foreign students is encouraged.
Visiting Colleagues Program: CSS invites international representatives to engage with Hawaiʻi’s unique research environment through the Visiting Colleagues Program (VCP). The VCP allows scholars to collaborate with UH Mānoa faculty across various disciplines. Participation requires sponsorship from a CSS faculty host and acceptance into the program through an application process.
CSS International Student Orientation: This orientation welcomes new international students to UH Mānoa with practical information to help them transition to college life. It also incorporates a “Buddy System” to pair international students with domestic students so they can more readily develop peer-to-peer relationships and share information in an informal setting.
Hui ʻĀina Pilipili
Email: cssnhi@hawaii.edu
Website: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/college-life/our-culture/hawaiian-place-of-learning/hui-aina-pilipili
The mission of Hui ʻĀina Pilipili is to strengthen ea Hawaiʻi in the social sciences through Hawaiian-centered teaching, learning, service and scholarship, while cultivating pilina and kuleana with students, ‘āina and communities to strengthen Lāhui and Hawaiʻi. This College-wide initiative provides a foundation for a Hawaiian place of learning through programs such as the Nā Koʻokoʻo Hawaiian Leadership Program, Pili i Ke Kanaka Indigenous Social Sciences Speaker Series, Keala Internships, special topic courses and international Indigenous engagement.
Research Centers
Social Science Research Institute (SSRI)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu
SSRI conducts and supports interdisciplinary, applied research that addresses critical social, behavioral, economic and environmental problems primarily in Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region. As the sponsored research division of CSS, the institute also provides administrative support for pre-award and post-award activities related to extramural research and training grants.
Programs within SSRI include:
Center for Research and Evaluation in the Social Sciences (CRESS)
Web: uhcress.org
CRESS aims to identify and address critical cross-cutting issues that contribute to the quality of life for people living in Hawaiʻi and throughout the Pacific. This includes a focus on cultural strengths, access to ocean and greenspace, and strong community bonds. CRESS includes the subunits of HCRI, OENAS and HAM (detailed below). CRESS brings faculty and student researchers from across academic units to create collaborative environments focused on areas of shared interest. CRESS includes five focus areas, drawing from the work of CSS researchers: Community & Society, Healthy & Well-being, Sustainability & Design, Culture & Governance, and Approach & Dissemination.
Hawaiʻi Coral Reef Initiative Research Program (HCRI)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu/hcri
HCRI is an initiative within SSRI, recently organized within CRESS. It was established in 1998 to provide support for research and training to build capacity to effectively manage coral reef ecosystems in Hawaiʻi. HCRI has been guided by the belief that social science provides a critical foundation to long-term sustainability of natural resources. Current areas of focus are Marine Resource Assessment and Monitoring; Marine Enforcement Support; Ocean Recreation; and Education and Outreach. This work supports Native Hawaiian initiatives and perspectives while directly responding to the needs of the State of Hawaiʻi.
Health Policy Initiative (HPI)
Web: uhhpi.org
HPI partners with UHealthy Hawaiʻi (uhealthy.hawaii.edu) to drive impactful health policy by applying analytical, research and educational leadership to address pressing health policy and economic issues in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific and nationwide. This unique collaboration between CSS and state agencies (including the state Departments of Health and Human Services) addresses emerging and chronic health issues.
Office for Evaluation and Needs Assessment Services (ONEAS)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu/oenas
ONEAS conducts program evaluation and needs assessment research primarily for public and private non-profit programs. The office provides continuing education and training, technical assistance and consultation, and opportunities to work with a multi-disciplinary team on complex public policy issues and programs.
Telecommunications and Social Informatics Program/Pacific Health Informatics and Data Center (TASI/PHIDC)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu/tasi-phidc
TASI/PHIDC conducts interdisciplinary and applied research in the areas of health technology, health care and claims data management, telehealth, and meteorological and disaster communications. It also provides policy, program and technical assistance in these areas to governments and agencies in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.
University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO)
Web: uhero.hawaii.edu
The mission of UHERO is to inform public and private sector decision-making through rigorous, independent economic research on the people, environment and economies of Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region.
