Skip to content
Image is purely decorative

Summer Term, Fall Semester, and Academic Year Programs:

  • Application Opens: August 1st
  • Application Deadline: December 1st
  • Applications now CLOSED for Fall Semester and Academic Year Programs

Spring Semester Programs:

  • Application Opens: January 1st
  • Application Deadline: May 1st 
  • Applications now OPEN

You must be logged in to your UH Gmail account in the same browser in order to access the online application.

Plan Ahead

In your online MIX application, you will be asked to indicate the top five partner universities where you would like to be nominated as an exchange student. Explore your options!

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate Applicants:

  • Must be a full-time UH Mānoa student
  • Must complete at least two semesters* at UH Mānoa prior to departure with at least 24 credits completed.
  • Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher*, 3.0 preferred; GPA must also be 2.5 or higher in the term prior to going abroad

*Please make sure to check the MIX program pages of the partner universities you are interested in studying at as each partner university may have additional eligibility requirements. For instance, they may only accept students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Or they may require students to complete two semesters at UH Manoa prior to applying to their exchange program (which differs from our minimum qualification of completing two semesters prior to departure). Or there might be minimum language requirements that must be met. If you have questions about your eligibility for MIX, please email outbound@hawaii.edu.

If you are a transfer student, please note that we cannot count semesters completed outside of UH Manoa towards the eligibility requirement, although exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Postgraduate Applicants:

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; GPA must also be 3.0 or higher in the term(s) prior to the term(s) abroad. If you have yet to establish a GPA at UHM, you can still apply for MIX but will need to have completed at least one term with a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to participation in the MIX program.

Additional Conditions for MIX Participation:

Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to apply to and participate in a MIX program. Students may not be on disciplinary probation, suspension, or deferred suspension at the time of application, prior to or during their time abroad. An applicant’s total educational and disciplinary record, educational objective, professional attitude, level of preparedness and interpersonal maturity, advisor recommendations, personal preparation and personal achievements may be considered in the selection process. MIX also reserves the right to interview students during the application process and to deny acceptance to any applicant for any reason MIX determines to be material to the applicant’s qualifications. Additionally, MIX, UHM, and the Host Institution reserve the right to enforce appropriate standards of conduct and may at any time revoke acceptance for failure to maintain these standards or for any actions or conduct that is considered to be incompatible with the interest, harmony, comfort and welfare of the program and other students. If a student’s participation is terminated in this manner, any program-related fees and expenses will not be refundable.

Additional Requirements

One Letter of Recommendation

Applicants are required to obtain one academic recommendation as part of the MIX application process. This recommendation should come from someone whose class you have taken at UH Mānoa, such as a professor, lecturer, graduate assistant, etc. In other words, someone who can speak to your academic abilities. Professional and familial recommendations are not accepted. The MIX Letter of Recommendation Form and instructions can be downloaded from our Forms page.

If you are a transfer student or have yet to take a course at UHM, you may ask a non-UHM professor, lecturer, or graduate assistant to submit a formal letter of recommendation on your behalf. This letter should be typed on official letterhead, signed, and sent directly to MIX by the recommender. MIX will accept letters of recommendation that are mailed or emailed by the recommender directly to outbound@hawaii.edu. Letters sent via UH FileDrop by the recommender will also be accepted.

Application & Administration Fees

Students will be billed two separate non-refundable program fees when applying to MIX: a $30 application fee and a $50 administration fee. These fees are separate from program tuition and are used to cover services related to the administration of international student exchange programs at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Both fees will be charged roughly 4-6 after the application deadline.

  • The administration fee will hold a students place in their designated program and will only be charged to students who are ready to commit to the MIX program they have been nominated for.

Failure to pay these fees may result in your application being withdrawn or your nomination being rescinded. It will also result in a financial hold placed by the Cashier’s office on your account, which will prevent you from registering for courses. So, it is important to pay these fees in a timely manner. If you have any questions, please contact outbound@hawaii.edu. Please note that Federal Financial Aid does not apply to these fees.

After you Apply: Nomination

MIX will endeavor to notify students with a Nomination & Next Steps email within one to two months after the Application Deadline.

To be considered for nomination students must meet the eligibility requirements for their chosen program. Program participants must also demonstrate the ability to be successful overseas through evidence of maturity, motivation, flexibility, and other such characteristics as MIX may deem relevant or appropriate. Participation in any program is subject to approval by MIX and its partner institutions, which may grant or withhold such approval at their sole discretion.

Being nominated to a MIX Partner University means that you have been deemed qualified for one of the available exchange spaces at that university. After you accept your nomination and pay your MIX administration fee, MIX will officially nominate you to the Partner University.

Factors considered for MIX Nomination: GPA, short essay question responses, letter of recommendation, academic area, class level, space available, and the balance between inbound and outbound exchange students at each partner university.

Please keep an open mind about your nomination. All MIX Partner Universities are excellent, so you will be in good hands no matter where you go.

MIX Summer Programs: Students planning to attend a summer program and pay Partner Tuition directly to the Partner University must wait to be “Selected” by the MIX Office before going on to Next Steps.

After Nomination: Next Steps & Secondary Application

Once you have been nominated to a MIX Partner University, you must complete that university’s application process for exchange students, referred to as the “Secondary Application”

Important: Your ‘Nomination & Next Steps’ email will contain detailed instructions on how and when to complete the secondary application process for your partner university. Please follow instructions carefully, and submit your application materials to either MIX or the partner university on time. Information about who to submit your application to will be provided in your Nomination & Next Steps email. Let the MIX staff know if you need help with your application.

Each university has a different application process – some have online applications, while others require you to send forms and documents in the mail. Some universities require letters of recommendation, while others do not. Many universities require official transcripts, ID photographs, health forms, etc.

A nomination is not a guarantee of acceptance into the partner university program. While it is generally not likely that you will be rejected by a partner university after nomination, please do NOT purchase airfare or make any non-refundable program-related expenditures until you have received your official acceptance notification from the partner university, which will either be in the form of an email to you/MIX or an official letter sent to the MIX Office. MIX will not be held responsible for any financial losses in the case that you are not accepted into the program applied for.

Back To Top