The Honors Program at the University of Hawai΄i at Manoa offers a course of study that prepares talented and motivated students for independent and original research and creative work. It emphasizes intellectual community and encourages mentorship relationships both among students and between students and faculty. The Honors Program is divided into Selected Studies and Upper Division Honors.
Selected Studies is the lower division component of the Honors Program, designed for freshmen and sophomore students. If you are a freshman, you should apply to Selected Studies. If you are still a sophomore and have general education requirements to fulfill, you should also apply to Selected Studies.
Upper Division is the component of the Honors Program designed for junior and senior students. If you have declared a major and you are nearly finished with general education requirements, or you will soon be a junior, you should apply to Upper Division Honors.
Current Selected Studies students are advised to continue to the Upper Division. Please see Admissions for instructions and requirements.
Honors combines the intimate educational experiences offered by small, liberal arts colleges, with the extensive range of educational opportunities and the excellence of faculty and facilities of a Carnegie “Doctoral/Research-Extensive” university. It offers the best of both worlds!
For incoming freshmen, we require a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 and an academic letter of recommendation, usually from a high school counselor or instructor.
As a UH or transfer student applying to Selected Studies you need a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and one academic letter of recommendation.
As a UH or transfer student applying to Upper Division, you need a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, one academic letter of recommendation, and a signed Departmental Approval Form.
Read more about our admissions process.
No! Anyone can apply during the application period. Please see Admission for application deadlines.
You must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and take at least one Honors course per semester to remain in good standing.
Honors provides a range of courses that allow you to satisfy General Education requirements, build your major, and explore educational opportunities at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. There are two kinds of Honors courses: "A Sections" and Honors "HON" courses.
“A Section” courses are special sections of regular classes that are reserved for Honors students. Enrollment is limited to 20 students and generally such courses provide students with a more in-depth and challenging exploration of the course subject matter.
Click here for hallmarks of "A Section" courses.
Click here for a list of "A Section" courses taught.
Honors "alpha" courses are special seminar courses which are part of an innovative "inquiry-based" curriculum designed to introduce students to research and creative work at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. These intimate seminars build community among Honors students, introduce you to faculty, and train you both to conduct research and creative work.
You can start right away with HON 101: Introduction to Research at Manoa, a course designed especially for first-year students.
For a list of Honors alpha courses taught each semester, check out the Current Courses search page.
You must take at least one "A Section" or HON class per semester to remain in good standing.
As of Spring 2013, we have approximately 670 students.
Each year varies depending on how many students request this option. However, each year the Honors Program reserves 3 floors (appx. 75 spaces) in first-year housing and 2 floors in the upperclass Frear hall.
The biggest difference is the stronger sense of community. Because many Honors students in the residence halls are also in classes together, friendships and study groups are started more easily.
No. UHM Honors Program is not a club or Honors Society but an academic program. It is not affiliated with any other honors societies on campus. It does, however, similarly include co-curricular activities and incorporates service projects.
Faculty who teach Honors courses are selected in a competitive process for which they must provide course proposals. They are selected specifically for their strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.
All undergraduate majors are eligible to participate in the Honors Program. The application process to upper-division Honors includes a review by the department’s undergraduate advisor. In some cases, departments have additional entrance or program requirements for their majors.
Some majors have extensive requirements that may cause difficulties for students who wish to participate in Honors. With good planning and some willingness to be flexible most of these difficulties can be overcome. Students in doubt about the feasibility of doing Honors in their chosen major should schedule an appointment to talk with the Honors Program Director.