Center for Oral History (COH)
Web: oralhistory.hawaii.edu
Located in the Department of Ethnic Studies, the center was first established by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 1976. It collects, documents, preserves and highlights the recollections of Native Hawaiians and the multi-ethnic people of Hawaiʻi. It produces oral histories and interpretive historical materials about life ways, key historical events and social movements.
Maui Wildfire Exposure Cohort Study (MauiWES)
Web: mauiwes.info
MauiWES is the most comprehensive study to understand and mitigate the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires in 2023. The study is led by researchers in the UH Economic Research Organization and the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine.
National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC)
Web: ndptc.hawaii.edu
NDPTC is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which was expanded in 2007 to address all-hazards capabilities by the addition of the University of Hawaiʻi. NDPTC is housed in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
Academic Information
CSS undergraduates take many of their first UH Mānoa courses from the General Education Core curriculum that is part of all bachelor degrees offered on campus. This liberal arts curriculum stresses the integration of knowledge to enhance students’ understanding of life, the human condition and the world. The curriculum also entails critical thinking, which enables students to evaluate arguments, ideas and theories, and to develop creative and meaningful applications of what they learn. The curriculum gives students the tools of inquiry, enabling them first to identify important questions and then to seek, analyze and interpret possible answers to issues of their lives, world and universe. The curriculum also provides opportunities to develop students’ artistic and creative imaginations and their oral and written communication skills, so they can effectively present their ideas, thoughts and feelings.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for CSS are the same as for UH Mānoa. Some majors and programs, however, have additional admission requirements (see department sections).
Accreditations and Affiliations
All academic programs are reviewed and evaluated regularly by campus and external faculty committees. Some academic programs are also accredited or certified by national organizations. Check with individual academic departments and programs for accreditation status or affiliation with national or international organizations.
Honor Societies
CSS students belong to several organizations that recognize academic merit, leadership and service. They include Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology), Golden Key International Honour Society (undergraduate), Kappa Tau Alpha (Journalism), Lambda Alpha (Anthropology), Lambda Pi Eta (Communication), Mortar Board (seniors), Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics), Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts and sciences), Pi Alpha Alpha (Public Administration), Pi Gamma Mu (social sciences), Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science) and Psi Chi (Psychology).
Scholarships and Awards
CSS and its departments provide scholarships and awards to exceptional students. For a selective list of scholarships, see “Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid ” in the Catalog. For specific information on prizes or scholarships, contact cssaward@hawaii.edu.
Undergraduate Programs
Detailed program information is available about specific CSS departments here: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/about-the-college/departments.
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
CSS students must fulfill the following five areas of requirements: UH Mānoa General Education Core; UH Mānoa Graduation; CSS Degree; CSS College; and CSS Major. When selecting courses and making plans, students should refer to their respective “Bachelor Degree Program Sheets” and “Sample Four-Year Academic Plans.”
General Education Core Requirements
CSS students must fulfill the UH Mānoa General Education Core, which consists of Foundations and Diversification requirements. Some of the courses that fulfill these Core requirements may be “double dipped” with other requirements (see “General Education”).
Graduation Requirements
CSS students must fulfill the UH Mānoa Graduation requirements, which consist of Focus, Hawaiian or Second Language (HSL), and credit and grade point average (GPA) requirements (see “General Education” and “Undergraduate Education”). CSS students should meet with ACCESS advisors for specific department graduation requirements.
Major Requirements
Major requirements are explained in the department sections in this Catalog and on department websites.
The minimum course grade to fulfill major and major-related requirements is a C (not C-). These requirements must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is offered only with the CR/NC grade option.
Multiple Majors/Degrees and Minors
CSS students may consider applying for additional majors/degrees, minors, certificates or a combination. Pursuing additional academic fields of study can benefit students in many ways, including the opportunity to discover relationships across disciplines, develop diverse perspectives, strengthen one’s appreciation for the acquisition of knowledge in more than one academic field, and enhance one’s ability to problem solve and communicate in a variety of settings. See the “Undergraduate Education” sections in the Catalog for specific information.
To be eligible, applicants for multiple majors/degrees and minors must be: enrolled as a classified student in a UH Mānoa college; in good academic standing (have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher); and in completion of all requirements and graduate in a timely manner. To apply for multiple majors/degrees, students should visit their college advising office for instructions and the application form. Applicants should submit an application form (UHM-3); an academic plan showing timely graduation; and a brief but formal written statement explaining why the student would like to pursue multiple majors.
