Distance Learning Programs Offered At The University of Hawaiʻi

The Certificate Program in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (DPEM) provides students and practitioners in the field of disaster preparedness and emergency management with a broad range of administrative skills and knowledge required in the growing and challenging areas of disaster preparedness, emergency management, and homeland security. The Certificate can be earned as a self-standing credential and may also be used as a part of a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration at the University of Hawaiʻi West-Oʻahu (UHWO). The Bachelor's degree includes on-campus classes.

The UHWO DPEM courses meet the requirements of Federal Emergency Management Institute's Higher Education Project, and this certificate is approved by FEMA within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Hawaiʻi State Board of Regents.

In partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi Center in West Hawaiʻi, and through the business pathway agreement between UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College, the UH Hilo's Bachelor of Business Administration is available to students residing in West Hawaiʻi.

Taught by UH Hilo College of Business and Economics faculty, this AACSB International accredited business degree program will be delivered by using a "blended class" distance learning technology. To complete this five-semester program, students will need to possess certain qualifications.

A BA degree in Business Administration (BABA) is offered to students on the neighbor islands. Students may choose one of two themes for this degree: Accounting or General Business Administration. Courses for the degree program are offered in a three-year plan, through a combination of ITV and online courses. Students enrolled in this program will be assigned faculty or staff advisors to help with academic planning.

A full-time program of study, 2 years including summers. Classes taught online and/or during on-teaching hours. Currently employed teachers may use their job as student teaching placement (must be in the subject area of licensure).

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo), in collaboration with the University Centers at Kauaʻi CC, Maui CC, and West Hawaiʻi, is initiating distance delivery of its Baccalaureate Nursing Program for RNs, beginning in Spring 2004. The program is identical to the successful residential RN to BSN program that has been offered at UH Hilo since 1992.

The Hawaiʻi Statewide Nursing Consortium (HSNC) program for associate degree nursing (ADN) graduates is a statewide continuing consortium nursing curriculum available to UH students from Kauaʻi Community College, Maui College and beginning in Fall 2015, Kapiʻolani Community College. The program builds upon initial nursing preparation with coursework to enhance professional development, prepare for a broader scope of practice, and provide an increased understanding of the cultural, economic, and social issues that affect the delivery of safe, quality patient care.

The Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration (BAPA) prepares students for supervisory and management roles in the public sector. The concentration in Health Care Administration provides students with a broad range of administrative skills and knowledge needed in the dynamic and growing health care field. Courses for the degree are offered solely online.

The Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (BASS) is offered only to students on the neighbor islands. Students in this program take courses in three study themes: Human Development, Health, and Healing; Culture and Environment; and Economy and Society. Courses for the degree program are offered in a three-year plan, primarily online, and on occasion in-person courses. Students enrolled in this program will be assigned faculty or staff advisors to help with academic planning.

Courses for a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Early Childhood Education are offered primarily online with occasional in-person courses. Students enrolled in this program will be assigned to a faculty advisor or staff advisors to help with academic planning. Oʻahu students in this program are required to attend in-person classes once a month.

Courses for a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Political Science are offered solely online.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education Statewide offering provides teacher education access to prospective teachers across the state who do not have geographic access to licensure programs (priority admission granted to applicants from the islands of Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lanaʻi).

The "Statewide" is available in the content areas of Math, Science, English, Social Studies, and Career & Technical Education; and is offered in an online/hybrid format with fieldwork requirements conducted on the candidates’ respective islands.

The Post Baccalaureate in Special Education (PB-SPED), a 33 credit program (plus 1 credit of ETEC 501*), is offered Statewide by the Department of Special Education to those with a Bachelor's degree in any field and desiring a teaching license in special education. There is a heavy emphasis on field experience to refine practical skills in applied settings. Field experience courses include a minimum nine-hour-a-week field placement requirement.

The Certificate in Online Learning and Teaching (COLT) is a graduate level program offered fully online requiring completion of 15 credits (5 courses). Although targeted for Hawaiʻi's educators, this program will also appeal to online educators throughout the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The Interdisciplinary Certificate in Disability and Diversity Studies (DDS) is a 15 credit graduate level (master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral) program sponsored by the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) in the College of Education.

This Board of Regent's approved Certificate is a Post-Baccaulaureate program since students are required to have a BA or BS as an entrance requirement.

Kahuawaiola is designed to qualify students for the Teacher's License issued by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education. Kahuawaiola will be a special interest to those planning to teach in Hawaiian medium schools, Hawaiian language and culture programs in English medium schools, and schools serving students with a strong Hawaiian cultural background.

The objective of this graduate certificate is to prepare literacy leaders, including reading specialists, literacy coaches and teachers who are curriculum leaders in the area of literacy.

The Master of Science in Computer Science focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative software technology. In teaching these valuable skills, the program relies on intensive collaboration and apprenticeship with faculty and with other students.

UH Mānoa is the originating campus. Therefore, to be admitted to this program, you must first be admitted to UH Mānoa. However, you may take UH Online courses without admission to the program by meeting all the prequisites of the course and applying as an Outreach College student.

Program includes off-campus offerings on Maui, Kauaʻi, and other locations. There are some online components with varying start dates.

