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For specific information related to your program or area of interest

Including how to apply, please visit the following pages:

Undergraduate Programs Information

Major or minor in Asian Studies.

Graduate Programs Information

Including: Master of Arts in Asian Studies, Master’s in Asian International Affairs, and Graduate Certificates in Asian Studies.

Student Testimonials

Christina Geisse

The Asian Studies Program was incredible because most professors were undertaking their own research, passionate about their subject of study, and enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with students. It felt fresh and profound at the same time. Inspiring! 

Christina Geisse
Kim Sluchansky

I was able to delve deep and focus on the areas of Asian Studies that truly interested me, and therefore gained a much more thorough and developed understanding of my fields of interest, which are applicable to my current career path. Also, the professors are extremely helpful and want their students to succeed. They were very supportive both while I was at UH and after I graduated.

Alumnus Robert DELANEY (’15)

The Asian Studies Department is Proud of Our Alumnus

Department of Asian Studies alumnus Robert Delaney is currently a student at Harvard Law School pursuing his Juris Doctorate.

Robert Delaney (2015)

Alumnus Robert DELANEY

As a student at the United States Military Academy, I began to fully understand the strong relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United States. As a child, I heard stories of my grandfather’s experiences during the Korean War, but I gained a new understanding while working near the Demilitarized Zone with the United States Army. My experience there clearly illustrated the global significance of the Republic of Korea and the importance of having United States Military Officers who have a deep understanding of Korean culture, language, and history. I applied to the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Asian Studies Department to bring these skills to the United States Army and support the United States’ alliances across the world.

I completed my M.A. in Asian Studies and Graduate Certificate in Korean Studies in 2015. The flexibility of the Asian Studies curriculum allowed me to tailor my classes to the specific interests in Korean History and Sociology. The variety of classes available enabled me to also take classes that provided contextual understanding of the region in areas such as security studies and economic development. Among the many amazing experiences in the Asian Studies Program, I enjoyed studying and doing research in Korea the most. The program gives students time in the summer to travel abroad for language study and do a semester abroad in their country of interest. During this time, I conducted research for my Master’s thesis under the guidance of Professor Young-A Park.

The process of writing and defending my thesis provided an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of the region. After graduating, I moved to the Republic of Korea to work in the Headquarters of the Eighth United States Army. Here, my studies at the University of Hawaii became invaluable during the period of high tensions beginning in 2015. The program gave me the language skills and cultural understanding to contribute to the ROK-US Alliance while opening opportunities to work at the highest level of the United States Army in Korea.

The knowledge I gained through the program inspired me to continue my education and the faculty encouraged me to pursue my passion of supporting the United States’ alliances across the world. I am currently a student at Harvard Law School pursuing my Juris Doctorate. Looking back, I can see that the Asian Studies Program at the University of Hawaii changed my life and provided me the opportunity to make an impact in our world.

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