University of Hawaii at Manoa

About the University of Hawaii at Manoa

Founded in 1907, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi System. A destination of choice, students and faculty come from across the nation and the world to take advantage of UH Mānoa's unique research opportunities, diverse community, nationally-ranked Division I athletics program, and beautiful landscape. Consistently ranked a “best value” among U.S. colleges and universities, our students get a great education and have a unique multicultural global experience in a Hawaiian place of learning—truly like no place else on earth.

At a Glance

• Founded: 1907
• Location: beautiful Mānoa Valley, just outside downtown Honolulu, Hawaiʻi on the island of Oʻahu
• Campus size: 320 acres
• University of Hawaiʻi System motto: Maluna aʻe o nā lāhui a pau ke ola ke kanaka(Above all nations is humanity)

Academics

• Average class size: 20
• Colleges & Schools: 14
• Degrees (programs & academic areas)
  • Bachelor’s degrees: 100
  • Master’s degrees: 85
  • Professional & Doctoral degrees: 58
• Accreditation: Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Research

One of only a handful of universities nationwide to hold the distinction of being a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution, UH Mānoa is ranked in the top 50 public universities in research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa maintains a vibrant and active research program with more than $300 million in new extramural funds for research in 2014. UH Mānoa’s faculty includes members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Institute of Medicine.

Classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having “very high research activity,” UH Mānoa is known for its pioneering research in such fields as oceanography, astronomy, Pacific Islands and Asian area studies, linguistics, cancer research, and genetics.

Students

• Total student population: 18,865
  • Undergraduate: 13,689
  • Graduate: 5,176
• Hawaiʻi (in-state) students: 66%
• Out-of-state students: 28%
• International students: 6%
• States represented: 50
• Countries & Regions represented: over 126
• Male/female ratio: 43:57

• Colleges of Arts & Sciences

  The Colleges of Arts & Sciences are the heart of the university, providing a broad and excellent liberal arts education for undergraduates, and offering graduate degrees in more than 40 different fields. The Arts & Sciences provide the majority of the general education undergraduate courses offered on campus, and the majority of undergraduate and graduate degrees conferred are in Arts & Sciences disciplines, indicative of the key role the colleges play on the Mānoa campus.

  A liberal arts education is centered in the principles of open inquiry, critical thinking, integration of knowledge, and assessment of values. These principles serve as a foundation that guides students in their journeys toward fulfilling lives, productive careers, and awareness of civic responsibility. Most importantly, these liberal arts principles spark interest in higher learning, as well as prepare students for entering postgraduate professional schools. Arts & Sciences graduates embark on a wide range of professional fields that lead to rewarding careers in business, technology, public service, and education just, to name a few.

• Shidler College of Business

  A leader among U.S. business schools in its focus on the Asia-Pacific region, the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa provides students with an in-depth understanding of the best business practices, an awareness of languages and cultures, and a solid comprehension of emerging technologies within today's complex global economic environment.

  Founded in 1949 as the College of Business Administration, the college was renamed in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group, made a transformational gift of $25 million. In 2014, Mr. Shidler increased his initial gift of $25 million to $100 million, making it the largest donation at the University of Hawai‘i from a private donor.  The College offers students a wide selection of degree, certificate and executive programs in a unique multicultural learning environment enhanced by collaborative learning, research projects, international speakers, internships, study abroad and career opportunities.

  Ranked consistently among the top 25 institutions for international business and the only AACSB accredited MBA program in Hawai'i, the Shidler College of Business equips its graduates with the ability to learn and to lead throughout their professional lifetime.

  Whether students are interested in doing business in the global economy or in becoming an entrepreneur, the Shidler College of Business provides them with the skills and experiences needed to succeed in today's dynamic business world.

• College of Education

  As a land-grant institution, the University of Hawai'i is committed to improving education in Hawai'i and the region, preschool through graduate school. Ours is a complex and robust college providing educational research, policy studies, curriculum development, professional development, and educational services as well as teacher and educational leader preparation programs. The College has eight academic departments and two major research units—the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) and theCurriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG). We are housed within a tier one research university and are honored to be designated RU/VH (Research University; very high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

• College of Engineering

  Nestled in idyllic Mānoa Valley in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is a leading center for higher learning throughout the Pacific Rim. Currently, the university at-large has an enrollment of over 20,000 and specifically, the College of Engineering supports 900 active students.

