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Students design their program around a selected area of concentration. Third-year fluency in Hawaiian language and a Senior capstone project is required, as well as familiarity with Hawaiian history and literature, culture and creative expression, politics and integral components of governance, resource management and sustainability, and comparative indigenous studies. A Native Hawaiian perspective is emphasized in the major.

To declare your major in Hawaiian Studies, contact the Academic Advisor, Lehua Nishimura, at (808) 956-0642 or request an appointment here.

Program requirements may have changed since this was last updated. Please see Academic Advisor for most current requirements sheet.

Hawai‘inuiākea School Requirements (15 credits)

  • HWST 107
  • HWST 270
  • HAW 100
  • HAW 301 & 302, with a GPA of 3.0 or better

Major Requirements (29 credits)

  • GPA of 2.0 in all UH Mānoa registered credit hours.
  • GPA of 3.0 in all courses for the major.
  • Total of 29 credit hours.

Core: Students must take 1 course from each core group below and the senior capstone (17 credits)

Hālau o Laka: Native Hawaiian Creative Expression

  • HWST 222 Introduction to Hawaiian Fiber Arts Studio –  Ma‘awe or
  • HWST 224 Introduction to Hawaiian Painting and Drawing Studio or
  • HWST 225 Introduction to Hawaiian Printmaking Studio or
  • HWST 372 Oli Makawalu or
  • HWST 478 Mele Au Hou: Music and Native Identity

Mālama ‘Āina: Hawaiian Perspectives on Resources Management

  • HWST 207 Mālama ‘Ahupua‘a: Resource Management or
  • HWST 281 Ho‘okele I: Hawaiian Astronomy or
  • HWST 285 La‘au Lapa‘au I: Hawaiian Medicinal Herbs or
  • HWST 351 Mahi‘ai Kalo I: Taro Cultivation

Kumu Kahiki: Comparative Hawai‘inuiākea and Indigenous Studies

  • HWST 341 Hawaiian Genealogy

Mo‘olelo ‘Oiwi

  • HWST 342 Chiefs of Post-Contact Hawai‘i

Kūkulu Aupuni: Envisioning the Nation

  • HWST 343 Myths of Hawaiian History or
  • HWST 390 Issues in Modern Hawai‘i or
  • HWST 490 Senior Seminar in Hawaiian Studies

Senior Capstone

  • HWST 491 Senior Capstone Project in Hawaiian Studies

Area of Concentration: Students must complete 12 credit hours of approved courses in ONE of these designated Areas of Concentration (12 credits)

Hālau o Laka: Native Hawaiian Creative Expression

  • HWST 220 Introduction to Hawaiian Visual Culture Studio
  • HWST 222 Introduction to Hawaiian Fiber Arts Studio –  Ma‘awe
  • HWST 224 Introduction to Hawaiian Painting and Drawing Studio
  • HWST 225 Introduction to Hawaiian Printmaking Studio
  • HWST 301 Perspectives in Hawaiian Studies
  • HWST 320 Advanced Art Media
  • HWST 322 Advanced Hawaiian Fiber Arts Studio – Ma‘awe
  • HWST 324 Advanced Hawaiian Painting and Drawing Studio
  • HWST 325 Advanced Printmaking Studio
  • HWST 327 Mele Hula o Pelehonuamea
  • HWST 372 Oli Makawalu
  • HWST 421 Visiting Artist Seminar
  • HWST 478 Mele Au Hou: Music and Native Identity
  • MUS 312 Hula/Chant Ensemble I
  • MUS 412 Hula/Chant Ensemble II
  • MUS 413 Hula/Chant Ensemble III

