Majors and Concentrations

The University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu’s curriculum offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in four majors: Business Administration, Humanities, Public Administration, and Social Sciences. Each major requires students to choose a concentration, or area of study. The requirements for each major assures the attainment of both breadth and depth of knowledge in the chosen field. Although briefly covered here, each of the four majors are described in more detail in other sections of this catalog.

1. As part of the Division of Professional Studies, the Bachelor of Arts in allows students to concentrate in either Accounting or General Business Administration. All students pursuing Business Administration are required to take core courses which form the foundation of the major, and to complete a Senior Project or Administrative Practicum.

2. The Bachelor of Arts in Humanities requires the student to concentrate in Hawaiian-Pacific Studies, History, Literature and Film, or Philosophy. Students gain breadth in the Humanities by taking six credits in one field that complements the concentration. For example, a student who concentrates in History must also take six credits in either Literature and Film, Philosophy or Hawaiian-Pacific Studies. Students are also required to take the Humanities Basic courses which integrate knowledge from several disciplines. Although not required, Skills courses related to study in the Humanities may be included in the student’s educational plan. All students majoring in the Humanities are required to complete a Senior Project or Practicum.

3. The Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration is housed under the Division of Professional Studies. Students pursuing a program in Public Administration may concentrate in Justice Administration, General Public Administration or in Health Care Administration. All students majoring in Public Administration are required to take core courses and complete a Senior Project or Administrative Practicum.

4. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences requires a student to concentrate in Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or an Applied Track. In addition to their concentration courses, students also gain breadth in the Social Sciences by taking an additional nine credits from one area of a complementary social science field. For example, a student who chooses to concentrate in Psychology may choose to take nine credits in Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, or Economics. Social Sciences Basic courses, which integrate knowledge from several disciplines, and/or Skills courses, related to study in the Social Sciences must also be taken. All students majoring in Social Sciences are required to complete a Senior Project or Senior Practicum, depending on their area of concentration.