Undergraduate General Education Requirements

1. Foundations Requirements: 12 credits

The Foundations requirements are intended to give students skills and perspectives that are fundamental to undertaking higher education. Students should complete the Foundations requirements during their first year at UH Mānoa. Courses taken to fulfill the Foundations requirements may not be used to fulfill Diversification or Focus requirements.

2. Diversification Requirements: 19 credits

The Diversification requirements are intended to ensure that every student has exposure to different domains of academic knowledge, while at the same time allowing flexibility in choice of courses for students with different goals and interests. Students can complete the Diversification requirements over the full four years of their academic program. Students may satisfy the Diversification requirements by taking approved courses for which they meet course prerequisites.

Students with interest in a particular topic also have the option to choose from the subsets of courses that are part of six Thematic Pathways in General Education, found at manoa.hawaii.edu/gened/pathways/. Students do not have to choose courses from a pathway. These lists are simply intended to help students identify Gen Ed courses that may align with their interests.

3. Focus Requirements

The Focus requirements identify important additional skills and knowledge necessary for living and working in diverse communities. Courses fulfilling Focus requirements are offered in departments across the curriculum and vary each semester. To meet a Focus requirement, a course must have an official UH Mānoa Focus designation during the semester in which it is taken. Courses taken outside the UH System cannot be used to fulfill Focus requirements. Instead, non-UH System transfer students’ Focus requirements are adjusted according to the number of credit hours awarded by UH Mānoa for non-UH System courses. (See “Focus Requirements for Students with Non-UH System Credits” in this section.)

Focus Requirements for Transfer Students with Non-UH System Credits**

Students who transfer credits from a non-UH System institution may have adjusted (“prorated”) Focus requirements. The adjustment is based on the number of non-UH System transfer credit hours accepted when a student is admitted to UH Mānoa as a degree-seeking student. Non-UH System credits completed while an active UH Mānoa student are not included in proration (summer courses, Study Abroad, National Student Exchange, etc.).

*At least two “W” courses must be at the 300- or 400- level.
**Includes second baccalaureate degree-seeking students.

Focus Requirements for UH System Transfer Students

Students who enter the UH System in Fall 2011 and thereafter must meet all of the Focus requirements. Students who entered the UH System prior to Fall 2011 should check with the General Education Office (gened@hawaii.edu) to determine their Focus requirements.

Exemption from a Focus Requirement

Students who have engaged in one or more extraordinary educational experiences that took place outside of the ordinary university curriculum may request exemption from up to three Focus requirements that are directly related to the educational experience(s). To earn exemption, students must demonstrate that the experience(s) fulfilled the goals of the requested Focus area(s). Approved exemptions reduce the number of courses required for the approved Focus area(s); however, they do not reduce the total number of credit hours needed to graduate. Students are limited to three exemptions. Restrictions apply. For more information, consult a college/school academic advisor or visit manoa.hawaii.edu/gened/students/exemptions/.

4. Hawaiian or Second Language (HSL) Requirement

Knowledge of a second language encourages deeper awareness of the structure of language and its relation to thought. It develops sensitivity to other ways of ordering personal experience and social institutions, provides a direct way of comparing another culture to one’s own, and provides insight into the workings of one’s native language.

Before graduation, students must show competence at the 202 (or equivalent) level in Hawaiian or a second language by doing one of the following:

1. Completing a four-semester sequence (usually 101, 102, 201, and 202) in a single language.
2. Demonstrating competence by taking a UH Mānoa language-competency exam if one is offered. Check with the language department in question.
3. Receiving a language-requirement waiver by demonstrating 202-level second language competency. For example, waivers may be given to students who are native speakers of a language other than English. Contact an academic advisor in your college/school for further information.

Important Note: The HSL requirement has been modified or waived for students in the following colleges/schools: Shidler College of Business; College of Education; College of Engineering; John A. Burns School of Medicine; School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene; School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology; Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health; College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience. (See manoa.hawaii.edu/gened/req/hsl/ for additional information.) Students in these colleges/schools should consult a college/school advisor.

Students should also be aware that changing their major may involve a change in their college/school and thus a change in their HSL requirement. A list of majors and their respective colleges/schools can be found in the “Colleges/Schools, Departments & Programs” section of this Catalog.

Can a single course satisfy more than one requirement?

Some courses may satisfy multiple requirements. Please refer to the table below to see which requirements may be fulfilled with a single course if it falls into both categories.

*Double dipping major, minor, and certificate courses is allowed for language courses used to meet the HSL requirement. Schools/colleges can determine whether or not they will allow double dipping of HSL culture substitution courses with major, minor, and/or certificate requirements.

