Hawaiian-Pacific Studies (HPST)

Hawaiian-Pacific Studies is the study of the Hawaiian people and culture and of other Pacific Islanders and their cultures. There is a large number of Pacific Island societies scattered across the vast Pacific Ocean. Regions of the Pacific include Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia - with Hawai‘i being part of Polynesia. The societies of the Pacific have their own unique histories, languages, cultures, literature, arts, social structure, architecture, and contemporary issues. This program offers a wide array of courses on Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands, enabling the student to gain an overview of the Pacific peoples and an in-depth knowledge of specific aspects of the cultures of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. These courses come from a variety of disciplines. Students in this concentration have used their degree in careers in various K-12 education and counseling fields. The concentration is also a stepping-stone to graduate school programs in a variety of disciplines such as history, folklore, art history, anthropology, education, Hawaiian Studies and Pacific Island Studies.

Concentration requirements:

For students with a concentration in Hawaiian-Pacific Studies, 36 credits are required including:

1. HUM 486 Senior Project or HUM 490 Humanities Practicum

2. Six credits in Humanities Basic Courses:
HUM 304    Hawaiian-Pacific Traditions, and three additional credits in one of the following:
HUM 301    Studies in the Western Tradition
HUM 302    Studies in the Eastern Tradition
HUM 303    Comparative Traditions: Eastern and Western

3. Three credits chosen from the Oral Traditions Cluster:
HPST 477    Polynesian and Micronesian Mythology
HPST 478    Hawaiian Mythology II
HPST 479    Hawaiian Mythology I

4. Three credits chosen from the Literature Cluster:
HPST 476    Contemporary Literature of Hawai‘i
HPST 480    Contemporary Literature of the Pacific

5. Three credits chosen from the History Cluster:
HPST 384    Hawai‘i from European Contact to the Overthrow
HPST 471    Polynesia Before European Contact
HPST 482    Pacific Islands
HPST 483    Archaeology of Hawai‘i
HPST 488    Twentieth Century Hawai‘i

6. Six credits from one additional area of Humanities (Complementary Area)

7. Additional courses in the discipline as listed below (Courses may be used only once to fulfill cluster, concentration, or elective requirements towards graduation):
HPST 311    Hawaii’s Economy
HPST 326    Hawaiian and Pacific Environments
HPST 330    Science and Technology in Pre-Contact Hawai‘i
HPST 342    Indigenous Peoples and Modernity
HPST 350    Pacific Islands Cultures
HPST 380    Field Archaeology (v)
HPST 381    Hawai‘i Politics
HPST 384    Hawai‘i from European Contact to the Overthrow
HPST 437    Pacific Archaeology
HPST 456    Peoples of Hawai‘i
HPST 461    Traditional Art of Hawai‘i
HPST 462    Traditional Art of the Pacific
HPST 471    Polynesia Before European Contact
HPST 474    Economies of the Pacific Basin
HPST 476    Contemporary Literature of the Pacific
HPST 477    Polynesian and Micronesian Mythology
HPST 478    Hawaiian Mythology II
HPST 479    Hawaiian Mythology I
HPST 480    Contemporary Literature of the Pacific
HPST 482    Pacific Islands
HPST 483    Archaeology of Hawai‘i
HPST 488    Twentieth Century Hawai‘i
HPST 495    Research Methods (topics will vary)
HPST 496    Selected Topics in Hawaiian-Pacific Studies (v)
HPST 499    Directed Reading and Research (v)

Graduates with a concentration in Hawaiian-Pacific Studies from UH West O‘ahu should be able to:

• Identify the major island groups in the Pacific and their basic physical traits (e.g., atolls, isolated small high islands, continental islands of some size).
• Demonstrate a basic overview knowledge of Pacific peoples’ history and cultures.
• Demonstrate an in depth knowledge of specific aspects of the culture of the Hawaiian people, and/or the cultures of Pacific Islanders (such as art, contemporary literature, traditional literature, traditional culture, contemporary culture, history in traditional times, or history in more contemporary times).
• Find, research, and analyze source materials relevant to specific Hawaiian-Pacific topics (such as contemporary literature, traditional literature, art, oral history, archaeology, history, contemporary economies, or current issues).
• Clearly present research findings with supportive evidence (in writing or orally) on specific Hawaiian-Pacific Studies issues.