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Master's Degree Programs

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa confers the degrees of master of accounting, master of architecture, master of arts, master of business administration, master of education, master of education in teaching, master of fine arts, master of library and information science, master of music, master of public administration, master of public health, master of science, master of social work, and master of urban and regional planning.

Faculty or staff members at rank 3 and above may not be awarded a master's degree by the University of Hawai'i in the graduate field of study administered by the department in which they are employed.

The master of accounting degree is offered through the College of Business Administration for students who are contemplating careers in professional accountancy.

The master of arts degree is offered through the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and the School of Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Studies for advanced course work including research in the following disciplines:

• American studies
• Anthropology
• Art
• Asian studies
• Communication
• Dance
• East Asian languages and literatures
• Economics
• English
• English as a second language
• Geography
• History
• Languages and literatures of Europe and the Americas
• Linguistics
• Mathematics
• Music
• Pacific Islands studies
• Philosophy
• Political science
• Psychology
• Religion
• Sociology
• Speech
• Theatre

The master of business administration degree is offered through the College of Business Administration and provides opportunities for the development of administrative skills in business. 

The master of education degree is offered through the College of Education for advanced course work including research in the following disciplines:

• Counseling and guidance
• Educational administration
• Educational foundations
• Educational psychology
• Educational technology
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Special education

The master of education in teaching degree is offered through the College of Education.

The master of fine arts degree is offered through the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Department of Art for creative production rather than research in art, dance, or theater.

The master of library and information science degree is offered through the Department of Information and Computer Sciences as preparation for careers in information services in public, college, school, and technical libraries. Graduates are also prepared for careers in other types of information environments.

The master of music degree is offered through the Department of Music for composition and performance in music.

The master of public administration degree is offered through the Public Administration Program.

The master of public health degree is offered through the Public Health program to provide individuals with a broad background for professional practice in the field of public health at local, state, national, and international levels.

The master of science degree is offered through the Public Health program, the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering, and Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the Schools of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Medicine, Nursing and Dental Hygiene, and Travel Industry Management for advanced course work including research in the following disciplines:

• Agricultural and resource economics
• Agronomy and soil science
• Animal sciences
• Astronomy
• Biomedical sciences
• Biosystems engineering
• Botanical sciences
• Chemistry
• Civil engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Entomology
• Food science
• Geology and geophysics
• Horticulture
• Information and computer sciences
• Kinesiology and leisure science
• Mechanical engineering
• Meteorology
• Microbiology
• Nursing
• Nutritional sciences
• Ocean and resources engineering
• Oceanography
• Physics
• Public health
• Speech pathology and audiology
• Travel industry management
• Zoology

The master of social work degree is offered through the School of Social Work. The program prepares graduates for counseling individuals, families, and groups; for social policy formulation and community organization; and for research and administration in the human services.

The master of urban and regional planning degree is offered through the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

Requirements and Procedures for Master's Degrees

The rules and requirements listed below are those of the Graduate Division and must be observed by all students pursuing a master's degree. Note that some fields of study have special requirements.

Residence
The minimum residence requirement is two semesters of full-time work or four six-week summer sessions or the equivalent in credit hours applicable to the student's degree program. 

Language Requirements
At the option of the graduate field of study, the intended candidate for the master's degree may be required to demonstrate comprehension of one or more foreign languages. For specific language requirements in particular fields of study see the appropriate field of study listed in this Catalog. English is not considered a foreign language in this context. These requirements must be passed before they can be advanced to candidacy. 

Students should consult the Graduate Division Records Office and their department for test dates and registration deadlines.

Time Allowed
Candidates for the master's degree will be expected to complete all requirements within seven years after admission into the master's program. Candidates who fail to complete all requirements within the specified time are automatically dropped from the program. Reinstatement for a limited period of time is possible only upon submission of a petition by the graduate chair providing a detailed degree plan and new limited time line to completion of all degree requirements.

Student Progress Forms
The Graduate Division utilizes progress forms to track each student's progress toward the degree. These forms are used for master's Plan A and doctoral students only. Progress of master's Plan B and Plan C students may be reported on departmental forms. Progress forms can be obtained from the Internet.

Plan A (Thesis)

Unless otherwise stated, Plan A is available in all fields of study.

