You have selected a major in:

Interdisciplinary Studies (IS)

LocationHawaii Hall room 110
Phone(808) 956-7297
Emailisp@hawaii.edu
Websitemanoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/is/
Office HoursMonday through Friday (closed on state holidays)
8:30 am to 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm

How advising works:

The objective of the IS Program is to provide students with an opportunity to pursue a course of study that is not restricted to conventional departmental or unit boundaries. A crucial feature is the advising process, which aims to develop the student’s ability to formulate a major equivalent comprised of upper-division courses with thematic integrity and continuity. This ensures flexibility in the curriculum while precluding loss of academic substance and rigor. Thus students create their own degree proposals that must draw upon no less than three disciplines in the UH Mānoa Catalog in the study of a particular problem or theme, along with specifically designed IS courses.

After we have classified you as an interdisciplinary-studies major, you must follow your academic plan as approved by the Review Committee. Planning your program so that you are able to take all your courses in a timely manner is your responsibility. We recommend you start taking your major courses if they are offered. That would allow you to prevent scheduling conflicts related to major courses and even occasional instances of course cancellations in a particular. However, you may need to change a course that you had planned to take according to your proposal for a valid reason. If there are good reasons for doing so, you will need to obtain written consent in advance during the registration period for the following semester. Here is how to proceed:

1. Discuss the change with your Interdisciplinary Studies advisors.

2. Fill out an Interdisciplinary Studies Course Change form identifying the course that you are canceling and the one that you will add as a replacement. Explain the reason for this change.

3. Sign the form, and obtain written approval from your external faculty advisor.

4. Bring the signed form and two copies to Interdisciplinary Studies for the final signature.

Remember to obtain approval for your change before you start the course. Courses that you have already taken or started cannot be deleted or changed for another one. The idea is that although you can modify your plans, you can do so only with our consultation and completion of the appropriate procedures.

Note: Courses for the following areas are offered by their respective colleges, but the majors/degrees are offered by Interdisciplinary Studies. You may also be able to develop a unique program that is not listed below. Speak with your IS advisor for more information.

List of Majors in Interdisciplinary Studies

Environmental Studies (BA)
Hindi (BA)
Indonesian (BA)
Khmer (Cambodian) (BA)
Peace Studies (BA)
Samoan (BA)
Sanskrit (BA)
Thai (BA)
Vietnamese (BA)