Current Students FAQs

You can view a list of your college advisors. Your advisor can help you with scheduling classes, creating and updating your academic plan, connecting you with campus resources and assisting with any other questions you have. Unsure where to go with questions? Start by asking your College Advisor and they can point you in the right direction!

If you are pursuing one of the following majors, you will also have a Major Advisor to guide you in all things related to your major. You can find major advisor contact information by visiting the Advising tab on our website. 

Degrees with Major Advisors: 

• Astronomy
• Astrophysics
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Information and Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Physics 

You can schedule an appointment with an advisor directly on our website using Navigate 360. If you have any questions, contact our front desk at (808)956-5911 Monday through Friday 8am-4pm HST or email cnsadvis@hawaii.edu.

Please allow your advisor 24 hours to reply to your emails. It may take up to 48 hours during peak times such as registration periods or the first week of the semester.

If it has been longer than 48 hours, please forward your inquiry to our office at cnsadvis@hawaii.edu for assistance. You may also call our front desk at (808)956-5911. 

Mandatory advising is a 30-minute appointment each semester for all students that have completed less than 60 credits (freshmen and sophomores), transfers (first semester only), and returning students (first semester of return). This is an opportunity to connect with your advisor and review your degree requirements, resources, opportunities, and answer any questions you may have.

The College of Natural Sciences will email you during the 4th week of each semester to notify you that it is time to complete your Mandatory Advising. Registration holds are placed if advising is not completed prior to the deadline. 

We recommend scheduling your meeting with your advisor early in the semester! 

If you are changing your major to one within the College of Natural Sciences: 

Complete the Major Declaration Form. 

• Keep in mind that you may need to meet with a major advisor for the physical science majors prior to completing the major change form. 

If you are changing your major to one outside of the College of Natural Sciences:

You will need to meet with an advisor from the college you wish to change to. You can find a list of all College Advisors here. 

If you are adding a second or third major, you will need to complete the UHM-3 Multiple Majors Application and submit it to the CNS Dropbox. 

To declare a minor or certificate, complete the Minor/Certificate Declaration Form. 

To view a list of all minors and certificates offered at UH Mānoa, visit the catalog. 

Focus requirements identify important additional skills and knowledge necessary for living and working in diverse communities. Courses fulfilling focus requirements are offered in departments across the curriculum and vary each semester.

To meet a focus requirement, a course must have an official UH Mānoa focus designation during the semester in which it is taken. Courses taken outside the UH system cannot be used to fulfill focus requirements. Instead, non-UH system transfer students' focus requirements are adjusted according to the number of credit hours award by UH Mānoa for non-UH system courses. Click here to learn more. 

We recommend meeting with your advisor if you are unsure about how to find focus requirements or where to schedule them in your academic plan. 

Academic Calendar

Class Availability

Registration Timetable

Registration is done through STAR GPS. You can view your registration day and time here based on your earned credits.

If you are having an error when registering for a course that you meet the requirements for, you may need to request permission for an override to enroll in the course. 

For overrides, visit here. 

When you are waitlisted for a course, you are essentially waiting to register for a class. This does not mean you will automatically get a seat. Instead, it means that if a seat becomes available, you will be notified via email that you can register. Remember: you will only have 24 hours to register once you are notified of the available seat, so check your hawaii.edu email regularly. 

We recommend that you find an alternative course just in case you do not get into the waitlisted class. If you need help discussing your options, please meet with your advisor. 

More information on waitlists here.

You will need to complete the Time Conflict Override Request form.

This form is used for requesting to take classes that are scheduled at the same time. Each instructor must write how they will accommodate you with the overlapping courses and approve the form. Be aware that instructors are not required to approve time conflict override requests and they may not if they feel it would compromise your learning. If you cannot obtain an override, please contact your advisor to discuss alternative solutions.

In order to take more than 19 credits, you will need to complete the Credit Overload Request form.

Summer semester at UH Mānoa can be a great opportunity to take classes! Current students can register through STAR GPS. 

Outreach College

Summer Financial Aid

Yes! You can find this information in a few different ways: STAR GPS, Class Availability, or the Distance Learning Database.

If you will be concurrently enrolled at UH Mānoa and at one of the UH system campuses, you must be enrolled for at least 6 applicable credits towards your degree at UH Mānoa in order to be eligible for financial aid. 

If you would like your courses at other campuses to be counted towards your UH Mānoa enrollment, you will need to complete the Concurrent Enrollment Form for each term (Fall and Spring only). 

Before submitting a request for an academic advisor to review, please ensure you meet the following criteria: 

• You are enrolled in 6-11 credits at UH Mānoa. Students that are enrolled in 12 or more credits cannot receive financial aid for other UH campuses if enrolled full time at UH. 
• The courses you are enrolled in at the other UH campus(es) meet your degree requirements. Courses not required for your degree cannot be covered by financial aid. 

Disclaimer that concurrent enrollment may impact Mānoa specific aid. For further information, contact your academic advisor.

To see if you have a hold on your account, log into your STAR and navigate to the STAR GPS page (you can also view holds on the Academic Essentials page). On the blue bar at the top of the screen in the left corner, it will say "view holds." Click this link and a pop up box will tell you what the hold is for and who to contact to resolve the hold. 

For more information on holds, please contact your advisor or view the types of holds here. 

Yes! Engaging in research is a great opportunity to gain experience, contact with faculty and peers, gain insight into your own interests, and enhance your experience at UH Mānoa. To help you get started, helpful resources are listed below. 

CNS Directed Research

UHM Research Centers

School of Life Sciences Research Faculty

Student Jobs

There are three different programs for Study Away: 

• Mānoa International Exchange (MIX)
• Study Abroad Center (SAC)
• National Student Exchange (NSE) 

We have our Study Abroad advisor, Max Lee, that can answer all of your questions. He is located in Hamilton 002K. Please book an appointment with him here.

Find our forms here. 

Need it signed by your College Advisor? Submit your form to the CNS Dropbox.

We recommend meeting with an advisor in the semesters before you graduate to make sure you have all of your requirements in plan. You are welcome to meet with us anytime to check your graduation requirements!