Credit Hour Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required including 18 credit hours of approved course work, excluding 699s and Thesis 700, at least 12 of which must be in courses numbered 600-798; at least one graduate seminar in the major or related field; and at least 6 credit hours of Thesis 700. The thesis research credit requirements are set uniformly for each graduate field of study by the faculty in that field.

Candidates must be registered in the thesis research course (700) each semester during which the thesis is being written. Candidates who accumulate the maximum number of thesis research credit hours but fail to complete the thesis must register for a minimum of 1 credit hour of thesis research at the beginning of the term in which all requirements for the degree will be completed.

Thesis Requirement
When a thesis proposal has been approved by the student's committee, the chair of the graduate field of study sends to the Graduate Division, a Student Progress Form II (approval of thesis topic). The student may then enroll in the thesis research course (700) at the beginning of the next term. Students must register for Thesis 700 during the announced registration period. Failure to make satisfactory progress on a thesis does not entitle a student to a refund of tuition.

Upon request by the thesis committee, relevant work done by the student in directed reading/research (course 699) may be utilized as part of the thesis research. In such instances the total credit hours for such directed reading/research (course 699) and thesis research (700) to be applied toward the minimum requirement for the degree shall not exceed the maximum total credit hours specified for thesis research in the field of study.

The thesis committee is made up of three members of the graduate faculty.

The chair of the thesis committee is primarily responsible for directing and guiding the candidate's research and writing activities. It is the student's responsibility to keep all members of the committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of both the research and the thesis. Guidelines for thesis preparation are available at the Graduate Division Web site.

Copies of the completed thesis must be submitted to committee members at least two weeks prior to the date of the final examination. One unbound clean copy (two if publishing with Bell and Howell) of the completed thesis signed by all the members of the committee must be deposited with the Graduate Division by the specified deadline (see the "Calendar"). Additional bound copies may be required by individual fields of study.

General Examination
At the option of the faculty of the field of study, a general examination may be required before a student is advanced to candidacy for a master's degree. All students within a particular field of study must take the examination if it is required. The examination is usually given during the first semester of residence. It is designed to reveal the quality of the student's preparation for advanced work in the field and the ability of the student to pursue graduate work at the master's level. The examination also enables the student's committee or adviser to assist in planning a program that will overcome any deficiencies in the student's background.

A student who passes the examination may be recommended for advancement to candidacy for the master's degree. A student who fails the general examination may repeat it once upon approval by the graduate field. However, students failing the general examination a second time are dropped from the program.

In fields of study not requiring a general examination, the student may be advanced to candidacy upon the recommendation of the adviser and/or the graduate faculty of the field of study concerned. It is assumed that in these cases the recommendation for advancement to candidacy will be based on some evaluation of the student's potential performance other than a general examination. Students who are denied advancement to candidacy are dropped from the program and lose their status as classified graduate students.

Final Examination
A final oral examination covering the thesis and related areas may be required by individual graduate fields of study. All students within a particular field of study must take the examination if it is required at all. It should be held prior to the specified deadline before the end of the term during which the degree is conferred. It is conducted by the thesis committee and is open to all graduate faculty members. As an alternative, the committee chair may have the candidate present results of the thesis at a departmental graduate seminar, but all members of the thesis committee must be present.

Students failing the final examination may repeat it only once upon petition approved by the graduate field and the dean of the Graduate Division. Students who fail the final examination a second time are dropped from the program and lose their status as classified graduate students. If the field of study does not require a final examination, the chair of the graduate faculty concerned reports the completion of all degree requirements on Student Progress Form III.

Plan B (Non-thesis)

Unless otherwise specified, Plan B is available in all fields of study.

Credit Hour Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required. A minimum of 18 credit hours must be earned in courses numbered 600-798 (excluding Thesis 700) including at least one graduate seminar in the major field or in a related field. Not more than 9 credit hours in directed reading/research (course 699) may be applied to meet degree requirements.
When the student is advanced to candidacy, the chair of the field of study appoints a program adviser or a program committee made up of three members of the graduate faculty. The program adviser/committee advises the candidate and approves a coherent program of courses for the candidate.

Candidates must be enrolled during the term in which they complete the requirements for the degree; regular course work or the appropriate Master's Plan B Studies 500 may be used to meet this requirement. The 500 course is offered as a 1-credit course with a mandatory grading of S/NG but does not carry credit toward meeting degree requirements.

