Skip to content

How to Apply: Postgraduate Students

Find out how to apply to the Exchange, Hoakipa, and Independent Visiting Student programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa as a postgraduate student, and the deadlines for submitting your application.

Nomination & Application Deadlines

Fall Semester (August – December)

  • Application Opens: December 1
  • Nomination Deadline: February 1
  • Application Deadline: March 1

Spring Semester (January – May)

  • Applications Opens: July 1
  • Nomination Deadline: September 1
  • Application Deadline: October 1

Applying as an Exchange or Hoakipa Visiting Student

Our Exchange program and Hoakipa Visiting Student program are open to students who are currently enrolled at one of our 90+ partner universities around the world. If your home university does not have a formal Exchange or Hoakipa agreement with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, please scroll down to learn about applying as an Independent Visiting Student. If you are in a combined BA/MA or integrated undergraduate/graduate degree program, and have not yet earned your bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), please follow the application instructions for Undergraduate Students instead.

In order to be eligible for the Exchange or Hoakipa Visiting Student program, you must:

  • Be currently enrolled at one of our partner universities
  • Be nominated as an Exchange or Hoakipa visiting student by your home university exchange office
  • Meet our English language requirements
  • Possess an undergraduate degree or expect to be awarded an undergraduate degree prior to beginning your program.
  • Be currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at an accredited institution

If you are planning to take graduate-level courses from the Shidler College of Business, you must also meet the requirements listed here. Please note that graduate-level Business (BUS) courses are not open to Exchange/Visiting students. More details on course restrictions can be found on our Academics page.

To apply to the program, the following is required:

  • University of Hawai’i at Manoa Graduate Admissions Online Application 
  • MIX Online Application
  • University transcript(s) and degree certificates from all universities you have attended (see requirements)
  • Proof of English language proficiency (if applicable, see requirements)
  • MIX Financial Certification Form (not required for U.S. citizens)
  • Copy of your passport’s biographical information page

If you are planning to take business courses at UHM, you will also be required to provide a copy of your resume/CV.

Links to applications and forms are provided in the steps below.

The first step in the admissions process is for your home university exchange office to nominate you for the Exchange or Hoakipa Visiting Student program. Your home university exchange office can contact us at inbound@hawaii.edu to receive a link to the Nomination Form.

Official transcript(s) and degree certificate(s): Postgraduate applicants must send these documents by mail or via a certified digital platform such as eQuals. If sent by mail, transcripts must be sent in their original, sealed envelope to be considered official. Please see the Transcript Requirements page for more details.

English proficiency test score (if needed): The list of eligible tests and exceptions can be found on our English Language Requirements page. Most test scores must be sent directly to the Graduate Division by the testing authority. 

  • TOEFL iBT: The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for UHM is 4867, “Graduate Division Student Services”.
  • IELTS: You may request an IELTS USA test center to send copies of your Test Report Form to up to five institutions or organizations free of charge.  Please note postal fees may be charged for these initial five Test Report Forms if the request is to be sent to institutions outside the United States via postal mail. After the fifth free Test Report Form, test centers may charge administrative and/or postal fees for Test Report Forms that are required to be sent by postal mail.

Before starting both applications, please read the MIX Application and UHM Graduate Application Guidelines for information on how to complete the applications correctly. 

1. MIX Online Application

2. UHM Graduate Application 

After you submit your MIX Application, you will be emailed a link to the document upload form for students. Please use this form to upload the following documents. 

If you are planning to take business courses at UHM, please also provide a copy of your resume/CV.

If you did not receive a link to the document upload form after completing the MIX Online Application, please email inbound@hawaii.edu and we can resend the link.

After you have completed the application process, please allow some time for your applications and materials to be reviewed. Upon admission, you will receive two emails from MIX: 

The first email will include a Welcome Guide for Exchange and Visiting Students, which will provide information on the next steps and preparing for arrival. It will also include a digital admission letter from the UHM Graduate Division, which will contain your UH ID number. Please use your UH ID to set up your UH account and email address as soon as possible. Once you have your UH account setup, you will also be able to apply for on-campus accommodation (see Housing & Meals for more details). 

