Six UH-Mānoa Degrees for Public Health Careers
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa appears in our ranking of the 10 Best MPH Degrees in the West.
At Gartley Hall, the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work led by Dr. Noreen Mokuau grants a 120-credit BA in Public Health to introduce the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to fundamental skills with a three-course Applied Learning Experience (APLE) and optional Honors Track. Chaired by Dr. Andrew Grandinetti, the MS in Public Health builds a 32-credit STEM curriculum with an Epidemiology Specialization that requires thesis work in the Pacific Biomedical Research Center. The MS in Clinical Research follows a 34-credit, two-year pathway overseen by Dr. John Chen in the Quantitative Health Sciences Department with a qualifying exam, thesis defense, and Biostatistics Lab project.
Since 2002, the Master of Public Health has specialized its 42-credit, CEPH-accredited plan outlined by Dr. Alan Katz for Epidemiology, Health Policy & Management, Native Hawaiian & Indigenous Health, or Social & Behavioral Health with 240-hour practicum placements like the World Bank. Directed by Dr. Eric Hurwitz, the Ph.D. in Epidemiology partners with the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center to immerse post-master’s candidates in disease research plus Public Health Hui Ola Pono activities. The Ph.D. in Public Health creates a scholarly, three-year option headed by Dr. Kathryn Braun where future faculty can research in the Center for Aging, join the HHI Evaluation Team, take 700-level courses like Environmental Health, and attend the Annual Cross-Cultural Health Care Conference.
About the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa originated on March 1, 1907, when Congressman William Coelho introduced legislation to allocate Morrill Land-Grant funds for a state institution. In 1908, President John Gilmore welcomed an inaugural class of 10 to Thomas Square for mechanic arts courses. In 1912, it was named the College of Hawai’i. In 1920, liberal arts and sciences programs were added to become the University of Hawaiʻi. In 1931, it acquired the Territorial Normal & Training School for teacher preparation. In 1935, the Oriental Institute was founded for Asia-Pacific Region research. Closed briefly in 1941 after Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i established a Public Health Department in 1962. One decade later, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa name was chosen for the system flagship. In 2005, the John A. Burns School of Medicine constructed its state-of-the-art Kaka’ako Center.
Endowed for $321 million, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa now educates 12,968 undergrad and 4,742 post-grad Rainbow Warriors from 121 countries online or at its 320-acre Oahu campus near the Honolulu Harbor with 200+ clubs like the Partners in Health Engage. In 2017, the University of Hawai’i accepted the APLU Project Degree Completion Award. In 2019, UH- Mānoa had the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation’s Kai Bowden Award recipient. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Mānoa 89th for public health and 55th for medicine programs. On Niche, UH-Mānoa boasts America’s 36th most diversity and 205th best faculty. Times Higher Education placed the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa 360th overall. Forbes honored UH-Mānoa for the 190th best value and 168th most research impact. The Nature Index positioned Mānoa 14th globally for environmental health studies too.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Accreditation Details
On June 24, 2011, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission took action to extend the Level VI accreditation status at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa through a Spring 2021 visit under the 15th president, Dr. David Lassner, who earned the Christine Haska Distinguished Education Service Award. Located 2,403 miles across the Pacific Ocean in Alameda, California, this elite eight-territory West Coast accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to review UH’s 246 degrees. Particularly, the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH) reaffirmed the Office of Public Health Studies through July 1, 2022.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Application Requirements
Admission to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since 7,805 of the 9,350 Fall 2018 applicants were chosen for 83 percent acceptance. First-year Rainbow Warriors saying Aloha to the BA in Public Health must exceed the high school course requirements, including four English units. Freshmen need cumulative secondary GPAs of 2.8 and higher. Scoring at least 22 on the ACT exam is essential. For the SAT, minimum admitted scores are 560 for Reading/Writing and 540 for Mathematics. On average, undergrads present a 3.58 GPA, 1150 SAT, and 24 ACT mark. Transferring into the Office for Public Health Studies requires passing the PH 201 course with a “B-” or better. The Graduate Division mandates a regionally accredited baccalaureate and 3.0 GPA. Both Ph.D. programs demand a master’s degree plus allied health experience. Post-grads achieve mean GRE scores of 158 Verbal, 157 Quantitative, and 4.2 Analytical Writing.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa set January 5th priority and March 1st final undergrad deadlines for Fall enrollment. The Spring semester has September 1st priority and October 1st final deadlines. Honors Program cohorts must file by November 1st or June 1st. The Office of Public Health Studies accepts post-grad candidates from October 1st to December 1st only. The MS in Clinical Research closes on May 30th each year. Accordingly, complete the $70 ($100 if graduate) UH System Application online. Forward official transcripts to 1960 East-West Road in Honolulu, HI 96822. Directly send test results via SAT/GRE code 4867 or ACT code 0902. Attach checklist items, such as the objectives statement, three recommendation letters, Ph.D. writing sample, confidential health form, and financial affidavit. Contact (808) 956-8267 or pubhlth@hawaii.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is charging in-state BA in Public Health majors $11,304 annually. Non-resident undergrad tuition is $33,336 each year full-time. Mandatory student fees are $882 yearly. Residing at the Honolulu campus’ dorms like Frear Hall adds $13,366 for room and board. UH-Mānoa budgets $1,058 for textbooks and $3,213 for personal expenses. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals about $29,823 in-state and $51,890 out-of-state. The Office of Public Health Studies lists graduate tuition of $7,800 for Hawaiians and $18,540 for non-residents each semester. Master’s and doctoral candidates spend $650 to $1,545 per credit. Required Graduate Division fees total $420 by semester.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Services Office in Queen Liliʻuokalani Center Room 112 connects 61 percent of full-time UH Rainbow Warriors to tuition aid averaging $8,875 each for $69.68 million combined. Public health funds include the Joseph Alicata Memorial Award, Elmer Anderson Scholarship, Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Memorial Award, Dr. Abraham Kagan Endowed Fellowship, McComas-Kobayashi Fellowship, Frances Ayako Matsuda Sano Fellowship, Robert Worth Epidemiology Scholarship, Koseki Community Service Excellence Award, and Pauline Stitt Graduate Scholarship. The Mānoa Excellence Scholarship gifts $22,032 annually to non-resident freshmen meeting the 1310 SAT or 28 ACT minimum. The $10,000 International Undergraduate Scholarship has a January 15th deadline for students with GPAs above 3.0. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, require FAFSA applications coded 001610. In-state residents also pursue the Hawai’i Incentive Grant, Opportunity Grant, Native Hawaiian Tuition Waiver, B Plus Scholarship, and more.
Keep reading about the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa at the Office of Public Health Studies website.