Welcome

The School of Life Sciences is housed within the University’s College of Natural Sciences and conducts research and training across five academic disciplines including Biology, Botany, Marine Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular & Cell Biology. We administer a cohesive set of undergraduate degrees (BA and BS) across these disciplines, along with graduate programs (MS and PhD) in Botany, Microbiology, Marine Biology, and Zoology. The School of Life Sciences promotes the understanding, appreciation and preservation of biological diversity through excellence in research, education, service and outreach.

About

The life sciences are of fundamental importance in a science or liberal arts education, as they provide students with insight into and a deeper appreciation for the many facets of living systems that underlie our world.

Our students use their training as preparation for careers in diverse fields ranging from aquaculture, biotechnology, biological research, dentistry, marine biology, medicine, optometry, park services, pharmacy, and teaching. Our graduates have an outstanding record of acceptance in advanced degree programs at dental, medical, pharmacy, and graduate schools. Many of our graduates also become teachers after obtaining a post-baccalaureate teaching certificate at the College of Education.

The School of Life Sciences of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was formed in the Fall of 2019 by the merger of the Departments of Biology, Botany and Microbiology, and began operations on January 1, 2020. Life Sciences is home to 5 Undergraduate Majors and 4 Graduate Programs:

Undergraduate Majors

Graduate Programs

Students may also Minor in Biology, Botany and Microbiology, obtain a certificate in the Marine Option Program (MOP), Mathematical Biology, or become certified as a Clinical Microbiologist.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to investigate all living things by promoting learning and discovery through scientific research. We seek to maintain a high standard of education based on the development of biological literacy, application of quantitative and scientific methods, the exploration of biological concepts and the development of integrative and multidisciplinary thinking. The School of Life Sciences is committed to providing a positive educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students and a supportive working environment for faculty and staff based on principles of safety, inclusiveness, personal and professional integrity, and the pursuit of excellence.

Latest News

Upcoming Seminars and Events

Fridays 2:30-3:20 at ART 132

https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/94431784293

DateTitleSpeaker
08/30/2024ZGP Fall Faculty/Student OrientationAmber Wright
09/06/2024Deep-sea corals in the age of the Anthropocene: resilience to human activities and climate changeFanny Girard
09/13/2024Questionable research practices: why you might be doing them already and how to avoid them in a thesisMark Burgman
09/20/2024Insights from Indonesia on sustainable futures for coral reef fisheriesAustin Humphries
09/27/2024Shedding light on symbiosis: lessons from a bioluminescent coral reef fish (Remote Seminar, Zoom Only)Alison Gould
10/04/2024Hawaiian Plant Conservation and the Vital Role of TaxonomyCliff Morden
10/11/2024
10/18/2024
10/25/2024Wastewater Surveillance of Microbial Infectious Diseases: Lessons Learned from Salmonellosis and COVID-19Tao Yan
11/01/2024Untangling Protein Topology: From Folding Pathways to DiseaseEllinor Haglund
11/08/2024Back to the Past: Interdisciplinary Insights for the Present and Future of EthnobotanyMark Merlin
11/15/2024Scale as a unifying tool for synthesizing biodiversity changeJon Chase
11/22/2024Insights into the ecology of large pelagic fishes in the Central North Pacific from Hawaiʻi’s most economically valuable fisheryJustin Suca
11/29/2024Thanksgiving Break
12/06/2024PhD DefenseHelen Sung