Graduation

*GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu must satisfy the following requirements for graduation:

* Credit Requirements
* Grade-point Average Requirements
* Concentration Requirements
* General Education Requirements
* Writing Competence Requirements

Credit Requirements

The minimum requirement for the Bachelor's degree is 120 credits of applicable college-level work.

(a) Of these 120 credits, a minimum of 54 must be earned in upper-division courses, or courses in the 300 and 400 series.
(b) Residency requirement: A minimum of 30 credits must be earned "in residence" through courses taken at the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu. Credits earned through "credit by examination" or other equivalency may not be used to fulfill this the residency requirement.
(c) The maximum number of credits from lower-division courses, and credit/no credit courses applicable to this requirement are as follows:

1. From community college, or other lower-division program, 66 transferable college-level credits; and
2. From credit/no credit courses, 24 transferable college-level credits.

Grade Point Average Requirements

Three grade point averages, each 2.0 or higher, are required for graduation:

(a) An average based on all courses completed at the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu (cumulative GPA);
(b) An average based on all courses completed at the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu and all other colleges/universities (overall GPA); and
(c) An average based on all upper-division courses completed in the area of concentration (Concentration GPA).

Major and Concentration Requirements

Students seeking a degree must complete a minimum number of upper-division credits in one major as follows:

a. Business Administration
(1) Twenty-seven credits in Business core courses, including Senior Project or Administrative Practicum;
(2) Twelve credits of concentration courses in either Accounting or General Business Administration;
(3) Six credits of upper-division credits in Humanities;
(4) Six upper-division credits in the Social Sciences; and
(5) Upper-division electives (as required to meet the minimum 54 upper-division credits for graduation).
b. Humanities
(1) Six credits in Humanities Basic courses;
(2) Twenty-four credits in a concentration (Hawaiian-Pacific Studies, History, Literature and Film, or Philosophy), including Senior Project or Senior Practicum;
(3) Six credits in one additional Humanities field (Complementary area); and
(4) Upper-division electives (as required to meet the minimum 54 upper-division credits for graduation).
c. Public Administration
(1) Twenty-seven credits in Public Administration core courses, including Senior Project or Administrative Practicum;
(2) Twelve credits or 9 credits of concentration courses in either General Public Administration (12) or Justice Administration (9);
(3) Six upper-division credits in the Humanities;
(4) Six upper-division credits in the Social Sciences; and
(5) Upper-division electives (as required to meet the minimum 54 upper-division credits for graduation).
d. Social Sciences
(1) Nine credits in Social Sciences Basic and Skills courses;
(2) Twenty-one credits in one Social Science concentration, including Senior Project or Senior Practicum as applicable to the concentration;
(3) Nine credits in one additional Social Science concentration (Complementary area); and
(4) Upper-division electives (as required to meet the minimum 54 upper-division credits for graduation).

General Education Core Requirements

The University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu does not offer lower-division courses. It is assumed that all lower-division work will have been completed at a community college or four-year college. Credits from an appropriately accredited college or university will be evaluated to determine whether general education requirements as established by the University have been met. For all students, the total number of transfer credits will be determined by an evaluation of courses completed. General Education requirements will be evaluated for completion at both the lower- and upper-division level. Courses accepted for transfer may not necessarily be applicable to the Bachelor of Arts degree.

A student who has earned an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree at one of the University of Hawaii’s community colleges or other appropriately accredited institution shall be accepted as having fulfilled the general education core requirements. For all other students, the following general education requirements, by academic area, must be completed:

(a)Humanities and Language Arts:
Eighteen semester hours selected from at least three different areas in the Humanities and Language Arts. Appropriate areas include but are not limited to: Art, English, History, Language, Music, Philosophy, Religion and Speech;

(b) Social Sciences:
Fifteen semester hours selected from at least three different areas in the Social Sciences. Appropriate areas include but are not limited to: Anthropology, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Cultural Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Education; and

(c) Mathematics and Natural Sciences:
Twelve semester hours selected from courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science (programming), Geology, Geophysics, Mathematics and Physics. A minimum of three semester hours must be earned in the natural sciences and a minimum of three semester hours in mathematics.

Certification of course work completed to meet general education requirements will be made by the Student Services Office. Questions on the applicability of course work should be directed to Student Services.
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Writing Requirements

The University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu has a Writing-Across-the-Curriculum program that provides students with an assessment of their writing upon entry to the institution and identifies courses deemed “Writing-Intensive” (WI) for purposes of meeting degree requirements.

To assure writing competency, UH West O‘ahu requires all incoming students to take a two-hour Writing Assessment Examination (WAE). The WAE is scheduled periodically throughout the calendar year. Dates and times for the WAE are published in the student newsletter The West Press, sent as email notification to all current students through The West Press Express and posted on the website of the UH West O‘ahu Writing and Learning Center.

Students residing on islands other than O‘ahu can arrange to take the WAE through the University Centers at Kaua‘i Community College, Maui Community College, the University Center at West Hawai‘i, and the Moloka‘i and Lana‘i Education Centers. Links to these University Centers are available through the Distance Education.

Students who receive a score of E (exempt) on the WAE are exempt from taking HUM 310 Writing Skills, and are eligible to enroll in WI courses at UH West O‘ahu. Students who receive a score of N (not exempt) on the WAE are required to have a passing grade in HUM 310 before enrolling in any WI course taken at UH West O‘ahu.

Students who are required to take HUM 310 are strongly encouraged to complete this course during their first year at UH West O‘ahu. Students who have completed a 200-level expository writing course that includes a research component, and received a grade of “C” or better in that class, may be exempt from the WAE and HUM 310. In the University of Hawai‘i system the following 200-level courses are acceptable: ENG 215 or ENG 210. Titles of these courses may vary from campus to campus. Students may contact the Student Services Office for further information on the applicability of their 200-level expository writing course towards the fulfillment of this requirement.

Writing Intensive Courses

Courses that are designated Writing-Intensive (WI) will be identified each semester in the printed Schedule of Courses, through the MyUH Portal registration system, and online.

Students are required to complete a minimum of nine credits of WI courses at the upper-division level to meet graduation requirements. Three of these WI credits will be earned through a Senior Project, Practicum, Administrative Practicum, or equivalent course. A minimum of six credits must be earned through courses other than Senior Project, Senior Practicum, or Administrative Practicum. Students who have transferred upper-division WI credits, as denoted on their official transcripts, should consult a Student Services Specialist to determine how many WI credits must be completed to meet graduation requirements with UH West O‘ahu.

No student may take a WI course from UH West O‘ahu without first receiving a satisfactory score on the Writing Assessment Examination or having satisfactorily completed HUM 310 or equivalent.

Writing and Learning Center
UH West Oahu’s Writing and Learning Center, located in room B-108, is open approximately 20 hours a week, both days and evenings, to provide students, faculty, and staff with assistance on all aspects of writing. Trained staff is on hand to help students and others begin a writing project, focus on a topic, develop a thesis, organize a research plan, create an outline, and review drafts of written work. The Writing and Learning Center also offers approximately 20 hours a week of tutoring in accounting, economics, statistics, and oral communication. Peer tutors are available to help students understand concepts of descriptive and
inferential statistics, correlation and linear regression, and procedures for formulas used in calculations. In addition, tutoring is available in techniques of Powerpoint presentations and effective methods for oral presentations. Tutoring in accounting, economics, statistics, and writing is also available online through the Writing and Learning Center.