  Since classes began over a century ago in 1908, engineering has played an integral role in the institution’s curriculum. It remains so today.

  The B.S. programs in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (link).

  The College of Engineering offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees in three major areas of intensive study including Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. We also offer a BS in Computer Engineering.

  At the College of Engineering, we’re re-engineering for a sustainable future.

• College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

  The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources creates and delivers knowledge that supports and strengthens families, agricultural and food systems, and the natural environment. We educate and serve the people of Hawai‘i and those from around the world with integrity and excellence.

  The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources provides exceptional education, research, and extension programs in tropical agriculture and food systems, family and consumer science, and natural resource management for Hawai‘i and the international community. We cultivate innovative scientific inquiry, solve real world challenges, and provide experiential learning in an interdisciplinary setting with global impacts.

• School of Architecture

  The UHM School of Architecture provides the opportunity for a student to earn an accredited degree in the field of architecture. The only U.S. school of architecture in the middle of the Pacific region, it has been actively and directly engaged in the life and mission of the Mānoa campus through design/research/outreach efforts on campus and in the community.

  The School of Architecture offers the four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Environmental Design degree and the three-year Doctor of Architecture degree, Hawaii‘s only accredited degree in architecture. Our undergraduate program provides a solid foundation for careers in the design and building industries, including architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, historic conservation, and construction management. Our accredited graduate program prepares students for leadership in the professional workforce. Students who earn the D.Arch. are eligible for licensure as registered architects in all 54 U.S. jurisdictions, including Hawai‘i. 

  Hawai‘i offers students one of the world’s richest settings for the study of built and natural environments. UH-M is a land, sea, and space grant university especially well-situated to engage design inquiry and experimentation in a twenty-first century context.

  Our programs orient to the kuleana of the University of Hawai‘i as an indigenous-serving Hawaiian Place of Learning. The Hawaiian ethos is the intellectual and professional foundation on which we build our mission and curriculum

• School of Hawaiian Knowledge

  Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge is the first new school or college established on the Mānoa campus since 1982, and it is the only college of indigenous knowledge in a Research I institution in the United States. Hawaiʻinuiākea is comprised of four centers including two academic units, one traditional cultural garden, and a student services unit:

  • Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies
  • Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language
  • Ka Papa Loʻi ʻO Kānewai Cultural Garden
  • Native Hawaiian Student Services

• William S. Richardson School of Law

  The William S. Richardson School of Law is a collaborative, multicultural community preparing students for excellence in the practice of law and related careers that advance justice and the rule of law.

  We develop highly qualified, ethical professionals through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and public service.

  We embrace Hawai‘i’s diversity and values and recognize a special responsibility to our state and the Pacific region.

  We lead in environmental law, Native Hawaiian law, and Pacific-Asian legal studies.

• John A. Burns School of Medicine

  The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is one of the leading medical education institutions in the United States.

  For the last three years, JABSOM has ranked #1 in National Institutes of Health research awards among community-based public medical schools (i.e., public medical schools without a university hospital) and ranked #1 in the nation by the Association of American Medical Colleges in retention of combined MD and Resident alumni practicing in-state.

  The JABSOM campus is located on the island of O‘ahu approximately three miles west of the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa campus in Kaka‘ako, adjacent to Kaka‘ako Waterfront Park near downtown Honolulu. The Kaka‘ako area is an emerging epicenter for Hawai‘i’s urban-island culture for residents, artists, chefs and entrepreneurs. For more information on the campus, go to Campus Information.

• School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene

  The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene (SONDH) is the premier nursing and dental hygiene school in the State of Hawai‘i. Located on the Mānoa campus, the only doctoral/research university-intensive institution in Hawai‘i, we are dedicated to improving health through education, research, and service. The School provides instructional, clinical and research activities to enhance the health and care of diverse populations in the State of Hawai‘i and the Asia-Pacific region.