General Examination
At the option of the faculty of the field of study, a general examination may be required before a student is advanced to candidacy for a master's degree. All students within a particular field of study must take the examination if it is required at all. The examination is usually given during the first semester of residence. It is designed to reveal the quality of the student's preparation for advanced work in the field and the ability of the student to pursue graduate work at the master's level. The examination also enables the student's committee or adviser to assist in planning a program that will overcome any deficiencies in the student's background.

A student who passes the examination may be recommended for advancement to candidacy for the master's degree. A student who fails the general examination may repeat it once upon approval by the graduate field. However, students failing the general examination a second time are dropped from the program.

In fields of study not requiring a general examination, the student may be advanced to candidacy upon the recommendation of the adviser and/or the graduate faculty of the field of study concerned. It is assumed that in these cases the recommendation for advancement to candidacy will be based on some evaluation of the student's potential performance other than performance in the general examination. Students who are denied advancement to candidacy are dropped from the program and lose their status as classified graduate students.

Final Examination
At the option of the faculty of the field of study, a final examination may be required of Plan B candidates for the master's degree. If required, it is designed to determine the candidate's achievement in the field of study at the master's level. This examination has several possible forms. It may be a seminar appearance, a written comprehensive examination, an oral examination, some equivalent, or a combination of these. If a final examination is required by the field of study, it must be given prior to the established deadline before the end of the term during which the degree is conferred.

Students failing the final examination may be permitted to repeat it only once upon approval by the graduate field and the dean of the Graduate Division. Students failing the examination a second time are dropped from the program and lose their status as classified graduate students.

Plan C (Examinations)

Neither a thesis nor a certain number of credit hours is required by this plan. The student must demonstrate competence by examination and must meet the minimum residence requirement of two semesters of full-time study.

A preliminary conference will be held to discuss the student's objectives and how to meet them and to determine the general program the student will follow to prepare for the required examinations. The conference will be conducted by the chair of the graduate field of study or by a designated member of the graduate faculty. The plan of study developed at this conference may include course work and/or independent study and research. Plan C is available in agronomy and soil science, English as a second language, linguistics, mathematics, and physics. Each field of study specifies its own requirements in addition to the following:

Candidates must be enrolled during the term in which they complete the requirements for the degree; regular course work or the appropriate Master's Plan C Studies 500 may be used to meet this requirement. The 500 course is offered with a mandatory grading of S/NG but does not carry credit toward meeting degree requirements.

General Examination
A general exploratory examination (oral and/or written) will be given to determine if the intended candidate should be admitted to candidacy for the master's degree under Plan C and to ascertain weaknesses in the student's academic preparation. This examination is designed to reveal the quality of the student's preparation for advanced work in the field and the ability of the student to pursue graduate work at the master's level. The examination will be conducted by the student's interim adviser and the graduate faculty of the field of study or a committee thereof consisting of at least three members of the faculty. It is given during the first semester of residence and is from one to two hours in length. A student who fails the general examination may repeat it upon recommendation from the field of study and approval by the dean of the Graduate Division. A student who fails the general examination a second time is dropped from the program and loses classified graduate student status.

Final Examination
A final examination or series of examinations, written and oral, will be given to determine the candidate's comprehension of the field of study at the master's level. Since there are no course requirements for this plan, the final examinations will be designed to give the student opportunity to demonstrate a level of achievement consonant with the level of achievement required by Plans A and B. It is assumed that many students will prepare themselves for the examinations by taking courses recommended by advisers.

Specifications for the number of written examinations required, what they cover, and the amount of time required for each (two or more hours for written examinations and one or more for the oral portion) are set forth in the statement of requirements in each field of study. The written examinations may be given by the candidate's committee or by an examination committee of graduate faculty members constituted for that purpose.

The oral portion of the final examination follows the written portions and must be held prior to the specified deadline before the end of the term during which the degree is conferred. It is conducted by the candidate's committee and is open to all members of the faculty. The examination must be announced in the weekly K– Lama. It may be scheduled on any working day during normal working hours. Arrangements for the final examination must be made at least three weeks prior to the date of examination for fall and spring semesters, and four weeks prior to the date of the examination for the summer.

Candidates failing the final examination may be allowed to repeat it upon approval by the graduate faculty concerned and the dean of the Graduate Division. Students failing the final examination a second time are dropped from the program and lose their status as classified graduate students.

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