Mālama ‘Āina: Hawaiian Perspectives on Resource Management

  • HWST 207 Mālama ‘Ahupua‘a: Resource Management
  • HWST 281 Ho‘okele I: Hawaiian Astronomy
  • HWST 281L Ho‘okele I: Hawaiian Astronomy Laboratory
  • HWST 282 Ho‘okele II: Hawaiian Navigation
  • HWST 282L Ho‘okele II: Hawaiian Navigation Laboratory
  • HWST 285 La‘au Lapa‘au I: Hawaiian Medicinal Herbs
  • HWST 301 Perspectives in Hawaiian Studies
  • HWST 307 Mālama ‘Āina Resources Management Visual Technologies
  • HWST 351 Mahi‘ai Kalo I: Taro Cultivation
  • HWST 352 Mahi‘ai Kalo II: Advanced Taro
  • HWST 353 Mālama Loko I‘a
  • HWST 457/BOT 457 ‘Āina Mauliola: Hawaiian Ecosystems
  • HWST 458/BOT 458 Natural Resource Issues and Ethics
  • HWST 459/BOT 459 Strategies in Hawaiian Resource Use
  • HWST 460 Hui Konohiki Practicum
  • HWST 467 Mālama ‘Āina Field Methods Course
  • HWST 485 Mahi La‘au Lapa‘au: Hawaiian Medicinal Horticulture
  • HWST 487 Hawaiian Aquatic Medicine

Kumu Kahiki: Comparative Hawai’inuiākea and Indigenous Studies

  • HWST 271 Papahulilani Hawaiian Astronomy I
  • HWST 301 Perspectives in Hawaiian Studies
  • HWST 494 Modern Pacific Women’s Poetry
  • HAW 401 Fourth-Level Hawaiian Language
  • HAW 402 Fourth-Level Hawaiian Language
  • ES 320 Hawai‘i and the Pacific
  • GEOG 365 Geography of the Pacific
  • IP 273D Introduction to the Indo-Pacific Language and Culture
  • MAO 201 Intermediate Maori
  • PAC 371/ENG 371 Literature of the Pacific
  • SAM 201 Intermediate Samoan
  • TAHT 203/204 Second Year Tahitian

Mo‘olelo ‘Ōiwi: Native History and Literature

  • HWST 234 Intro to the Literature of Native Hawaiians and Other Indigenous People Written in English
  • HWST 301 Perspectives in Hawaiian Studies
  • HWST 330 Native Hawaiian Traditions in Literature
  • HWST 362 Pana O‘ahu: Famous Place Names
  • HWST 440 Māhele Land Awards
  • HWST 441 Ceded Lands: Crown and Government Land (1848 to Present)
  • HAW 425 Mo‘olelo Hawai‘i
  • HAW 426 Ka‘ao Hawai‘i
  • HAW 435C Problems in Translation – Newspapers
  • HAW 435D Problems in Translation – Religious Writings
  • HAW 484 Hawaiian Poetry

Kūkulu Aupuni: Envisioning the Nation

  • HWST 301 Perspectives in Hawaiian Studies
  • HWST 343 Myths of Hawaiian History
  • HWST 365 Pana Paemoku O Kanaloa: The Northwest Hawaiian Islands
  • HWST 390 Issues in Modern Hawai‘i
  • HWST 396 Native Hawaiian Rights and Practices
  • HWST 445 Hawaiian Institutions
  • HWST 461 Indigenous Economies
  • HWST 490 Senior Seminar in Hawaiian Studies
  • HWST 493 Hawaiian Political Speech: Ha‘i ‘Ōlelo Ku‘e
  • HWST 495 Kumu Kanawai: Western Law and Hawai‘i
  • HWST 496 Kumu Kanawai II: Practical Application of Rights
  • HAW 428/POLS 303C Ka Mana‘o Politika Hawai‘i -Political Thought in Hawaiian
  • HAW 435B Problems in Translation – Legal Documents
  • HAW 445/POLS 344 Nā Politika ma ka Nūhou Hawai‘i

Before beginning work on the major, students should have completed HAW 101, 102, 201, and 202; HWST 107 or 107A; HWST 270. Course enrollment should be determined through consultation with the academic advisor. Majors should be interviewed by the academic advisor by the end of the sophomore year.

Students may NOT use the same course to satisfy both the Core and Area of Concentration requirements.

Students admitted to the BA program prior to Fall 2015 should consult the academic advisor to review changes that may affect their programs.

For more detailed information, see Hawaiian Studies major requirements and UH Mānoa general education requirements.

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