The Department of Curriculum Studies and Special Education in the College of Education and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) offers a 30 credit program leading to the degree of Master of Education in Early Childhood Education (M.Ed). The program is designed to support professional development and promote leadership in personnel who work in programs with children between infancy and five-years of age.

In this program, students take core courses in the areas of philosophy of education, history of education, social and cultural contexts of education, and comparative/international education. Students also take electives such as education law, educational policy, politics of education, feminist studies and education, peace education, and environmental education.

This program is a collaboration of the Department of Educational Foundations and the Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools (HAIS). It is designed for administrators, teachers, and other educators. Instruction blends research-based knowledge with the wisdom of experienced private school leaders to prepare professionals for positions of leadership.

The Online Master's in Educational Technology (OTEC) program welcomes busy professionals from the neighbor islands and the mainland United States as well as foreign students who hold a bachelor's degree and find time and distance constraints of furthering an on-campus degree too difficult. OTEC is a two-year academic program leading to a Master's in Education (M.Ed).

The MBA Program for the Neighbor Islands offers participants a challenging, relevant and integrated course of study designed to meet the demands of a changing global business environment. The 48-credit hour program is geared toward individuals who have shown leadership or management potential. The goal of this program is to provide participants with a competitive edge in analytical, human resources and decision-making skills for a managerial position within today's dynamic global economy.

The Master of Human Resource Management program is offered in an accelerated executive format for working professionals and is specifically customized to equip human resource managers with the tools necessary to effectively meet the challenges of an ever-changing business climate.

This Master's program is designed for indigenous language and culture education practitioners. Students are provided with the tools to carry out indigenous language and culture education in their language of focus.

The LIS Program educates individuals for careers as librarians and information specialists. The Program serves a diverse student population that represents the Hawaiʻi-Pacific area, national and international regions of the world. Students in the Program obtain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are fundamental to professional competence and career-long professional growth in library and information services. The Program's distance education program currently offers approximately 30 percent of its courses via ITV to the neighbor islands and rural parts of the State; at least 2 courses are available through this medium each fall and spring semester.

The Music Department at the University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa offers the Master of Arts-Music Education degree, which is intended for those individuals who have attained a B.Ed or comparable degree and are currently teaching in the public or private school.

The Online Master of Arts in Education is offered for those whose circumstances preclude the more traditional campus residency route.

Using a community-based approach to nursing, the master of science in nursing program prepares nurses for advanced training. Students can select different pathways in the master's program: Nursing Education, Nursing Administration, Nursing Administration/MBA; Community and Public Health Nursing; Nurse Practitioner (Adult, Family, Geriatric, Pediatric); Psychiatric/Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (Adult, Child & Adolescent); Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist; Master's Entry Program in Nursing; RN to MS Program (with non-nursing baccalaureate); and Post MS Certificates.

The University of Hawaiʻi Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science offers a distance program leading to a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance, with a specialization in Rehabilitation Counselor Education. It is the only such program in the Pacific Basin and the nation accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) that serves predominantly Asians and Pacific Islanders. Graduates are eligible to take the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor examination.

The MSW program meets the workforce needs to prepare and credential professional social workers residing in neighbor island and rural areas with limited social services.

The M.Ed. in Special Education-Interdisciplinary 30 credit program is designed for those:

(a) who are already licensed in special education and wish to pursue a master's degree for career advancement, or

(b) who desire a master's degree without teacher licensure, such as those working in non-classroom-based services/settings or working with adults with disabilities.

Prepare for State of Hawaiʻi teacher licensure and earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, in a two-year program, in the School of Education at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

The COE Ph.D offers a specialization in Educational Foundations, which prepares educational professionals with an understanding of the historical, philosophical, cultural, social, and political contexts of education, so that they can make informed and wise decisions about educational problems and policy issues. Graduates are expected to exert leadership in the field of education and understand societal issues that need to be taken into account in advancing educational thought and practice.

The COE Ph.D offers a specialization in Policy Studies, a collaborative effort of two departments: Educational Foundations and Educational Administration. Policy Studies consists of a multidisciplinary program of study concerned with identifying and ameliorating significant educational problems. The objective of the specialization is to equip high level professionals with enhanced abilities to analyze pressing educational problems and to formulate human and feasible solutions to these problems.

The Ph.D. in Nursing program will prepare visionary scholars who are capable of:

• conducting culturally appropriate clinical scholarship to improve the health of a diverse society and
• teaching in nursing educational programs (especially those with minority student populations).

The program requires 45 credits of post master's course work, plus dissertation. Graduates will earn a PhD in Nursing. Two core areas make up the program of study:

• Knowledge development and clinical scholarship (27 credits)
• Nursing education (8 credits)

The Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a program designed to prepare the nurse at an advanced level of nursing science. The program emphasizes the development of the student's capacity to impact the clinical setting as leaders and educators and to utilize clinical research to improve and transform health care. The program as two entry points: BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP.

The Ed.D professional practice doctorate in education is in line with the recent call by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) to offer advanced degrees of professional practice that are distinct from doctoral research degrees in education. Professional practice doctorates in education are advanced degree programs aimed at preparing professionals for leadership roles at all levels of education, as well as in other positions where the main interest is the application of research in education settings.