Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Design Your Educational Experience

Sports Psychology
Cognitive Science
Human Relations in Organizations
Linguistics
Aquaculture
Peace Studies
Urban Planning
Sustainability
Social Sciences of Oceans
Sports Leadership
Global Studies
Comparative Literature
Marine Conservation

What is Interdisciplinary Studies (IS)?

An opportunity to pursue innovated fields of study that are not restricted to conventional college boundaries.

  • We offer an Interdisciplinary Studies BA degree in both Pre-Designed paths and Self-Designed degree paths:
  • Pre-Designed degrees have a course of study designed by faculty experts
  • Self-Designed degrees have a course of study proposed and created by the student in collaboration with faculty experts

How do I become an IS major?

For Incoming Students:
Declare IS as your major in your University Admission Application and contact an IS Advisor at isp@hawaii.edu to discuss your desired course of study.

For Current Students: 
Contact an IS Advisor at isp@hawaii.edu to discuss your academic interest and the process for declaring IS as your major.

*See additional Advisor emails for specific IS programs 0n the "Contact Us" Page

Why pursue an IS BA degree?

As a UH Mānoa Student you have the chance to draw from three or more academic disciplines that work together to create a powerful learning experience and emphasize integrative learning, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. 

Through the IS program students will:

  • Discover the value of integrating the study of various academic disciplines suited to their life-long interests.
  • Learn creative solutions to some of today's most challenging problems.
  • Become interdisciplinary thinkers who analytically and creatively embrace new ideas.
  • Develop collaboration skills while working with others who have different perspectives.
  • Prepare for graduate and professional study, and for careers in new and emerging fields.

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the ‘āina on which we gather, is part of the larger territory recognized by Indigenous Hawaiians as their ancestral grandmother, Papahānaumoku. We recognize that her majesty Queen Lili‘uokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. We further recognize that Hawai‘i remains an illegally occupied state of America.

We recognize that each moment we are in Hawai‘i she nourishes and gifts me with the opportunity to breathe her air, eat from her soils, drink from her waters, bathe in her sun, swim in her oceans, be kissed by her rains, and be embraced by her winds. We further recognize that generations of Indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawai‘i in sustainable ways that allows me to enjoy these gifts today. For this I am grateful and as settlers, we seek to support the varied strategies that the Indigenous peoples of Hawai‘i are using to protect their land and their communities, and we commit to dedicating time and resources to working in solidarity. Mahalo.

Land Acknowledgement derived from Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office.