• School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

  The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is a world-class research and academic institution focused on informing solutions to some of the world’s most vexing problems. Through an integrated, comprehensive, and sustained system of Earth and planetary observations, research, and education, SOEST staff work to transform the way people live on Earth by enabling a healthy public, economy, and planet.

• School of Pacific and Asian Studies

  The School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS), founded in 1986, is a strategic cornerstone to the mission of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

  SPAS coordinates and promotes resources in Pacific and Asian Studies throughout UHM, supports faculty and student development, instruction, research and publication in these areas, and serves the educational and cultural interests of the people of the State of Hawai‘i by promoting a deeper understanding of our Pacific and Asian heritage.

  SPAS is composed of 2 degree-granting units and 8 area centers. The area centers serve as a focal point for faculty throughout the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) with interests in specific geographical areas, facilitating collaboration and interchange. Centers also provide outreach to the community, public schools and other organizations by sponsoring lectures and film screenings to the public, and providing unique resources to the education community.

• School of Social Work

  As one of the premier schools of social work in the Pacific-Asia region, we are dedicated to providing an educational experience that is anchored in excellence. Challenges and opportunities abound for social workers in a global community that is increasingly more culturally diverse. Our principal responsibility is the creation and transmission of knowledge reflecting the advancement of social work and the achievement of social justice as the "noble cause." Our unique focus is on resolving critical social problems that challenge s multicultural world, with specific attention to indigenous wisdom and perspectives.

  The BSW, MSW and PhD programs prepare students to be educated global citizens who advance social justice. Our BSW and MSW programs have been fully reaccredited by the Council on Social Work Education for a maximum of 8 years, 2010-2018. Our faculty are highly knowledgeable, vastly experienced, and fully committed to the educational enterprise, and are well-known in endeavors of practice, policy and research. Faculty specialists in child and family, gerontology, health, and behavioral health, function as leaders in the School and the community. In broadening our educational reach beyond the Mānoa campus, our distance education option provides neighbor island residents with an opportunity to achieve their MSW degree via a blended approach of interactive television, computer-based technology, and face-to-face instruction.

• School of Travel Industry Management

  The School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) at the University of Hawaii's Mānoa campus is recognized as a leading educational institution focusing on hospitality, tourism, and transportation management. TIM pioneered the concept of integrating all aspects of the travel industry under a single discipline. Built on a foundation of management science, TIM draws on a broad range of disciplines to provide high-quality education at the undergraduate and graduate levels to current and future professionals.

  The visitor industry in Hawaiʻi provides TIM students with opportunities to gain experience in the field and to study applications of theory to practical business situations. TIM works closely with local, national, and international business organizations, as well as various government and private professional organizations.

  In addition to Hawaii's travel industry environment, students benefit from a curriculum that has an international perspective with special emphasis in the Asia-Pacific region. The global importance of tourism and the increasingly interdependent nature of economic and political systems require a fundamental and multidisciplinary understanding of international issues. TIM's distinctive curriculum and outstanding faculty, the success and importance of tourism as the leading industry in Hawaiʻi, and the international focus of the programs provide students a unique educational environment and experience.

History of the University of Hawaii at Manoa

The Early Years

UH Mānoa was founded in 1907 under the Morrill Act as a land-grant college of agriculture and mechanic arts. Regular classes began the following year with President John Gilmore at the helm and five freshmen, five preparatory students, and 13 faculty in temporary quarters near Honolulu’s Thomas Square. In 1912 the newly-named College of Hawaiʻi relocated to Mānoa Valley and the first permanent building—known today as Hawaiʻi Hall—was erected amid pig farms and kiawe groves.

Growth & Expansion

The college became the University of Hawaiʻi in 1920 with the addition of a College of Arts and Sciences. The Territorial Normal and Training School (now the College of Education) joined the University in 1931.

The University continued to grow throughout the 1930s. The Oriental Institute, forerunner of the East-West Center, was founded in 1935, bolstering the University’s mounting prominence in Asia-Pacific studies. In 1939, the first student union building was erected through financial contributions from the community.