Academic Planning: Tips for New Students

UH Mānoa has a wide range of fields, majors, and courses from which to choose and build a dynamic and satisfying academic program. Here are some tips to help students get started:

• Contact an advisor. Assistance in planning an academic program is available. Resources include:
  • New Student Orientation, manoa.hawaii.edu/welinamanoa/new-student-orientation/;
  • College/school and major advisors, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/advisingguide/.
• Explore different academic areas. Most freshmen are exploring possible majors during their first year. These students may select General Education Foundations and Diversification courses that allow them to sample different fields, which can help in deciding on a major. See “Foundations Requirements” for a list of Foundations courses; see the “Course Descriptions ” section of this Catalog to find courses with a Diversification designation. This section also lists course prerequisites.
• Plan ahead. Majors and colleges/schools may have requirements that should be met in the first year. Once students decide on a major, they should find out what particular courses are required for the major and also by the college/school in which the major is located. Students who have not yet decided on a major should become familiar with potential majors and with their college/school requirements in order to take recommended courses when possible. Program requirements for all undergraduate majors can be found at “Undergraduate Programs A-Z.”
• Enhance educational experience through special opportunities. Consider participating in one of the following:
  • First-Year Programs, (808) 956-8626, manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/freshman/;
  • Honors Program, (808) 956-8391, manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/honors/;
  • Student Life and Development, (808) 956-8178, manoa.hawaii.edu/studentlife/;
  • A research project or internship (see major department);
  • Civic and Community Engagement, (808) 956-4641, manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/servicelearn/;
  • National Student Exchange, exchange@hawaii.edu, www.nse.org/; and
  • Study Abroad Program, (808) 956-5143, (808) 956-6958, www.studyabroad.hawaii.edu.

Transfer Students

Transfer students should contact an advisor as soon as possible. An advisor can often help a transfer student make choices that will help the student make steady progress toward graduation. Students with a major should contact the UH Mānoa college/school advising office for that major to find out about their major’s requirements and about recommended General Education course choices; students who have not yet chosen a major should contact the Mānoa Advising Center (manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/mac/). Students needing assistance in the transfer process should contact the UH Mānoa Transfer Coordination Center (manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/Transfer/).

Many requirements, including General Education Foundations, Diversification, and Hawaiian or Second Language requirements, may be met by transferring articulated courses from other campuses. Students can check the UH Transfer Credit Database at www.sis.hawaii.edu/uhdad/CourseTransfer.home.

General Education Goals at UH Mānoa

UH Mānoa provides an environment where both faculty and students can discover, examine, preserve, and transmit the knowledge, wisdom, and values that will enrich present and future generations. Alongside the major, UH Mānoa’s General Education (Gen Ed) program facilitates student achievement of Institutional Learning Objectives to Know (breadth and depth of knowledge), Do (intellectual and practical skills), and Value (personal and social responsibility).

General Education at UH Mānoa involves a flexible and diverse multi-disciplinary curriculum. Through Gen Ed course work, students are exposed to different domains of knowledge and modes of scholarly inquiry. Students develop skills in written and oral communication, ethical and quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and information literacy that are transferable across the curriculum. Gen Ed course work also fosters a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Hawaiian culture and history.

Mission

The General Education curriculum provides all undergraduates at UH Mānoa with opportunities to build foundational knowledge, develop essential skills, and gain appreciation for disparate areas of knowledge, ways of reasoning, and human experiences. General Education, together with the major, facilitates student achievement of the UH Mānoa Institutional Learning Objectives to Know (gain breadth and depth of knowledge), Do (build intellectual and practical skills), and Value (develop personal and social responsibility).

Vision

General Education integrates the whole of a UH Mānoa experience and encourages lifelong learning and curiosity. General Education helps UH Mānoa graduates lead more enriched lives, solve problems creatively, and become responsible citizens in an ever-changing and increasingly multicultural and interconnected world.

Values

General Education promotes scholarship and fosters values that are the heart of what it means to be a graduate of UH Mānoa. General Education helps UH Mānoa graduates to be:

• Familiar with the culture and history of Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region
• Respectful members of multicultural communities
• Effective communicators in diverse settings including cross-cultural or international contexts
• Critical, truth-seeking, and interdisciplinary thinkers
• Informed, responsible, and ethical decision makers
• Prepared for the workplaces of the present and the future

Please Note:

Additional courses that satisfy General Education Core requirements may have been approved after the publication of this Catalog. Check “Class Availability” online for the most up-to-date information. All students should be aware that UH Mānoa’s individual colleges/schools may have additional program requirements and may require specific General Education courses to meet those requirements. Consult your college/school advisor.