The second email will contain your digital I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility), which you can use to apply for your F-1 visa to study in the U.S. For more detailed information on the visa application process, please see the Visas page on the ISS website. Note: If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will not be issued an I-20. 

If you have any questions, or do not receive these emails (make sure to check your spam folders as well), please contact us at inbound@hawaii.edu.

Applying as an Independent Visiting Student

If your home university does not have a formal Exchange or Hoakipa agreement with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, you can apply for our Independent visiting student program. Students can apply for this program independently or with the assistance of their home university. If you are in a combined BA/MA or integrated undergraduate/graduate degree program, and have not yet earned your bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), please follow the application instructions for Undergraduate Students instead.

In order to be eligible for our Independent Visiting Student program, you must:

  • Be currently enrolled at an accredited tertiary institution
  • Meet our English language requirements
  • Have achieved a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent
  • By the time of application, have achieved a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, and have completed at least 24 transferable semester credits, as determined by UH Manoa Admissions

To apply to the program, the following is required:

  • University of Hawai’i at Manoa Graduate Admissions Online Application 
  • MIX Online Application
  • University transcript(s) and degree certificates from all universities you have attended (see requirements)
  • Proof of English language proficiency (if applicable, see requirements)
  • MIX Financial Certification Form (not required for U.S. citizens)
  • Copy of your passport’s biographical information page

If you are planning to take business courses at UHM, you will also be required to provide a copy of your resume/CV.

Links to applications and forms are provided in the steps below.

Official transcript(s) and degree certificate(s): Postgraduate applicants must send these documents by mail or via a certified digital platform such as eQuals. If sent by mail, transcripts must be sent in their original, sealed envelope to be considered official. Please see the Transcript Requirements page for more details.

English proficiency test score (if needed): The list of eligible tests and exceptions can be found on our English Language Requirements page. Most test scores must be sent directly to the Graduate Division by the testing authority. 

  • TOEFL iBT: The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for UHM is 4867, “Graduate Division Student Services”.
  • IELTS: You may request an IELTS USA test center to send copies of your Test Report Form to up to five institutions or organizations free of charge.  Please note postal fees may be charged for these initial five Test Report Forms if the request is to be sent to institutions outside the United States via postal mail. After the fifth free Test Report Form, test centers may charge administrative and/or postal fees for Test Report Forms that are required to be sent by postal mail.

Before starting both applications, please read the MIX Application and UHM Graduate Application Guidelines for information on how to complete the applications correctly. 

1. MIX Online Application

2. UHM Graduate Application 

After you submit your MIX Application, you will be emailed a link to the document upload form for students. Please use this form to upload the following documents. 

If you are planning to take business courses at UHM, please also provide a copy of your resume/CV.

If you did not receive a link to the document upload form after completing the MIX Online Application, please email inbound@hawaii.edu and we can resend the link.

After you have completed the application process, please allow some time for your applications and materials to be reviewed. Upon admission, you will receive two emails from MIX:

The first email will include a Welcome Guide for Exchange and Visiting Students, which will provide information on the next steps and preparing for arrival. It will also include a digital admission letter from the UHM Graduate Division, which will contain your UH ID number. Please use your UH ID to set up your UH account and email address as soon as possible. Once you have your UH account setup, you will also be able to apply for on-campus accommodation (see Housing & Meals for more details).

The second email will contain your digital I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility), which you can use to apply for your F-1 visa to study in the U.S. For more detailed information on the visa application process, please see the Visas page on the ISS website. Note: If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will not be issued an I-20. 

If you have any questions, or do not receive these emails (make sure to check your spam folders as well), please contact us at inbound@hawaii.edu.

Back To Top