World War II

World War II came to Hawaiʻi with the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Classes were suspended for two months and gas masks became part of commencement apparel. In 1942, students of Japanese ancestry formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers and many later joined the 442nd Regiment and 100th Infantry Battalion.

UH Mānoa Emerges

The University continued to expand throughout the second half of the century and in 1972 was renamed the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to distinguish it from the other campuses in the growing University of Hawaiʻi System.

UH Mānoa’s School of Law opened in temporary buildings in 1973. The Center for Hawaiian Studies was established in 1977 followed by the School of Architecture in 1980. The School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology was founded eight years later and in 2005 the John A. Burns School of Medicine moved to its present location in Honolulu's Kakaʻako district.

Into the 21st Century

In 2000, the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents created the position of UH Mānoa Chancellor, reinforcing UH Manoa's position as the flagship campus of the flourishing 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi System.

Today UH Mānoa is a research university of international standing offering a comprehensive array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The campus celebrated its centennial in 2007—concluding with Western Athletics Conference (WAC) championships in football and women's volleyball and soccer. UH Mānoa launched its second hundred years with its first-ever trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 2008.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation or Recognition - WASC Senior College and University Commission

Year of first Accreditation - 1955

Rankings

• The National Science Foundation ranked UH Manoa 45th among 395 public universities for Research and Development (R&D) expenditures in fiscal year 2014.
• For 2017, UH Mānoa was ranked tied for 169th among national universities and tied for 89th among public universities in the U.S. byU.S. News & World Report.
• In graduate school rankings for 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked the School of Medicine tied for 19th in the country for primary care, the College of Education 76th, the Law School tied for 82nd, the School of Nursing tied for 83rd, the College of Engineering tied for 140th, with the Shidler College of Business' part-time MBA program ranked 140th in the nation.

Student Life @the University of Hawaii at Manoa

Student organizations

• Public Relations Student Society of America
• Graduate Student Organization
• Associated Students of the University of Hawaii
• Broadcast Communication Association
• Board of Publications
• Campus Center Board
• Circle K International
• Chi Epsilon Civil and Environmental Engineering Honor Society
• Engineers' Council at the University of Hawaii
• Student Activity and Program Fee Board
• Student Media Board
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars
• Golden Key International Honour Society
• Alpha Gamma Delta
• Beta Beta Gamma
• Delta Sigma Pi
• Kappa Epsilon Theta
• Kappa Sigma
• Tau Kappa Epsilon
• Student Farm
• Debate and Forensics Society
• Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Society
• Phi Mu

Off-campus

• The Newman Center / Catholic Campus Ministry serves the community at the University and surrounding area.
• The Lyon Arboretum is the only tropical arboretum belonging to any US University. The Arboretum, located in Mānoa Valley, was established in 1918 by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association to demonstrate watershed restoration and test tree species for reforestation, as well as to collect living plants of economic value. In 1953, it became part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Its over 15,000 accessions focus primarily on the monocot families of palms, gingers, heliconias, bromeliads and aroids.
• The Waikiki Aquarium, founded in 1904, is the third-oldest public aquarium in the United States. A part of the University of Hawaiʻi since 1919, the Aquarium is located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline.

Athletics

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa competes in NCAA Division I, the only Hawaii school to do so. It competes in the Mountain West Conference for football only and the Big West Conference for most other sports. UH competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and indoor track and field while the coed and women’s sailing teams are members of the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference.

Men’s teams are known as Rainbow Warriors, and women’s teams are called Rainbow Wahine. They are most notable for men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball and footballprograms. The University won the 2004 Intercollegiate Sailing Association National Championships. The women's volleyball program won NCAA championships in 1982, 1983 and 1987. The men's volleyball won an NCAA championship in 2002, but it was later vacated due to violations.

The principal sports venues are Aloha Stadium, Stan Sheriff Center, Les Murakami Stadium, Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, and the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

The university's athletic budget in FY 2008–2009 is $29.6 million.