Administration
Hawai‘i Hall 310
2500 Campus Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-6570
Fax: (808) 956-2340
Web: socialsciences.hawaii.edu/
Dean: Denise E. Konan
Interim Associate Dean: Ross A. Sutherland
Departments, schools, and programs: Anthropology, Communications, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Geography and Environment, Journalism, Peace Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Policy Center, Social Science Research Institute, Sociology, Urban and Regional Planning, Women’s Studies
Advising
Within the context of a liberal education, the College of Social Sciences assists students in clarifying their life and career goals, developing meaningful educational plans, and preparing for productive lives, enlightened citizenship, and life-long learning. Students are expected to be active partners in the advising process by initiating contact with their advisors and by coming to advising sessions prepared.
Students at UH Manoa have exceptional freedom in crafting their college experience. Students are able to explore connections between fields, engage in co-curricular activities, and develop unique combinations of majors, minors, and certificates. In addition to meeting all mandatory advising initiatives required by their major departments, declared Arts and Sciences majors meet with their advisors throughout their career at UH Manoa for clarification of degree requirements, individual concerns, and resolution of complex academic issues.
Advising Office
College of Social Sciences (ACCESS)
Dean Hall 2
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-0661
Fax: (808) 956-7498
Email: csadv@hawaii.edu
Web: socialsciences.hawaii.edu/access/index.cfm
Degrees, Minors and Certificates
Bachelor’s Degrees: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS)
Master’s Degrees: Master of Arts (MA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
Doctoral Degrees: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Research Centers
Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Web: peaceinstitute.hawaii.edu
The Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution is a multi-disciplinary community of scholars, students, and practitioners who, through academic programs and outreach, promote cross-cultural understanding and collaborative problem-solving. Residing within the Public Policy Center, the institute emphasizes critical thinking and collaboration to groom leaders to address contemporary and complex issues in Hawai‘i, the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
The Social Science Research Institute
The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) conducts and supports interdisciplinary, applied research that addresses critical social, behavioral, economic, and environmental problems primarily in Hawai‘i and the Asia-Pacific region. As the sponsored research division of the College of Social Sciences, SSRI also provides administrative support for pre-award and post-award activities related to extramural research and training grants.
Programs within SSRI include the following:
Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program (HCRI)
HCRI was established in 1998 to provide support for research and training to build capacity to effectively manage coral reef ecosystems in Hawai‘i. It has been guided by the belief that social science provides a critical foundation to long term sustainability of natural resources. Current areas of focus are marine resource assessment and monitoring; marine enforcement support; ocean recreation; and education and outreach.
Hazards, Climate, & Environment Program (HCEP)
Web: hazards-climate-environment.org/
HCEP works with local and regional stakeholders and experts in physical and biological science, engineering, and social and cultural knowledge to assess risk and vulnerability from hazards, climate and environmental degradation, and to develop risk reduction methods to build resilient communities.
Hui Aina Momona (HAM)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu/ham/
This program is designed to transcend traditional academic boundaries and to focus on cross-disciplinary solutions to natural and cultural resource management, sustainability, and food security issues facing Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and other Indigenous communities integrating contemporary and traditional Hawaiian knowledge and practices.
Office for Evaluation and Needs Assessment Services (ONEAS)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu/oenas/
Conducts program evaluation and needs assessment research primarily for public and private non-profit programs. The office provides continuing education and training, technical assistance and consultation, and opportunities to work with a multi-disciplinary team on complex public policy issues and programs.
Telecommunications and Social Informatics Program (TASI) / Pacific Health Informatics and Data Center (PHIDC)
Web: ssri.manoa.hawaii.edu/tasi-phidc/
TASI/PHIDC conducts interdisciplinary and applied research in the areas of health technology, health care and claims data management, telehealth, and meteorological and disaster communications. It also provides policy, program, and technical assistance in these areas to governments and agencies in Hawai‘i and the Pacific region.
University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO)
Web: uhero.hawaii.edu/
The mission of UHERO is to inform public and private sector decision making through rigorous, independent economic research on the people, environment, and economies of Hawai‘i and the Asia-Pacific region.
College Certificates
International Cultural Studies
The International Cultural Studies Graduate Certificate Program (ICSGCP) is to promote a critical inter-disciplinary understanding of culture at the University of Hawai‘i, in the East-West Center, and in the local community. Through the Certificate Program, and other courses that ICSGCP offers, such as in the Honors Program, students will receive theoretical and practical training in order to be able to interpret cultural products and practices in diverse media and to research into the creation, dissemination, and reception of these products and practices. Through its Speaker Series, co-sponsorship of campus seminars, organized conferences, and other occasional activities, ICSGCP will also provide a forum for presentations on the theory and practice of cultural studies. Through these activities the program also seeks to enhance communication and collaboration between disciplines and departments in the university and East-West Center. ICSGCP focuses particularly, though not exclusively, on cultural and cross-cultural processes in Asia and the Pacific.
For more information, visit manoa.hawaii.edu/internationalculture/.
Telecommunications and Information Resource Management
The Telecommunications and Information Resource Management (TIRM) Graduate Certificate Program is offered by the Graduate Division, the College of Social Sciences (CSS), UHM Outreach College, the School of Communications, and the Telecommunications and Social Informatics Research Program (TASI) of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI).
For more information, visit ssri.hawaii.edu/ and the Department of Communications.
Honor Societies
Honor societies at UH Manoa in the College of Social Sciences include Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology), Golden Key National Honour Society (undergraduate), Kappa Tau Alpha (journalism), Lambda Delta (freshmen), Mortar Board (seniors), Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics), Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts and sciences), Phi Eta Sigma (freshmen), Phi Kappa Phi (general scholarship), Pi Gamma Mu (social sciences), Pi Sigma Alpha (political science), and Psi Chi (psychology).