Second Major Option
Students who have already graduated with a baccalaureate degree and wish to add another major (as opposed to an entire second baccalaureate degree) should enroll as a Post Baccalaureate Unclassified (PBU) student. Students interested in pursuing the post-baccalaureate Second Major Option should meet with an undergraduate advisor in the relevant department to request permission and to identify remaining requirements for the major.
Second Baccalaureate Degree students who have already graduated with a baccalaureate degree and wish to add another degree (with major as well as General Education requirements) should apply as a second degree student.
Priority for admission into any UH Mānoa baccalaureate program is given to students seeking their first undergraduate degree. Applicants must meet all admission requirements for the degree program to which they are applying, and applications must be received by the Office of Admissions by established deadlines.
Applications for a second baccalaureate degree will be considered only if there is a demonstrable difference in curricula and objectives between the student’s previous degree and the one to which the student is applying. Course work used toward a major/minor/certificate in the first degree cannot be used to satisfy requirements for the second degree, except only when the exact same course with no alternative option is required by both.
Students must earn a minimum of 30 credits in courses taken at UH Mānoa after admission as a second baccalaureate degree candidate while continuously enrolled in the colleges. For more information, see the appropriate college advising office of the intended second degree program.
Minors and Certificates
In addition to the major concentrations that are part of every bachelor degree, students may choose to pursue one or more minors and/or certificates in an area of personal interest. Minors and certificates signify that a student has completed a defined body of work in a particular department or program.
Minors are part of the undergraduate degree and are conferred by UH Mānoa’s Office of the Registrar when students graduate.
The UH Board of Regents has granted specified programs and departments the right to confer certificates, and certificates can be conferred as soon as the student completes the program’s requirements. Some certificates are only for graduate students.
Most minors and certificates require a minimum of 15 credits of upper division course work, completed with a grade of C (not C-) or better and with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher. Information on specific minors and certificates can be obtained from the appropriate department or program.
To add a minor or certificate, students should submit a “Certification of Minor” form.
Graduate Programs
Information regarding graduate programs and admission is in the “Graduate Division” section of the Catalog. Check each department’s section for information about their specific program(s) and requirements.
BAM (4+1) Pathways
Combined Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree (BAM) Pathways afford a way for highly motivated students to efficiently complete a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in a shorter time frame by double-counting course work (3 courses) at the undergraduate tuition rate. In most cases, pathway students graduate with the Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree within 5 years (total).
CSS offers the following BAM Pathways:
BA-MA Anthropology; BA-MA Communicology; BA-MA Economics; BA Ethnic Studies and MEd Educational Administration; BA Ethnic Studies and MEd Educational Foundations; BA-MA Geography and Environment; BA-MA Interdisciplinary Studies(Sustainability)/Geography and Environment; BA-MA Political Science; BA Psychology and MEd in Educational Program; BA-MA Sociology, BS Global Environmental Science and Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP); BA Hawaiian Studies and Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP).
Interdisciplinary Programs
CSS has a particularly strong connection to interdisciplinary studies at UH Mānoa, resulting in student elevation above and beyond any single field of study. Detailed program information is available here: socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/study-at-css/enrollment-pathways/interdisciplinary-programs.
Undergraduate Certificate
Undergraduate Certificate — Law and Society
Provides a multidisciplinary framework to enhance the study of law within cultural and social science perspectives.
Bachelor’s
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Social Sciences of Oceans
A 5-week format online degree for working adults on the complex problems related to oceans and island societies.
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Interdisciplinary - Peace and Conflict Resolution
A multidisciplinary course of study that focuses on peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
Graduate Certificate
Graduate Ocean Policy Certificate
Based on a multifaceted approach to the complex management of oceans.
Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability Graduate Certificate
Demonstrates a depth and breadth in the understanding of energy and sustainability.
Graduate Certificate - Telecommunications & Information Resource Management (TIRM)
Provides working professionals with updated knowledge, skills and abilities through an accelerated format.
Doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Interdisciplinary - Communication & Information Sciences (CIS)
Draws on interdisciplinary expertise to develop integrative advances in communication and information sciences.
ProgramsBachelor’sGraduate Certificate
Return to: Browse Departments, Schools, and Colleges
|
