2025-2026 UH Mānoa Catalog
Department of Psychology
|
|
 Return to: College of Social Sciences
College of Social Sciences
Sakamaki C-400
2530 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8414
Fax: (808) 956-4700
Email: psych@hawaii.edu
Web: psychology.manoa.hawaii.edu
Faculty
*C. K. Baker, PhD (Chair)—community, intervention development and evaluation, domestic violence, teen dating violence
*J. Barile, PhD—community, neighborhood environments, health equity, quality of life and well-being
*P. A. Couvillon, PhD—behavioral neuroscience, animal learning, cognition
*K. Hayashi, PhD—quantitative psychology and psychometrics
*J. Latner, PhD—understanding and treatment of obesity and eating disorders
*A. Masuda, PhD—clinical, acceptance and commitment therapy, diversity, contextual behavioral science
*A. E. Maynard, PhD—developmental, cultural, siblings and socialization, cognitive change
*C. W. Mueller, PhD (emeritus)—child clinical, social, HIV, and health
*B. J. Nakamura, PhD—clinical, youth anxiety, dissemination of evidence-based practices
*A. Papa, PhD—risk and resilience factors related to adjustment after the experience of a significant loss
*K. Pauker, PhD—social intergroup relations, stereotyping, social perception
*J. Sasaki, PhD—social cognition and behavior
*S. C. Sinnett, PhD—cognitive, mechanisms of attention and perception
*L. K. Takahashi, PhD—behavioral neuroscience
*J. Vibell, PhD—cognitive/behavioral neuroscience; brain imaging; attention; multi-sensory perception
*Y. Xu, PhD—children’s social development and culture
Cooperating Graduate Faculty
D. Bhawuk, PhD—culture and community
S. Helm, PhD—community and culture psychology
J. K. Kaholokula, PhD—Native Hawaiian Health
V. Kameoka, PhD (emerita)—culture and mental health
A. Pack, PhD—human and animal cognition
L. A. Yamauchi, PhD—educational psychology
Affiliate Graduate Faculty
P. E. Nachtigall, PhD (Emeritus)—marine mammal behavior
* Graduate Faculty
The Academic Program
Psychology (PSY) can be defined as the science of mind and behavior. Some psychology majors are preparing to enter graduate school, where they will be trained to become professional psychologists and scholars. Others use psychology as a pre-professional major for other fields, such as law or medicine. The majority of psychology majors, however, are using psychology as a general interdisciplinary arts major. Psychology is qualified as a discipline for this purpose. An understanding of the spectrum of psychological knowledge, methods, and concepts facilitates and enhances productivity in virtually every area of human endeavor. The Department of Psychology provides exceptional training at the graduate and undergraduate levels across three broad program areas: 1) clinical studies; 2) cognition, neuroscience, and social; and 3) community, cultural, and developmental.
UH Mānoa is fortunate to have a psychology department composed of an unusually large number of internationally recognized figures in the field. Not only do students get to learn from these scholars in the classroom, but many receive direct training in cutting-edge research and the application of psychological knowledge.
Psychology majors work towards either a BA or BS degree, while many other students complete the minor in psychology. The psychology program covers three broad areas: 1) Clinical Studies; 2) Cognition, Neuroscience, and Social; and 3) Community, Cultural, and Developmental.
Undergraduate Study
Please see “Programs” section below for more information about our undergraduate programs.
Graduate Study
The graduate program in psychology is designed to provide students with a strong background in theory, research methodology, and psychological issues. Currently, there are 3 program areas in which students can receive specialized training: cognition, neuroscience, and social; community, cultural, and developmental; and clinical studies. Specific details concerning each of the program areas, their requirements, and faculty research interests may be obtained in one of four ways: (a) by writing to the Department of Psychology, University of Hawaiʻi, 2530 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822; (b) by faxing your request to (808) 956-4700; (c) by sending an email communication to the Chair of Graduate Studies (gradpsy@ hawaii.edu); or (d) by accessing the department’s website at psychology.hawaii.edu.
Applications are considered only for the fall semester. Applicants should normally possess a bachelor’s degree, have a minimum of 24 credit hours of undergraduate work in psychology (including courses in basic psychology such as research methodology, statistics, learning, abnormal, social, developmental, personality, cognition, and physiological psychology), a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0, strong letters of recommendation from professors, competitive general GRE scores (past applicants admitted as graduate students in the department tend to score at or above the 1,200 level (old format GRE) or the 300 level (new format GRE) on the combined verbal and quantitative domains of the GRE), and preferably one to two years of research experience.
One can apply online at apply.hawaii.edu/ or obtain materials relevant to the application process at manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/. Completed applications must be received by Graduate Division no later than December 1 each year, with the exception of GRE scores (which can arrive during the month of January).
ProgramsBachelor’sMaster’sDoctorateGraduate CertificateMinorCombined
Return to: College of Social Sciences
|
