(808) 974-7300
(808) 974-7690
UCB 304
Mail:College of Arts and Sciences
UH Hilo Home > Academics > College of Arts and Sciences
Departments & Academic Programs
The purpose of the College of Arts and Sciences is to provide quality education in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as a select group of high quality professional and pre-professional programs.
The College of Arts and Sciences offers baccalaureate degrees in the following academic majors:
| Field | Masters | BA | BS | Minor | Cert. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration of Justice | BA | ||||
| Anthropology | BA | Minor | |||
| Art | BA | Minor | |||
| Astronomy • Earth and Space Science (Minor) |
BS | Minor | |||
| Biology | BA | BS | Minor | ||
| Chemistry | BA | Minor | |||
| China-U.S. Relations | MA | ||||
| Communication | BA | Minor | |||
| Computer Science | BS | Minor | |||
| Counseling Psychology | MA | ||||
| Education | MEd | Cert | |||
| English | BA | Minor | |||
| Geography and Environmental Science | BA | Minor | Cert | ||
| Geology • Earth and Space Science (Minor) |
BA | BS | Minor | ||
| History | BA | Minor | |||
| International Studies | Cert | ||||
| Japanese Studies | BA | Minor | |||
| Kinesiology & Exercise Sciences | BA | ||||
| Liberal Studies • Religious Studies |
BA | ||||
| Linguistics | BA | Minor | |||
| Marine Science | BA | BA | Minor | Cert | |
| Mathematics | BA | Minor | |||
| Natural Science | BA | ||||
| Nursing | BS | ||||
| Pacific Islands Studies | Cert | ||||
| Performing Arts • Dance • Drama • Music • Technical Theatre |
BA | Cert | |||
| Philosophy | BA | Minor | |||
| Physics | BA | Minor | |||
| Political Science | BA | Minor | |||
| Psychology | BA | ||||
| Sociology | BA | Minor | |||
| Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) | MS | ||||
| Women's Studies Certificate | Cert |
In addition, the College of Arts and Sciences offers a teacher education program which has been approved for certain academic majors. Those students who satisfactorily complete a prescribed sequence of courses in education, along with an approved academic major, qualify for the Initial Basic Teaching Certificate issued by the Hawaii State Department of Education. A professional certification program is also offered.
The Departments of Geology and Astronomy jointly offer a minor in Earth and Space Science.
Classes at the College of Arts and Sciences frequently conduct field studies at various sites on Hawaiʻi Island. Archaeology students participate in investigating ancient Hawaiian sites and artifacts. Geology, biology, and geography students explore the island's volcanoes, marine environment and varied ecosystems. Numerous social science courses make use of the wide ethnic heritages represented on the island of Hawai‘i. In the teaching of numerous subjects, the College seeks to make use of Hawai‘i Island and its multi-cultural heritage and physical setting as a miniature continent in the midst of a tropical ocean.
Although the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo is isolated from the tensions of the metropolitan environment, the College is not isolated from the world. Many courses at Hilo have a strong international accent. Both the Eastern and Western traditions are studied in courses in philosophy, religion, and history. Languages taught at the college include French, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Spanish.
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences have considerable liberty to design, in cooperation with their professors, individualized courses of instruction. Through the "99" sequence of courses, students may undertake directed reading and research. Furthermore, the Liberal Studies Program allows students to design their own majors by combining subjects of study which are demonstrably pertinent to their personal, educational, developmental or career objectives.