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General Information

The School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene offers programs to prepare students for careers in nursing and dental hygiene primarily for the state of Hawai'i and the Pacific Basin. 

The Department of Nursing offers programs leading to the bachelor of science, master of science and PhD in nursing degrees and a post-master's certificate in nursing. The undergraduate nursing program provides two options: (a) the bachelor of science degree pathway, which admits students in the sophomore year in nursing, following completion of a minimum of 40 credit hours of the General Education Core requirements and nursing prerequisite courses in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and (b) the RN to BS pathway, which allows entry after completion of the AS degree or diploma in nursing.

The program leading to the master of science in nursing degree prepares the student for advanced practice nursing in primary care, psychiatric-mental health nursing or clinical systems management. The program leading to the PhD in nursing prepares visionary scholars who are capable of conducting culturally appropriate clinical scholarship and teaching in nursing educational programs. 

The Department of Dental Hygiene offers the bachelor of science in dental hygiene.

Mission

The School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene supports the mission of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa: to provide an environment in which faculty and students can discover, examine critically, preserve, and transmit the knowledge, wisdom, and values that will help ensure the survival of the present and future generations with improvement in the quality of life. The school is committed to the following:

1. Educating qualified men and women in the disciplines of nursing and dental hygiene;
2. Using learning approaches that are appropriate to the needs of students and facilitating achievement of health outcomes within the diverse communities of the state of Hawai'i and the Pacific Basin;
3. Advancing knowledge through research; and
4. Designing and implementing nursing and dental hygiene services.

Accreditation

The nursing program is accredited by the Hawai'i State Board of Nursing and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.* The University of Hawai'i at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene has been granted preliminary approval by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Preliminary approval is designed to be a temporary status and provides an indication that programs have been reviewed by the commission and have met, at least, the following general requirements: 1) the nursing education program is viable and appears, based upon the review of submitted materials to be conducted in a manner that will enable eventual compliance with CCNE accreditation standards, 2) the institution has a history of seeking and ensuring continuing accreditation and program recognition by appropriate accrediting and regulatory agencies, and 3) the institution has ensured the continuing viability of the nursing education program by being responsive to the concerns of accrediting and regulatory agencies. For further information about the preliminary approval status of the program, please contact the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education at the following address: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC, 20036-1120, Ph: (202) 887-6791. The dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association.

*National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 61 Broadway - 33rd Floor, New York City, NY 10006. Phone: (800) 669-1656

Degrees and Certificates

Bachelor's Degrees: BS in dental hygiene, BS in nursing

Master's Degree: MS in nursing

Doctoral Degree: PhD in nursing

Certificate: Post-Master's Certificate in Nursing

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