UH Mānoa Conditional Admission

Students who are interested in undergraduate admission to the College of Arts, Languages & Letters at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) may be admitted under the Conditional Admission Program if they fulfill all of UHM’s undergraduate admission requirements (detailed below) BUT have not demonstrated sufficient English proficiency. See full list of eligible degree programs below.

Admitted students in this category will not be eligible to register for academic courses until they have met one of the following:

  • Successful completion of two terms at the 400 level of Hawaii English Language Program (HELP) at UH Mānoa with a GPA of 3.75 or better.  Appropriate ESL placement will be determined at the beginning of HELP enrollment. If a student has chosen the Conditional Admission option, they must complete the HELP application process.
  • Submission of an official TOEFL score with a minimum composite score of 61iBT/500PBT, or an IELTS general band score of 5.0 or better. 

Procedure for Applying

Option A: Students may apply directly to the Hawaii English Language Program (HELP) by filling out the application  and indicating that they are planning to apply for Conditional Admission to UHM. Students will then be assisted by HELP staff in preparing the UHM application materials. After all required materials have been submitted to UHM Office of Admissions & Records, students will be notified whether they have been conditionally admitted pending completion of their English Language requirements detailed above.

Option B: Students may apply directly to the UHM Office of Undergraduate Admissions at: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/admissions/undergrad/apply/international.html and indicate on their application that they are requesting Conditional Admission through the HELP program.  After reviewing all application materials, a student will receive a letter notifying them whether they qualify for Conditional Admission. If qualified, it is then the student’s responsibility to apply to and enroll in HELP until they have demonstrated English proficiency by either method above. Upon meeting the English requirement, HELP will notify the Office of Admission and Records, and students will be able to register for the next academic semester.

NOTE: International students admitted to UHM either directly or through Conditional Admission are also required to take the UHM English Language Institute (ELI) placement test if they have a TOEFL score less than 100iBT/600PBT or 7.0 IELTS to determine if they need additional English support WHILE enrolled in academic classes.

UHM Undergraduate Admission Requirements

  1. Application
  2. Application Fee of $70
  3. Official Secondary and Post-secondary school transcripts in English or in certified translations
  4. SAT/ACT scores (this may be satisfied during language study at HELP)
  5. TOEFL/IELTS or Conditional Admission through HELP
  6. Supplement for Foreign Students—School and financial information

*Please see the UH Manoa Undergraduate Admissions website for more details.  

The College of Arts, Languages & Letters offers undergraduate degrees, minors, and certificate programs in the following areas.

Arts & Humanities
  • Academy for Creative Media
  • American Studies
  • Art and Art History
  • Communicology
  • History
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Religion
  • Theatre and Dance
Languages , Linguistics, & Literature
  • East Asian Languages and Literatures
  • English (Composition and/or Literature)
  • Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
  • Languages and Literatures of Europe/the Americas
  • Linguistics
  • Second Language Studies (including ESL)
  • Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies
Natural Sciences
  • Biology
  • Botany
  • Chemistry
  • Information and Computer Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Microbiology
  • Physics and Astronomy
  • Library and Information Science Program
  • Marine Option Program
Social Sciences
  • Anthropology
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Geography
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Urban and Regional Planning
  • Women’s Studies
  • Public Administration Program

*Note:  Students who wish to qualify for the Conditional Admission Program through HELP must select a major from this list. Other majors may be possible; inquire with us at eslhelp@hawaii.edu.